Discover Swarthmore 2026 Student Application

Thank you for your interest in attending Discover Swarthmore. Discover Swarthmore, held in the fall, is our all-expenses-paid overnight program for high-achieving high school seniors. Swarthmore Admissions pays for all transportation, meals, and on-campus housing expenses for students selected to attend one of these programs:

Thursday, September 24 - Saturday, September 26, 2026

Or

Thursday, October 22 - Saturday, October 24, 2026

Please use this form to apply to Swarthmore College's Discover Swarthmore program. You may email discover@swarthmore.edu should you have any questions. You can also visit the Discover Swarthmore website for additional information about the program.

Discover Swarthmore is limited to rising high school seniors only.
The deadline to submit your application for Discover Swarthmore is Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
For your application to be complete, you must submit an End-of-Junior Year Transcript by Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive transcript submission instructions.
This application must be completed in one sitting (as the form cannot be saved). Before you begin, please review the required essay topic found at the end of this form.
Only one Discover Swarthmore application submission will be allowed. If you need to make updates to your application after it has been submitted, please contact us at discover@swarthmore.edu.

*Note: Please check your answers as sometimes web browsers will automatically fill in answers.

Please keep in mind that information in this Discover Swarthmore application could be used in your application for admission to Swarthmore should you choose to apply.

(*) denotes a required field

Do you attend a high school located in the United States or its territories?

Yes

No

Thank you for your interest in Discover Swarthmore. This program is only available to students who attend high school in the United States and its territories. If you would like to continue to learn more about Swarthmore College, please join our mailing list. You can exit this application without submitting it.

Program Selection

Students will attend one Discover Swarthmore program. Indicate your first (1st) and second (2nd) choice preferences for each of the program dates below. While we will take your preference into consideration, final assignments will be made based on the need to balance the capacity of both programs.

Program 1: Thursday, September 24 - Saturday, September 26, 2026

Program 2: Thursday, October 22 - Saturday, October 24, 2026

Student Information

Entry Term

I am a prospective...

First Name / Given Name

Middle Name

Last Name / Surname

Preferred or Chosen First Name (if different)
If provided, we use your preferred name in our communications.

Birthdate

Permanent Address

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Do you have a mailing address that differs from your permanent address?

Yes

No

Mailing Address (if different from your Permanent Address)

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Email Address

Confirm Email Address

Please provide an alternative Email Address. If we are not able to reach you via the first address, we may use this alternative address.

Home Phone Number

Cell Phone Number

Do you wish to receive text messages about upcoming deadlines and events? Standard messaging rates may apply.

Yes

No

We recognize that your identity doesn't always fit in a binary. Please use the following questions to share your identity with us.

Sex

If you wish, please indicate your gender identity.

Feel free to include your gender pronouns.

Other Pronouns:

The following questions about race and ethnicity are optional and will be used for informational purposes only. Any information you provide for these questions will not be used for selection purposes for Discover Swarthmore or as part of a future application for admission to Swarthmore College.

Hispanic or Latino

Yes

No

Regardless of your answer to the prior question, please indicate how you identify yourself. (Select one or more.)

Our campus is situated in Lenapehoking — also known as the Land of the Lenape — past and present. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Indigenous people who stewarded it throughout the generations and who were driven from it by European and American colonizers. We commit to serve as responsible stewards of the land and to our shared, ongoing responsibility for community care. Consistent with Swarthmore’s commitment to social responsibility, we seek to build a more inclusive and equitable learning space for present and future generations through deliberate actions and collaborations.

If you like, please use this space to share your connection with your Native or Indigenous heritage.

Tribal Affiliation

Federal or State Tribal Enrollment Number

Additional Information (optional)

If you wish, please identify your ethnicity.

Citizenship or Residency Status

Do you have an Alien Registration Number or are you in application for a Green Card (Permanent Resident Card)?

I have an Alien Registration Number.

I am currently applying for a Green Card (Permanent Resident Card).

Alien Registration Number

Alien Registration Expiration Date

Please provide an explanation.

Please indicate your visa type and number. If you do not have a visa type and number, please explain why you chose this selection as your Citizenship and Residency status.

