<p>I really like Haverford but realize it is a reach for me. Please suggest other schools with a range of difficulty (reach, match, safety) with a similar feel/vibe. I am undecided on a major but will be leaning towards social sciences/fine arts.</p>
<p>Here's what I am looking for:
Flexible on location
strong academics
Under 3,000 students
small classes
I like the idea of academic/social honor codes
diverse student body
no heavy emphasis on Greek life</p>
<p>Fortunately, money is not a factor. I'm not going to list my stats because I am open to a range of suggestions.</p>
<p>Take a look at the midwestern LACs: Grinnell, Oberlin, Macalester-all excellent academically and a little less competitive to get into than Haverford. In the NE, take a look at Colby and Bates, both LACs in Maine. In the south, Hendrix and Rhodes.</p>
<p>My D will be attending Haverford in the fall. She applied & was accepted ED as it was her first choice school and she’s thrilled to be going there. Her fallbacks included Bryn Mawr and Earlham. Bryn Mawr (are you M or F?) has very strong academics and very close ties to Haverford, but because it’s a women’s school it’s considerably easier to get into than Haverford. The two schools are only about a mile apart and have a completely seamless cross-registration system; Bryn Mawr students can take unlimited classes at Haverford and vice-versa. Heck, students at either school can even take their major at the other school, or live at the other school if there’s room. Classes are conveniently staggered, starting on the hour at one school and on the half hour at the other, so you can take a 9 am class at one school and when class is out at 10 you’ll have plenty of time to catch the shuttle for a 10:30 class at the other. In some ways it’s almost as if they’re two halves of a single school, though of course each has its own admissions process and they’re administered independently. If you’re F and love Haverford but are not sure you can get in (and who is, really?), Bryn Mawr is well worth checking out.</p>
<p>Earlham was my D’s safety, though she never actually applied because she was admitted to Haverford by December. It’s another Quaker school and has some of the same Quaker-influenced peace-social justice-tolerance vibe as Haverford. It’s very academically oriented but has a fairly high acceptance rate. I think these are the two schools my D found closest to Haverford in character. There are plenty of good LACs that are comparable to Haverford academically and in terms of size and de-emphasis (or absence) of Greek life, but Haverford’s Quaker-inspired culture and its social honor code make it pretty unique. Bryn Mawr and Earlham aren’t exact replicates, but there are pronounced similarities.</p>
<p>I agree with MAcalester, Grinnell, Oberlin, Earlham, and I’d add Kenyon.</p>
<p>My daughter was initially drawn to Haverford but liked Macalester much better when she visited. She didn’t even apply to Haverford. She was accepted to Mac, Grinnell and Kenyon (EArlham too; didn’t apply to Oberlin) and chose Mac, where she’s been very happy.</p>
<p>If you’re willing to go larger, Rice might be worth a look. It meets some of the same criteria – urban, no Greek life, fairly small, strong academics, somewhat quirky students.</p>
<p>Guilford is another Quaker school, but I’m not sure how it stacks up against Haverford.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the responses so far! Very helpful and I will definitely check out everyone’s suggestions. Please keep them coming! </p>
<p>I do think the Quaker aspect is appealing to me - the message of tolerance and acceptance. </p>
<p>bclintonk - Yes, I am female. I visited and like Bryn Mawr as well. In terms of food and dorm quality, it probably has a leg up on Haverford. I also liked the sound of Earlham when I read about it and hope to visit the school soon.</p>