Regular and winter early decision application review is underway at Swarthmore College as the admissions team continues to adjust to “race-neutral” admissions policies. Winter early decision is the second of two rounds of admissions decisions that are binding unless families can’t afford the cost of attendance after need-based aid packets are received.
According to Vice President and Dean of Admissions Jim Bock ’90 , half of a typical class is enrolled through binding admissions, and 25% of acceptances are given to early decision applicants. This year, Swarthmore received 5% more early decision applications than during the 2023-24 cycle, and 1% fewer regular decision applicants, resulting in no significant change in overall applications. The net amount of applications will be available in March when decisions are released publicly.
Last year, Swarthmore’s overall acceptance rate was 7.5%. Given this rate, Bock suggests that prospective students apply to many colleges, even if they are applying to Swarthmore during binding admission cycles.
“Early decision remains selective and attracts a competitive pool of applicants, and we are still reviewing applications for this cycle,” Dean Bock said in an email to The Phoenix. “For applicants, early decision should never be a singular strategy. After having done research, if a particular school pops up, one might consider applying early. But given the range and variety of colleges and universities out there, I hope students will have many ‘first’ choices, or several places where they will be successful academically, socially, and financially.”
The 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned race as a consideration in college admissions marked a change in admissions nationally. Bock said Swarthmore is continuing their outreach initiatives while remaining race-neutral and maintaining a holistic admissions process. Per the ruling, colleges are allowed to consider how an applicant’s race has impacted them and their experiences and interests. The applicant pool for the Class of 2028 – the first to have their applications considered after the Supreme Court ruling – was one of the most diverse in Swarthmore’s history, and 52% of students who ended up in the Class of 2028 were domestic students of color. Looking at disaggregated demographics for the Class of 2028, underrepresented minorities – Black, Latino, American Indian, or Pacific Islander – accounted for 2% less of the enrolled Class of 2028 than the previous class. However, there was no change compared to the Class of 2026, making it difficult to ascertain the long-term impact of race-neutral practices.
Race neutrality is not the only national policy change that may impact Swarthmore’s admissions. Now under the new Trump administration, other factors potentially include international students facing increased scrutiny and visa restrictions and a reduction or elimination of Pell grants. As these uncertainties loom, the admissions team and International Student Center will continue to adjust as they complete the Class of 2029.
“We learned that this process is a marathon and not a sprint, and each class is unique, and it is hard to predict outcomes when an entire variable has been removed from consideration,” Bock said in an email to The Phoenix. “We continue to strive to build an inclusive community.”