Visa Type

Other Visa Type

Please provide an explanation for selecting Foreign Citizen/Non-Immigrant (with valid U.S. visa) without a visa type and number.

Visa Number

Visa Expiration Date

Alien Registration Number/USCIS Number

Alien Registration Number/USCIS Number Expiration Date

Please provide an explanation.

Other citizenship (not U.S.)

Are you a first generation college student? (You are a first generation college student if both of your parents/guardians did not graduate from a four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent located in or outside of the United States. (If you are unsure, please email us at discover@swarthmore.edu).

Yes, I am a first generation college student. Neither of my parents/guardians graduated from a four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree or equivalent.

No, I am not a first generation college student. One or both of my parents/guardians graduated from a college or university with a bachelor's degree or equivalent.

Is English your first language?

Yes

No

Would you like to indicate your first language?

Is English the primary language spoken at home?

Yes

No

What is the primary language spoken at home?

Activities and Responsibilities

If you have a job, please tell us about it below.

On average, how many hours per week do you ~~spend on these activities~~?

Many students support their families in a variety of ways. Do you have family responsibilities, which could include looking after younger siblings or elders, translating documents, etc.? You can tell us about those responsibilities here.

On average, how many hours per week do you spend tending to family responsibilities?

How do you spend your time outside of school? Do you participate in any activities including school- or community-based activities, athletics, mentoring, virtual engagements, hobbies, or other things of which you are particularly proud?

On average, how many hours per week do you spend participating in extracurriculars?

Challenges and circumstances such as natural disasters have impacted the lives of many students and families. If you need it, you can use the following space to describe those impacts. They can include effects on your health and well-being, safety, family and financial circumstances, future plans, and changes to your school and learning environments, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.

Do you wish to share anything on this topic?

Yes

No

Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you:

Additional Information

Anticipated College Major 1

Anticipated College Major 2

Have you visited Swarthmore College previously?

Yes

No

Have you engaged in a virtual visit opportunity (high school visit, online Q&A, campus tour, special webinar, etc.) with Swarthmore College previously?

Yes

No

Did anyone in your family graduate from Swarthmore College or is anyone in your family currently attending Swarthmore College?

Yes

No

If yes, please provide name(s), relationship, and year of graduation or anticipated year of graduation.

Family Information

Parent/Guardian 1 First Name

Parent/Guardian 1 Last Name

Parent/Guardian 1 Email Address

Parent/Guardian 1 Education: Highest degree obtained

Parent/Guardian 1 Education: Name of Institution of Highest degree obtained

Parent/Guardian 1 Education: Graduation Year of Highest degree obtained

Parent/Guardian 1 Employment: Current position and Employer

Parent/Guardian 2 First Name

Parent/Guardian 2 Last Name

Parent/Guardian 2 Email Address

Parent/Guardian 2 Education: Highest degree obtained

Parent/Guardian 2 Education: Name of Institution of Highest degree obtained

Parent/Guardian 2 Education: Graduation Year of Highest degree obtained

Parent/Guardian 2 Employment: Current position and Employer

With whom do you live?

Including yourself, how many people live in your household?

Estimated Household Income

Are you eligible or enrolled to participate in the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch (FRPL) program?

Yes

No

Unsure

Are you eligible for or have you received an SAT or ACT testing fee waiver?

Yes

No

Unsure

Do you plan to apply for need-based financial aid when you apply to college?

Yes

No

Academic Information

We require a copy of your high school transcript, whether official or unofficial (including screen shots) before we review your application. Transcripts can be uploaded to the Discover Swarthmore applicant portal. You will receive portal log-in information within 24 hours after submitting the Discover Swarthmore application. If you have questions about uploading your transcript, please contact us at discover@swarthmore.edu.

School Information

School Name (If you are a Home School student, please type "Home School" for School Name.)

School Code (CEEB)

School Address

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Graduation Date (This program is limited to rising high school seniors only.)

School Counselor First Name

School Counselor Last Name

School Counselor Email Address (Your counselor will receive an email at this address about your Discover Swarthmore application.)

Cumulative GPA (Please provide the GPA as it is reported on your school transcript. If your school does not calculate a GPA, please type "NA" in the appropriate field.)

