Please write about why you are interested in applying to and attending Swarthmore.
In his Twelfth Annual Report, Horace Mann wrote “Education... is the great equalizer of the conditions of men– the balance-wheel of the social machinery.” Education is the sole reason why my family was able to leave the farming provinces of Philippines. Education is why, today, I’m able to go to college in America.
For that reason, I believe that the goal of education is to allow students to discover their interests. It should be intellectually challenging and make you uncomfortable. Success, therefore, should come from a genuine love for learning.
However, living in an upper-middle class suburb in the Bay Area, I’ve found that not everyone shares the same views. Here, the emphasis is on grades– as long as you end the semester with an A, it doesn’t matter how much work you put in or how you got the grade. For most, the ends must justify the means; as long as you go to a well-known, Ivy League college, cheating or having a stress-filled four years is acceptable.
Swarthmore’s mission fits more in line with my own ideology. I want to attend because of the challenges the college offers and the emphasis it places on learning– not grades. The Honors Program, in particular, illustrates this. Through Oxford tutorials, students are encouraged to pursue their interests with those who have similar passions. At Swarthmore, I hope to take advantage of these opportunities, and meet others with the same motivation.
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