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929 Students Admitted to Swarthmore Class of 2017 from Record Pool of Applications

Parrish Hall
Parrish Hall

Swarthmore College has sent letters of admission to 929 prospective members of the Class of 2017. Fourteen percent of the 6,614 students who applied were offered a position in the first year class. Based on previous admissions patterns, Swarthmore expects this group of admitted students to yield a first-year class of about 391 for next fall.

"We are excited by the growth in interest from students overseas, where a residential liberal arts education is increasingly seen as the best preparation for creating engaged, socially-conscious critical thinkers," says Jim Bock '90, vice president and dean of admissions. "We look forward to the contributions the matriculated class will make both on our campus and in society upon graduation." The 6,614 applications mark the highest number the College has ever received, with the largest increases coming from Arizona, Washington, and from non-U.S. citizens abroad. 

Of the admitted students attending high schools reporting class rank (33 percent), 36 percent are valedictorians or salutatorians. Fifty-eight percent are in the top two percent of their high school class, and 93 percent are in the top decile.

The admitted students come from or represent six continents, 63 nations, and 49 U.S. states as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. California is the most highly represented home state of members in the newly admitted class. Following, in order, are New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, Illinois, and Washington.

China, with 12 students, is the most represented nation among non-U.S. citizens in the admitted class. Seven each are from India and Korea. Six each are from Canada and Hong Kong. Five are from Singapore. Four are from Turkey. Three are from Great Britain. Two each are from Ecuador, Ghana, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Palestine, and Vietnam. One each is from Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Georgia, Hungary, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mongolia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Additionally, there are many students who carry dual citizenship with the U.S. or who have permanent residency whose nationalities are not included in this summary.

Fifty-five percent of the admitted students come from public high schools, 30 percent from private independent schools, six percent from parochial schools, and nine percent from schools overseas. Fifteen percent of the admitted students are among the first generation in their family to attend college.

Engineering is the most popular intended major among the admitted students. Next, in order, are biology, "undecided," political science, economics, English literature, physics, mathematics, psychology, and sociology and anthropology. 


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