GPA Scale

Is your cumulative GPA weighted?

Yes

No

Class Rank (Please select the band that best represents your current Class Rank as reported on your high school transcript. If your school does not provide a class rank, please select "My School Does Not Rank.")

Class Size

Is your class rank weighted?

Yes

No

Senior Course Schedule

Anticipated Senior Course Schedule for the 2026-2027 academic year (all courses). Please indicate Honors, AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment where applicable. You should also note if each course is a full year, semester, or trimester class. Updates can be made to your senior course schedule by uploading it to your portal via the “Optional Material” selection.

Confirmed Course Schedule: Are all the courses in your Anticipated Senior Course Schedule confirmed?

Yes

No

Please list the courses that have been confirmed

Pending Course Schedule: Do you have courses that you have requested but have not yet been approved/confirmed?

Yes

No

Please list the courses that you have requested, but have not yet been confirmed. Feel free to share any context. (Example: I am planning to take Advanced Placement Chemistry, but it may not be available this fall.)

Testing Information

Swarthmore College is test-optional. Submitting standardized testing scores – including the SAT, ACT, AP, and IB – is optional in the admissions process. Please keep in mind that the information you include in this Discover Swarthmore application could be used in your application for admission to Swarthmore should you choose to apply in the fall.

You can learn more about our testing policy on our website.

Would you like to share your SAT scores?

Yes

No

Highest SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (200 - 800)

Highest SAT Math (200-800)

Would you like to share your ACT scores?

Yes

No

Highest ACT Composite (1-36)

Highest ACT English (1-36)

Highest ACT Math (1-36)

Highest ACT Reading (1-36)

Highest ACT Science (1-36)

Would you like to share your Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores?

Yes

No

Please report one test per line of text in the space below using the following format: Exam Name, Score, Exam Date.

AP Exams, Scores, and Dates

Would you like to share your International Baccalaureate (IB) exam scores?

Yes

No

Please report one test per line of text in the space below using the following format: Exam Name, Score, Exam Date.

IB Exams, Scores, and Dates

CBO Information

Community-based organizations are programs that offer free college and financial aid advice. Such programs include College Match, College Possible, College Track, EMERGE, LEDA, National College Advising Corps, Prep for Prep, TEAK Fellowship, and Upward Bound, among others.

Are you currently working with a community-based organization (CBO)?

Yes

No

CBO Name

CBO State

CBO Counselor First Name

CBO Counselor Last Name

CBO Counselor Email Address (Your counselor will receive an email at this address about your Discover Swarthmore application.)

Would you like to add another CBO?

Yes

No

CBO Name

CBO State

CBO Counselor First Name

CBO Counselor Last Name

CBO Counselor Email Address (Your counselor will receive an email at this address about your Discover Swarthmore application.)

Essay

Please complete both prompts. (Max 250 words per short answer.)

Swarthmore College maintains an ongoing commitment of building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive residential community dedicated to rigorous intellectual inquiry.

All who engage in our community are empowered through the open exchange of ideas guided by equity and social responsibility to thrive and contribute as bridge builders within global communities.

Our identities and perspectives are supported and developed by our immediate contexts and lived experiences – in our neighborhoods, families, classrooms, communities of faith, and more.

Topic 1: What aspects of your self-identity or personal background are most significant to you? Reflecting on the elements of your home, school, or other communities that have shaped your life, explain how you have grown in your ability to navigate differences when engaging with others, or demonstrated your ability to collaborate in communities other than your own.

Swarthmore’s community of learners inspire one another through their collaborative and flexible approach to learning. Swarthmore students are comfortable with intellectual experimentation and connection of ideas across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and interdisciplinary studies through a liberal arts education.

Tell us about a topic that has fascinated you recently – either inside or outside of the classroom. What made you curious about this? Has this topic connected across other areas of your interests? How has this experience shaped you and what encourages you to keep exploring?

Topic 2: Tell us about a topic that has fascinated you recently – either inside or outside of the classroom. What made you curious about this? Has this topic connected across other areas of your interests? How has this experience shaped you and what encourages you to keep exploring?