Swarthmore College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Political Science
Minor: Peace and Conflict Studies
Student Self Identifies as: Biracial: Half Asian and Half White Gay Male

Summary

I [have a leadership position] in the student newspaper, The Phoenix.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Biracial: Half Asian and Half White
Sexual Orientation: Gay

High School Experience: Private boarding school in New Hampshire with a graduating class of about 350 students.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Political Science
Minor: Peace and Conflict Studies

Extracurricular Activities: I [have a leadership position] in the student newspaper, The Phoenix. I worked as a Diversity Peer Advisor, which is a leadership position in the dorm where we advocate for diversity.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
They both have had a decent impact in the sense that they let me collaborate with other students in a regular manner and it adds some learning experience outside of the classroom. Overall, I enjoy them.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
For example, I am in a political theory class and we have an essay due every three weeks and at the end of the semester there is a long research paper due. That is pretty standard for classes in my major, though some have fewer essays.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I think they do a good job of giving students the option for one-on-one attention through private meetings and office hours.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I don’t find it competitive in a harmful sense. I feel like there’s always help if you ask for it and it’s pretty productive in that way.
How accessible are your professors?
They are very accessible and are always willing to meet.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Not as much as they could because the school is very left-leaning and there is a dominance of those voices in the classroom.
What has been your favorite class you’ve taken for your major?
Crisis Resolution in the Middle East
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation student? Were there any systems in place to help you adjust?
There are many resources in place. There is a staff that is dedicated to first-generation issues and things like that. My high school was a college prep school, so I think I adjusted just fine.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always known that my interests and career goals align with the field of political science and I’ve been doing internships related to it, so it was always a clear choice.

Reasons to Attend

1) The professors are really qualified, experienced, and well-published.
2) The professors are really helpful in terms of giving you one-on-one attention if you want that.
3) The location is really great in that we’re close to Philadelphia and that Philadelphia is close to New York City and Washington, D.C.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) The social culture can be monotonous in how it reflects the hyper-academic culture of the school.
2) It is not a pre-professional school.
3) You may be bored and unenlightened because of how small it is.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Willets Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Willets Hall with one roommate
Junior: Wharton Hall with no roommate
What was your favorite living situation?
The single.
How was transitioning from New Hampshire to Swarthmore, PA in terms of location?
I like the location in Swarthmore because it’s much closer to a city. Philadelphia’s very accessible, so I appreciate being here.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
There are no safety issues at all. It’s totally safe.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I prefer not to participate in the nightlife at the college because I feel like there are a lot of options in Philly. Most of my social life takes place in Philly. I like to go to the restaurants and clubs there.
How has identifying as gay impacted your nightlife experience? Are there many LGBTQ nightlife options at Swarthmore?
For me, it doesn’t make sense to try to participate in gay life at Swarthmore because Philly is so close. It’s never made sense to me to try to have fun at a party at Swarthmore where there are eight people when you can go to Philly and there is a packed club. That’s why I always choose Philly over Swarthmore. At Swarthmore, it’s good for freshmen because regardless of your gender or sexuality because you can get into any party. It’s not difficult to get into any event or party.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Swarthmore? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I feel like the weekend options are good, especially for freshmen because it lets them socialize with other freshmen and be orientated to the college. But, when you’ve been here for a couple of years, it’s nice that you can choose to be here or not be here.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
In the freshman dorms.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
It’s fine. I don’t see anyone being left out or marginalized. The only criticism I have is that it resembles a typical high school in the sense that it’s cliquey and people pay attention to who you sit with in the dining halls. I think it’s whatever you make of it.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
To a normal extent that is no different from any other social environment. There’s definitely no discrimination or exclusivity, it just depends on individual and group preferences.
How would you describe the student body?
It’s pretty focused on academic research, going to further graduate school education and social activism projects. I feel like the student body is reflective of that and talks about things like research and graduate school more often than I think people at other schools would.
How do you like the size of Swarthmore in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How does it influence your social experience? [Swarthmore has about 1,650 undergraduate students.]
It’s a little too small because people like myself come from a high school of a similar size and mentally you prepare yourself to go to college and have it be bigger, but it’s not.
How would you describe the LGBTQ community on campus? How strong is it?
Everyone’s friendly with each other. I’m impressed that in the past year they created a new position called [Associate Director of Gender and Sexuality Initiatives]. I think that speaks to the community here.
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of Swarthmore by senior year? Do you think people leave loving Swarthmore?
I think it’s half and half because if you fit into the trends and patterns here and enjoy the hyper-academic and research focus, you like it. But, if you come here and find that you’re interested in something else, maybe it’s not a good mix. For me, I think it’s fine because I’ve been lucky with getting good internships and things like that.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes, it has. I’ve attended alumni events. The alumni network won’t help you unless you really take the initiative and do some proactive things, which I think I have. It’s only helpful if you go above and beyond and really take that initiative to get in touch.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I have not used them at all.
Have you learned any computer programs or languages that will be helpful to you professionally?
I have not learned any of those computer skills at Swarthmore.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, easy is the office to work with?
Financial aid has been very helpful. I just provide them with the annual necessary paperwork to renew it every year, it’s pretty simple.