<p>These are two highly rated schools in our area. Can anyone comment on their comparative strengths especially, how would I find out what profile of a child is that is compatible with the respective school. For example, if my child is (self-motivated and competitive) versus (requires encouragement and is laid back) which of these two school is better suited to this child? How do I go about making a comparison between the two schools if my child gets accepted by both? Both school exhibit impressive creditentials on academic programs, athletics, extracurriculars, college placements, facilities etc etc. So it is tough to choose, and yet I know there are differences between the two schools.</p>
<p>I know Episcopal Academy very well, having attended it for many years. The biggest difference right out of the gate is that Haverford is all-boys. The academics at both schools are superb, although Episcopal holds the edge in admissions to the Ivies/MIT/Stanford/top LACs. But the differences are not huge. Regardless of what either school tells you about academic support, they’re both grueling, sink or swim environments. </p>
<p>Religion plays a more important role at Episcopal, although there are plenty of non-Christians that attend. The sports programs at both Schools are top notch. Their friendly arch rivalry dates back to the late 1800’s.</p>
<p>Both Schools are generally affluent bubbles of luxury. Just check out what the kids drive to School; it’s a little bit revolting. I loved EA far more when it’s main campus was in Merion. It made the school more diverse. While the new campus in Newtown Square blows away Haverford’s (and is on par with elite boarding schools), it is definitely more “white bread.” </p>
<p>I think the presence of women at EA makes the school gentler and kinder (I sound sexist, I know) which, in my mind, gives the school an edge over Haverford. Finally, the leadership at EA has been more stable for the last ten years than Haverford’s and that has allowed the School to flourish.</p>
<p>I live in the area and believe the schools to be quite comparable, with the obvious exception being that Haverford is single-sex and Episcopal is coed. I would think the determing factor would be which school your son feels most comfortable in, based on class visits, etc. </p>
<p>We’re going through a similar decision with regard to a few independent schools in the area (although neither Episcopal or Haverford) and, in the end, all things being equal, what we have been advised is to let you child make the final decision. I also plan to consult with my son’s current teachers to see if they have a gut feeling one way or the other.</p>
<p>Both schools are very competitive and have dress codes, etc., but you no doubt already know this. There have been a couple of features in Philadelphia Magazine over the years comparing the relative strengths of the various independent schools in the area. If you haven’t seen them, feel free to PM me and I’d be happy to pass them along.</p>
<p>I live there too!!! I am a student, and I am judging just by what I hear from peers. The EA kids have known each other since they were 5 or 6. It is harder to break into the social circle than Haverford. Haverford boys are more socially aggressive and are generally more accepting to new kids. They are both equal academically and usually athletically. EA has more of an “old boys” feel to it. Ex. the parents went there, are large contributors etc. Both schools require the kids to be self-motivated, yet they both have strong discipline in practice. Just my 2c :)</p>
<p>Although college matriculation statistics should only be one small component of a comparison of two schools, they should at least be considered. I already have Episcopal on the “non-NYC day school page”. Since I recently downloaded its data (but haven’t analyzed it yet), I’ll add Haverford by Monday to help out in the small way that I can. [Day</a> Schools Outside of NYC : Matriculation Stats](<a href=“matriculationstats.org”>matriculationstats.org)</p>
<p>The stats for both schools are now included. When I was going through the data, I found, ironically, that no one from The Haverford School, had matriculated at Haverford College during the 5 year period of data I had.</p>
<p>Haverford School and Haverford College are so close physically that it would unusual for a Haverford School student to have any desire to go - literally - up the street to college, no matter how good the College is (and it is).</p>
<p>I have family members who attended the Haverford School recently. I do believe it is viewed as the best private day school for boys in the Philadelphia area; however, EA is also seen as one of the top day schools.</p>
<p>From what I know, it is socially tough to break into any of these Pre-K to 12 days schools, but it is done all of the time! My family members did not start at Haverford until mid to upper school. They knew they were entering a community that existed before their arrival, so they had to give it time. I believe the school understands that they need to support this process.</p>
<p>I know several nice guys who graduated from Haverford. They are teachers and business types who seem to have an interesting take on education (they loved their education and they have told me how much they valued their time at Haverford). It is really very nice to hear young men who are very much into being 20 somethings say such nice things about high school.</p>
<p>Your choice may come down to the two main differences:
Location
Single sex</p>
<p>If you reside West of Paoli or Newtown Square, Haverford may be too far.
