正文
He added that about 50 percent of U.S. school departments are also in rural areas.
Swarthmore is a private liberal arts college near Philadelphia. Moe said that he usually goes to cities to visit high schools and meet students. This is true of most admissions officers, he said.
However, he suggested, this can lead to student populations of which many members share the same outlooks and similar opinions.
Moe said that Swarthmore wants students from across the country and around the world. The opinions of students from rural areas are, in his words, "rich and really different than what I think is represented...really across most private colleges."
"I think that when you're in a public health class, and you're talking about
access
to health care
delivery
, I think a student coming from a more populated area has a very different world view than a student coming from a more rural part...So, we want to make sure that those backgrounds and opinions are represented."
Complicated recruiting
However, identifying and appealing to students from rural areas can be difficult.
"You can't simply call up a school, say you want to visit and they have never heard of you," he said. He added that the first step is to build relationships with high schools and their students.
