Carleton vs Haverford

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi; I have gotten two full rides from both places and I am not sure which one I will choose to attend. My sister is a freshman at Haverford and she wants me to attend the college as well, but I don't want to be known as someone's little brother all over in college again.
I am interested in math and sciences, and I am aware both schools have great emphasis on both areas. I am also particularly interested in neuroscience.
I would love to attend a friendly place where competition is not high yet people are serious about their work and studies.
Also I would rather go to a place that is higly diverse (I would feel very uncomfortable if most people are from the same race and come from the same economical background)</p>

<p>Thank you in advance for helping me out!</p>

2

<p>Congrats, you can’t go wrong with either school. Both are great overall, and both are particularly strong in the sciences.</p>

<p>I’m very close to a married couple (she’s an HC alum and he’s an CC alum) and it seems that the schools are very similar in terms of the students they seem to attract, focus on academics, attitude about competition, etc.</p>

<p>What I think puts HC over the top, for me, is location. Proximity to Philadelphia, one of the countries 5 largest cities, is hard to beat. The campus is still suburban and set-off, but you have access to so much, so easily. Specifically, location means access to bargain orchestra tickets, museums, concerts, and Flyers, Eagles, and Phillies games, along with great restaurants, and South Street. On the academic side, it makes easier to find and bring in guest visitors, speakers, and adjuncts to teach courses; you can also bring the city’s resources into your coursework (museums, etc). Also, Haverford offers the unique consortium/ exchange with Penn and Swarthmore. </p>

<p>As far as the fact that your sister is also there, is something you’ll have to decide about, but for what it is worth, I think you’ll find in College (as oppossed t high school) it’s much easier to for your own identity even in a small College with a sib around. Students are more mature, more independent, more open-minded in general. There’s enough going on that you can make it work and see as much or as little as you want of each other. And, people will give you space. That said, I’m sure that it’s possible that some of her close friends will tease you a bit at the beginning, but it might be nice to have some built-in network early on.</p>

<p>IMHO, one can’t find a more rigorous, stimulating, better undergraduate education than HC. In addition, students are happy there. Alumni go off to great careers and grad schools. Granted, everything written in this particular paragraph also applies to Carleton as well. </p>

<p>Good luck. Know that you can’t go wrong. </p>

<p>Be sure to checkout the following:</p>

<p>[Haverford</a> College Office of Admission: Admission Videos](<a href=“http://www.haverford.edu/admission/videos/]Haverford”>http://www.haverford.edu/admission/videos/)</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/haverford-college/427212-why-haverford-sciences-phenomenal-part-12-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/haverford-college/427212-why-haverford-sciences-phenomenal-part-12-a.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1060857707-post6.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1060857707-post6.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>As the previous poster said, the schools are very similar, and the biggest distinguishing factor will be location.</p>

<p>Access to a city can make a small school feel a lot less stifling come senior year, and will also offer a lot by way of jobs and internships. The consortium that Haverford is a part of will also make it seem a little bigger (though I’m not sure how used the consortium resources are). </p>

<p>As the above poster said, you will have a much easier time distinguishing yourself from an older sib in college, regardless of the size of the school. Still, there’s something to be said for having an entirely different experience, even if your primary motivation is to avoid relatives from asking whether or not you’ve taken this class or this internship that your older sib did. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

4

<p>Will you have the opportunity to visit them? Not as familiar with Haverford, but your description of what you are looking for definitely matches what Carleton offers.</p>

5

<p>Thank you for replying! I am planning to visit Haverford’s spectrum weekend. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to visit Carleton, though. The arguements given shifts me slightly toward Haverford, but I still like the rural environment of Carleton (well I can imagine it to be very beautiful).</p>

6

<p>What a great choice! I’ve only seen one of the two (Haverford), and I was VERY impressed by it. Beautiful, positive atmosphere, access to Philly, etc.</p>

7

<p>Haverford is an outstanding school, academically, and fosters an intimate, cooperative learning and living environment. It has a particularly strong life sciences program.</p>

<p>I had been considering Haverford, but was ultimately turned off by it because it felt claustrophobic given its size.</p>

<p>However, it participates in the Bi-College Consortium with Bryn Mawr, which has top departments of its own and completes the social experience.</p>

<p>Haverford is also very close to Philadelphia, which makes it the better choice.</p>

8

<p>Biggest differentiating factors at play:</p>

<p>SIZE:</p>

<p>Haverford has around 1,200 students making it the smallest of the elite LACs. The Bi-Co with Bryn Mawr is pretty commonly utilized at both ends and does help make the school feel larger (pontoforder’s comments about Penn/Swarthmore are inaccurate - cross registration is very rare as your sister can attest). </p>

<p>Carleton at around 2,000 students is significantly larger. There are also 3,000 more students at St. Olaf a walk across town. While cross registration between the schools is allowed, it’s pretty rarely exercised. There is, however, a fair amount of social interaction between students at the schools along with joint EC involvement. </p>

<p>SETTING:</p>

<p>Haverford has a pretty wooded campus spread out over 200 acres in a classically upper middle class/upper class suburban Main Line location. But you’ve been there and know this. East Coast atmosphere.</p>

<p>Carleton has a historic small town/semi-rural setting. Pretty campus adjoins an 880 arboretum with 15 miles of running/cross country ski trails (“Rave Run” Best Running Trail per Runner’s World Magazine!). Very Midwestern feel. </p>

<p>LOCATION:</p>

<p>Haverford: Wealthy suburban with Philadelphia a pretty painless 10 miles away, about 20 minute train ride by regional rail. </p>