If your child is female, your choice is made although you should consider Baldwin.
If your child is very mature you may get resistance to “all boys” Haverford.</p>
<p>However, if your child is male, and you value development of academic and athletic skills prior to social activity, then you should strongly consider Haverford.</p>
<p>As a Haverford grad, I can state that the environment was beneficial from an academic perspective. There were little or no distractions due to coed issues. If you feel that social development is better left to one’s college years, then I strongly recommend Haverford. </p>
<p>BTW, I am probably discounting the social scene at Haverford anyway. Interaction and shared functions with Agnes Irwin, Baldwin, etc. may be more than sufficient for your child.
Personally, I wasn’t ready for relationships in high school, and simply concentrated on academics and athletics.</p>
<p>I have no bias against Episcopal, (my uncle is an alumnus) but given the criteria, your choice should be clear. BTW2 - I did commute to Haverford from Echo Valley, so that distance is possible.</p>
<p>Aside from the fact that I think you meant “instead of or more than,” not “prior,” are you actually claiming that a boy who values academics and athletics more than social activities would be better suited to Haverford? That is really off base, although amusing. Both schools do a superb job of prioritizing and balancing academics and athletics.</p>
<p>The single sex vs. coed choice is personal. There are advantages to both paths depending on the child. When I went to EA, it was single sex. Going coed was a very smart decision however. It has served EA beautifully, socially and statistically. You simply cannot generalize about single sex being better or worse than coed, only better or worse for a specific child.</p>
<p>While I do not favor EA having moved its campus to Newtown Square (too white bread for me), the new campus itself blows Haverford’s away. Educators from around the world visit the School because the new campus is huge, state of the art and architecturally fascinating.</p>
<p>The schools are very different culturally and always have been. I like to think, and here comes my bias, that Episcopal is the more polished and courteous of the two!</p>
<p>Can you tell us if you found the teaching environment supportive and nurturing for a boy at Haverford? Were the teachers too tough or did they come across as encouraging and understanding? Did you like your time there? Any info about the environment and how the boys treat each other would be appreciated. We are considering Haverford for our son.</p>
<p>My son has been admitted to EA, Haverford and Shipley at Grade 5. All of them are simply considered Academic Powerhouses. And that is true. One should consider the personality of the child in considering the school. If someone is NOT a huge SPORT person, i would advise the most comfortable environment would be Shipley. It is the least of the social intimidation. In simple words, bulleying is least pungent in Shipley. The student can comfortably land into top 5 LAC in the country and also in Ivy (if they are competitive enough). Environment is certainly most friendly in Shipley among the 3, in other words, they are the least snob among the 3.
Haverford, being all boys, have the least tranquilizing effect, and so quickly you are adjusted to how they think, so better it would be for you. If you are NOT GOOD in Sports, or NOT have a height in other thing than academics, please get used to a bullying. Once used to, you would learn to handle it in the lower grade.
EA has the tranquilizing effect, being co-ed. They are more traditional in academics, Sports is a huge plus here, because they have to fight w Haverford or AIS in the Inter-Ac. In terms of college placement all 3 of them have strong records of placing people.<br>
The edge in EA in terms of college placement, in the thread, comes from their student recruiting. They are very strict in terms of student recruiting in the school. They are not all-inclusive in terms student admission.<br>
Shipley is the best in that.</p>
<p>So, please judge the kid’s/student’s personality in terms of choosing the school. All of them gives an outstanding teaching and prepare for a great citizen/statesman.</p>
I’ve never heard of it, sorry.</p>