Rural & Small-Town Students

A group of Swarthmore students carry their boat in preparation to enter in the Crum Regatta, one of Swarthmore's many campus traditions.

Swarthmore College recognizes that academic talent has no geographic boundaries. Students from small towns and rural areas contribute a vital element to our campus community. Our Small Towns at Swarthmore initiative seeks to recruit intellectually curious and socially engaged students coming from rural areas and small towns.

Our admissions staff travels widely to meet as many students as possible. We’re an inaugural member of the Small Town Outreach Recruitment and Yield (STORY) travel group Consortium and our team contributes to the planning of these trips. While our staff cannot visit every community in person, we want our prospective students to have the resources they need. Counselors can visit our Information for Counselors page to learn more about how to virtually connect with Swarthmore, and prospective students and their families are encouraged to connect with us virtually and reach out to current students with questions. We also reach out directly to students in rural communities with email and print communications to help them learn more about Swarthmore. (Not on our list? Sign up to start receiving information from us.)

Have questions for admissions staff? Locate and email your regional dean.

Information for Counselors

Our Swarthmore Aid & Access Guide [PDF] provides a broad overview of the many ways Swarthmore commits to college access, student support, and financial aid—and serves as a helpful resource for counselors, advisors, and community-based organizations based in small towns and rural areas. For more resources and information, please visit our Resources for Counselors page.

Swarthmore’s Assistant Dean of Admissions Janet Barkdoll ’22 leads the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Rural and Small Town Special Interest Group (SIG).