<p>Carleton: Adjoins historic small town about 45 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul. Access is easier this year with new bus service and the on campus WeCar program (hourly Prius rentals). Still more work than Haverford -> Philly.</p>

<p>STUDENT BODY:</p>

<p>Expect to find lots of Science/Math kids at both schools, a bit more at Carleton. Expect Carleton student body to be a bit more individualistic. Honor Code at Haverford. “Minnesota nice” at Carleton/in Northfield, more East Coast edginess/sophistication at Haverford/Philly? </p>

<p>No right answer. Both great schools. Though lots of overlaps exist, I know both well and they are indeed very different. A full ride? Very lucky you.</p>

9

<p>Thank you guys–I was for Carleton but now I’m for Ford–I’m still waiting on William’s decision.</p>

10

<p>Just so you know, I’ve heard the consortium classes actually aren’t that great at Harverford. The kids from the other colleges are just plain mean when you take their classes.</p>

<p>Also, when it comes to setting, both Harverford and Carleton are in the top 10 colleges that look like Hogwarts. So they must not be that different-looking.</p>

<p>My 2 cents.</p>

11

<p>^ I’ve heard that the Moon is made of cheese.</p>

<p>If you’re the only man in a classroom full of women, there may be some initial discomfort. So, deal, and turn the situation to your advantage.</p>

<p>It’s not as if Mawrtrs consider Fords second class citizens. It’s a shared academic and social experience.</p>

12

<p>I agree with kwu. The HC-BMC relationship is extremely strong, especially on the academic side. Several of the departments are purposefully joint, and all of the departments formally coordinate with one another. You wouldn’t find a stronger cooperative relationship in the country. The two colleges produce a single joint course list. There are more than 3500 cross-registrations annually between the two colleges. So, something must be working right.</p>

<p>While students take classes at Swarthmore and UPENN less frequently. I think those that choose to do so have enjoyed the experience.</p>

13

<p>I didn’t see this anywhere.</p>

<p>Carleton is on the trimester system. You will go ten weeks, then be off essentially from TG to just after NW. You will end later.</p>

<p>Haverford is on semesters.</p>

<p>D applied and was accepted to both. Wound up elsewhere, but both are wonderful.</p>

14

<p>kwu: haha i’ll def try to make the situation to my ADVANTAGE! :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I didn’t know about Carleton’s trimester system; to me this is strange. I dont know if I would like it. I’m very excited to visit Ford though…it better blow my mind haha</p>

<p>Thank you all!</p>

15

<p>Consider:

  • Carleton is within an hour of a major city, Haverford 15-20 minutes. If you prefer rural, I personally think Carleton has more to offer than Haverford–cute small town vs. upper-class Philly suburb.
  • Carleton is colder. Haverford is Mid-Atlantic weather, which has the tendency to fluctuate wildly on the “moderate” spectrum year-round.
  • Carleton is significantly larger on the relative scale of LACs, nearly twice the size of very small HC.
  • Both schools have extraordinarily high participation in athletics, mainly intramural (70-80%).
  • Both schools are very strong in the sciences.
  • Haverford has a very close relationship with Bryn Mawr, both academically and socially–a women’s college 5-10 minutes away, and much more closely involved with HC than is bit-further-down-the-road Swarthmore. (If you are female, be aware that BMC skews the effective social gender ratio.) Carleton shares the town of Northfield with St. Olaf’s, but the two schools don’t really mingle.
  • Carleton has trimesters, Haverford has regular semesters. Trimester = three 10-week 3-course terms, 6-week winter break, end in mid-June rather than end of May, can take 1 more course per year without overloading (so 36 overall vs. 32). There are pros and cons.
  • Vibes in a nutshell: Carleton = quirky apple-themed brochures and a library sign that uses the term “Nature Film Narrator Quiet.” Haverford = Honor Code.</p>

<p>Disclaimer: I seriously considered both schools but only applied to Carleton, which I adored upon visiting overnight. I didn’t really “get” Haverford’s Honor Code, so to speak.</p>

16

<p>I’m in pretty much the opposite situation, at least in applying to schools. My brother is a happy Carleton student. I love Carleton and Haverford (Wesleyan, too.)
I visited both schools on overnight visits My brother is on his semester abroad, which I think allowed me to get a better feel for the school.
A few things I noticed:
-At both schools, students leave their backpacks at the cafeteria entrance. The Fords attributed this to their Honor Code; Carleton students didn’t mention it. I’m not sure what that says, but found it interesting.
-Their were “quirky” students at both schools, and at both schools there was an underlying gentleness in everyone I talked to. I would not say the same for, for example, Macalester, where there seemed to be a bitter weirdness in the students (at least on my 2 hour visit there–I also know a student who loves it, so who knows?). Carleton students seems, on average, a bit quirkier.
-At Carleton, if you want to go into town you can have a Hogie (a sandwich from Hogan Brothers) or Indian food. Both are great, but that’s it. Haverford offers way more if you feel like eating off campus. However, Carleton’s dining center food was better, though neither school’s food was outstanding.
-Carleton’s dorms were much bigger, newer, and nicer.
I ended up applying Early Decision to Haverford- partly because I like that it’s near a city; partly because of the Honor Code; partly because I want to forge my own path instead of doing exactly what my brother did; but mostly because being there felt so natural to me from the first time I stepped on campus. I think I would be happy at either school, but Haverford has that edge.</p>

<p>Just my two cents.</p>

<p>@bluepurple- If you’re still on here, what did you end up doing??</p>