I always appreciate your thoughtful pieces, Tara. I graduated from Swarthmore in 1996. I wanted to comment on a few of the qualities you mentioned from the perspective of a neurodivergent, bicultural, Mexican-American woman born and raised in Wisconsin/Minnesota.
I never would have applied to Swarthmore if it weren't for a middle school principal who told those of us at the top of the class that there was no way we could earn enough to attend a school like Swarthmore. However, we could qualify for need-based financial aid if we studied hard and did well on our SATs. My dad was a bilingual teacher and my mom stayed home with us until my sister was in middle school, when she started substitute teaching.
Getting into Swarthmore felt like a ticket to a different world. I'd grown up in a small town, and I'd had the expectation I would attend college (like my parents). But I didn't expect to attend an east coast private school (many of their annual tuition numbers were roughtly equal to 100% of my parent's income).
Indeed it felt luxurious that I didn't have to pay for any campus events, and they were all accessible to students. I had a campus job 10 hours a week (since spending a little on a weekend latte or incidentals helped me feel not entirely dependent on the school) and took on some teaching assistant roles in the chem department. Junior and Senior years I was able to become a Resident Assistant which covered 100% of my room and board (which had been subsidized about 85% prior).
Graduating with only 10k in student loans after 4 years was enough to help me feel ownership of my education, yet not so much that I was crushed after graduation. Jobs were plentiful in the late 90's, though we learned next to nothing in college about the practicalities of searching for jobs. Probably 75%+ Swatties went to grad school, med school, or law school anyway within 1-2 years. Career education is one area where they need to do better.
For those of us who didn't come from families/networks of influential people, we stumbled through the process. Thank goodness for temp agencies! They were the source of easy temp work and a few jobs that were temp to hire. I didn't starve, though I didn't learn a lot about personal finance until I worked for trust companies in my mid-20's. Not before running up a scary amount of credit card debt and not fully comprehending how the compounding effect can hurt (and sometimes help) us. Money felt like a weird mirage perhaps, especially knowing price tags vary based on who you know.
A decade later, after attending grad school at the University of Minnesota (master of liberal studies) I deeply appreciated the experiences I'd had at Swarthmore. My grades were MUCH higher at the U, but it was because I learned how to think and write critically. I learned how to question my sources, and not to take intellectual claims for granted.
While I'm not (yet) financially wealthy, and still want to figure out how to make it as a self-employed person since 2019 (after 20+ years in mostly the corporate world), I give money every year to Swarthmore. I know I'll never be able to repay them financially for the amazing supportthat they provided. But I also believe my contributions in other areas to my community, and the extra momentum I received through that eduation are priceless.
My chemistry teacher used to tell me selecting our college was the second most important decision in our life (the first being who we would marry). While I don't necessarily agree with that (and I'm in a second marriage - no decision is irrevocable) it is a decision that can impact us for decades so it feels particularly weighty. "Go with your gut" is the advice I give to my coaching clients. Best of luck on the college search process with your daughter! 💕
I always appreciate your thoughtful pieces, Tara. I graduated from Swarthmore in 1996. I wanted to comment on a few of the qualities you mentioned from the perspective of a neurodivergent, bicultural, Mexican-American woman born and raised in Wisconsin/Minnesota.
I never would have applied to Swarthmore if it weren't for a middle school principal who told those of us at the top of the class that there was no way we could earn enough to attend a school like Swarthmore. However, we could qualify for need-based financial aid if we studied hard and did well on our SATs. My dad was a bilingual teacher and my mom stayed home with us until my sister was in middle school, when she started substitute teaching.
Getting into Swarthmore felt like a ticket to a different world. I'd grown up in a small town, and I'd had the expectation I would attend college (like my parents). But I didn't expect to attend an east coast private school (many of their annual tuition numbers were roughtly equal to 100% of my parent's income).
Indeed it felt luxurious that I didn't have to pay for any campus events, and they were all accessible to students. I had a campus job 10 hours a week (since spending a little on a weekend latte or incidentals helped me feel not entirely dependent on the school) and took on some teaching assistant roles in the chem department. Junior and Senior years I was able to become a Resident Assistant which covered 100% of my room and board (which had been subsidized about 85% prior).
Graduating with only 10k in student loans after 4 years was enough to help me feel ownership of my education, yet not so much that I was crushed after graduation. Jobs were plentiful in the late 90's, though we learned next to nothing in college about the practicalities of searching for jobs. Probably 75%+ Swatties went to grad school, med school, or law school anyway within 1-2 years. Career education is one area where they need to do better.
For those of us who didn't come from families/networks of influential people, we stumbled through the process. Thank goodness for temp agencies! They were the source of easy temp work and a few jobs that were temp to hire. I didn't starve, though I didn't learn a lot about personal finance until I worked for trust companies in my mid-20's. Not before running up a scary amount of credit card debt and not fully comprehending how the compounding effect can hurt (and sometimes help) us. Money felt like a weird mirage perhaps, especially knowing price tags vary based on who you know.
A decade later, after attending grad school at the University of Minnesota (master of liberal studies) I deeply appreciated the experiences I'd had at Swarthmore. My grades were MUCH higher at the U, but it was because I learned how to think and write critically. I learned how to question my sources, and not to take intellectual claims for granted.
While I'm not (yet) financially wealthy, and still want to figure out how to make it as a self-employed person since 2019 (after 20+ years in mostly the corporate world), I give money every year to Swarthmore. I know I'll never be able to repay them financially for the amazing supportthat they provided. But I also believe my contributions in other areas to my community, and the extra momentum I received through that eduation are priceless.
My chemistry teacher used to tell me selecting our college was the second most important decision in our life (the first being who we would marry). While I don't necessarily agree with that (and I'm in a second marriage - no decision is irrevocable) it is a decision that can impact us for decades so it feels particularly weighty. "Go with your gut" is the advice I give to my coaching clients. Best of luck on the college search process with your daughter! 💕