<p>I mean around less than 4000 students.. maybe undergrads. I'm not sure. But I read in a book that by the first year you know everyone. All my friends criticized me wanting to go to Haverford saying that it was going to be like high school and our home town. This turned me off to Haverford and small schools in general. </p>
<p>But I don't know if I should believe my friends because they probably don't know what they are talking about so much. Is Haverford at all like high school? I think college people are definitely more open minded and hopefully not as cliquey or loud/obnoxiousm but maybe they are. </p>
<p>Also, in college, i want to go out and meet new people a lot. Is this not going to happen at a small college? And is that such a big deal?</p>
<p>it's not the number of kids that makes college different from high school. it's that the culture of a college campus is different from the culture of a high school</p>
<ul>
<li>students will take their studies more seriously</li>
<li>fewer rules, less supervision</li>
<li>more mature kids who are probably more accepting </li>
<li>people will do EC's because they like them, not for apps</li>
</ul>
<p>of course, if you want to still be meeting new people in your class during senior year, that probably wouldn't happen at a small school. but overall, the culture at a top 15 lac(not sure about haverford's exact ranking) will be much different than what you're used to.</p>
<p>thanks for your helpp. hmmm. I still don't know what I wantt.. but maybe I have to visit the college. Do you think its like.. the number of people and the size or is it more the air/feeling I get when I'm there?..I'm not sure if that makes sense.</p>
<p>I attended a college of 1800 people. My graduating class was 450. I did not know everyone that I graduated with. I recognized people, but I didn't know them. I was active and involved on campus, but there are so many things to do that you end up focusing on a few. You will get to know the students in your major and in the activities that you do, but they will not all be the same year as you. </p>
<p>There is much less drama in college than in high school. Students are much more focused on their classes. People do things because they want to not because it looks good. Sometimes it can be hard to get to know people on a large campus because you rarely have classes with the same people. Lets face it, how many relationships can you really put time into? A school like Haveford will have way more people that you can really take the time to get to know. It is a great school. Go and visit. See what it feels like to be on a small campus. </p>
<p>I am still close to quite a number of my friends from my small college and I graduated 30 years ago! I attend reunions regularly. My friends who attended large state schools do not feel the connection to their schools that I feel to mine unless they were heavily involved in a sport or Greek life. Both types of schools have their advantages or disadvantages. There is no one right kind of school.</p>
<p>I attended a college with 300 students in my graduating class. It was a wonderful experience and I am still friends with a number of those people I met more than 35 years ago. The only difference is that now we are scattered across the country. A college like Haverford is nothing like any high school in the country. Visit if you can and don't let your friends influence you without checking it out for yourself and speaking with students on the campus. My oldest son recently graduated from Swarthmore, which is only slightly larger than Haverford. He has told prospective students that there is no way that you will know everyone on campus. You might recognize many of the people, but how many people can you really know well? There is always the option to study abroad for a semester or two if you a feeling a bit "claustrophobic."</p>
<p>There's no HS anywhere like Haverford. It's one of the unique places in all of higher education. And with Bryn Mawr a mile away, Swarthmore just down the road, and Philadelphia nearby, meeting new people shouldn't be difficult.</p>
<p>Actually, larger schools attract students that have more of a 13th grade mentality than smaller LACs. Conformity, social cliques (best Frat/sorority) are more prevalent.</p>
<p>Haverford is not like high school. Beautiful campus, great professors, intellectually curious and high-minded students, different values, different culture...</p>