Swarthmore College Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores

Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 9.5%. To apply, students can use the  Common Application, the Coalition Application, or the Questbridge Application. Swarthmore has an Early Decision program that can improve admission chances for students who are sure the college is their top choice school. A registered national arboretum, Swarthmore’s 399-acre campus is located just 11 miles from downtown Philadelphia. Students have the opportunity to take classes at neighboring  Bryn Mawr,  Haverford, and the  University of Pennsylvania. The college can boast of an impressive 8-to-1  student/faculty ratio  and a chapter of the prestigious  Phi Beta Kappa  Honor Society. Swarthmore consistently ranks near top of U.S. liberal arts colleges. In athletics, the Swarthmore Garnet compete in the NCAA Division III  Centennial Conference. The college fields nine mens and eleven womens varsity sports. Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the Swarthmore College admissions statistics you should know. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Swarthmore College had an acceptance rate of 9.5%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 9 students were admitted, making Swarthmores admissions process highly competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 10,749 Percent Admitted 9.5% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 41% SAT Scores and Requirements Swarthmore requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 62% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 680 760 Math 700 790 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of Swarthmores admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Swarthmore scored between 680 and 760, while 25% scored below 680 and 25% scored above 760. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 700 and 790, while 25% scored below 700 and 25% scored above 790. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1550 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Swarthmore. Requirements Swarthmore does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Swarthmore participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. SAT Subject tests are not required, but Swarthmore will consider your scores if you submit them. Applicants interested in engineering are encouraged to submit SAT Math 2 Subject test scores. ACT Scores and Requirements Swarthmore requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 43% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 33 35 Math 29 34 Composite 31 34 This admissions data tells us that most of Swarthmores admitted students fall within the top 5% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Swarthmore received a composite ACT score between 31 and 34, while 25% scored above 34 and 25% scored below 31. Requirements Swarthmore College does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many schools, Swarthmore superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered. GPA Swarthmore College does not provide data about admitted students high school GPAs. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Swarthmore College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Swarthmore College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances With an acceptance rate of just over 9%, Swarthmore College is  one of the countrys  most selective colleges. However, Swarthmore has a  holistic admissions  process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong  application essay  and glowing  letters of recommendation  can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful  extracurricular activities  and a  rigorous course schedule. All applicants will also need to write a supplemental  short answer essay  explaining their reasons for wanting to attend Swarthmore. An interview with an admissions officer is not required but is recommended, as is a campus visit and tour. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside Swarthmores average range. If youre applying to Swarthmore College, you should  consider the school a reach  even if you have exceptional grades and standardized test scores. The graph above illustrates why. Many students with unweighted A averages and extremely high standardized test scores were still rejected by Swarthmore. All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Swarthmore Colleges Undergraduate Admissions Office.