<p>What are Haverford's strongest departments? How about psychology and economics?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>These are the phenomenal (stand outs among top LACs) departments offered to HC students in no particular order</p>
<p>HC: Biology, Chemistry, Physics/Astronomy, Philosophy, Religion, Poli Sci
BMC: Languages, Classics, Archaeology, Geology, Cities</p>
<p>I think the other departments are strong themselves but I wouldn’t call them noteworthy compared to other top LACs… but maybe that’s my HC modesty talking. For example, for econ,… if I was on another college forum, I’d probably be un-savvy enough to say that because HC econ is # 4 in terms of publications/faculty, HC must be 4th best academically. HC Econ is strong, but so are the other top 10 or so. </p>
<p>The departments I listed are the true standouts IMO. The only “weak” area for HC are currently the visual and performing arts (theater) but the next capital campaign is explicitly to address this and then HC will be uniformly excellent across the board. In context, I’m comparing the arts program here to Williams, Oberlin and Wesleyan. For example, the only foundry and bronze casting studio in the Tri-co is at HC… so, HC does have good resources here… but not like W/O/W. Also note that most of HC’s departments are complimented by the resources of BMC… so students majoring in HC’s “non phenomenal” departments wind up with academic resources equal or greater to those of phenomenal departments of any top LAC. Just look at the course offerings between BMC/HC here…</p>
<p>HC Alum:</p>
<p>Care to appraise the Sociology departments at HC and BMC? I have noted their success in turning out future Ph.D.'s.</p>
<p>The strange thing with HC sociology is that, although it’s a small department, it’s suppose to be great… my friends who were soc majors had a cult-like following for the profs… Gould and Hohenstein are suppose to be incredible minds.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.haverford.edu/catalog/Sociology.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.haverford.edu/catalog/Sociology.html</a>
<a href="http://www.haverford.edu/anth/antwebpage/welcome.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.haverford.edu/anth/antwebpage/welcome.html</a></p>
<p>Oh, yeah… BMC’s sociology is “phenomenal” too but I forgot. I mean, they EVEN have a grad school in social research.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.brynmawr.edu/sociology/index.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.brynmawr.edu/sociology/index.php</a>
<a href="http://www.brynmawr.edu/socialwork/%5B/url%5D">http://www.brynmawr.edu/socialwork/</a></p>
<p>THIS is why a HC education is so tremendous and underestimated by people here on CC. When comparing colleges, people often make the mistake by not taking into account such synergies. For example, if you were interested in studying the 1st academic field listed in the tri-co course guide that I linked above, and look at the offerings between BMC/HC in African/Africana/Black studies, 26 courses are listed under this title including Swahili for 2007-08. Another top college, Swarthmore, has one course listed in 2007-08. While differences may not be as glaring in other departments, you get the idea… :)</p>
<p>Hey, I think the Swat bashing is a bit unnecessary. I'm going there next year, and I do what I can to also represent HC and BMC, as a proud member of the tri-co (we can take your classes to, you know). You see, I am even here on this board because I have a vested interest in what's going on the Haverworld, and if a kid were curious about the school, I would not hesitate to speak highly of it. While I respect the special bond the bi-co has, and I certainly expect you to jeer us at sports games, choosing to compare with a college to whom you have close ties, when you had the choice of thousands of schools in this country, seems a little bitter to me.</p>
<p>Anyway, sorry to hijack the thread a bit. I'm glad you're so proud of your school, and you should be, because it's awesome! To be honest, I think I was only bothered by your statement because I would expect more out of a Haverford person.</p>
<p>Seriously, as an East-coast transplant to sunny relaxed southern Cali, and who occasionally surfs on the weekend, dude, I guarantee you that the only thing remotely bitter in my life is my daily java.</p>
<p>An explanation other than "bitterness" would be that, because I already provided the tri-co course link, Swat would be an easy comparison to make. It wouldn’t require me to search the homepage of some other random college and track down their course guide… I don’t have the time. In addition, because Swat is only just a little bit bigger than HC, the comparison is more appropriate than if the comparison school were larger. </p>
<p>As a side note, the tri-co is more for social stuff rather than academic… it’s just too hard to travel between the Bi-co and Swat on a regular basis for scheduled classes. It’s used for the occasional party ("What happens at Swat stays at Swat" according to former Mawrtyr friends), for special concerts/ lectures/ speakers and for students of color, but otherwise isn’t really used at all. It's really an effort to take a class in the trico.</p>
<p>I hope that clears up the issues you may have. I've already written repeatedly that it's a great school in the past... sorry you never caught that. Even though I enjoyed HC, if I were given the chance to decide again, I would still be a little sad/hesitant with turning down SC. Regarding "tri-co pride", as my older sister and bro went to BMC and SC, I bet I have a little more of it than you. :) </p>
<hr>
<p>Gainesville?!
Dragon fly sushi?
If you go tubing on Ichitucknee Springs, just watch out for the water mocasins.</p>
<p>Definitely incredible minds in the soc department with cult-like followings. Haverford soc is struggling right now, though, because both hohenstein and salameh are gone. I'm considering dropping my minor because I'm not interested in the (very few) classes offered, and Gould gives people a hard time about bmc classes counting for credit. Gould is conducting a search this summer for professors, though, and i'm sure he'll come up with great people.</p>
<p>sociology has already offered and filled one position, and i believe another candidate from columbia lectured on campus either yesterday or today. the seniors writing their theses who had been under the supervison of hohenstein or salameh will suffer the most, but the incoming freshmen should be okay.</p>