We are considering a visit to Haverford College this October and want some input from existing students &/or their parents.
Does it seems like the right environment for a free spirit that enjoys reading, animals, nature, etc.? Not into sports or social media, more into reading and personal relationships with friends with common interests. Academically into all subjects (english, math and science) equally, thrives in all. What subject tests should be taken to prove academic prowess? If leaning toward a career in the sciences, should AP Bio and AP Chem be taken in HS? The midwest high school currently attended hasn’t had a Haverford applicant as far back as reflected on Naviance. Thoughts? Thank you!
The personality type sounds right for this school. If he really likes being in nature, note that this school is not one that would allow the outdoor experiences of a school in Maine or upstate NY, for example.
I’d say yes on both the AP classes if they fit into the schedule. AP calculus is probably more important than either of those, though. Since you’ll be in the neighborhood, check out Swarthmore as well. Different vibe, but sometimes that can help clarify fit.
Haverford is located in an affluent suburban area on the outskirts of Philadelphia. The campus is within walking distance of a train station that offers regular commuter service into downtown Philly. This contrasts with many other northeastern liberal arts colleges, which tend to be located in smaller cities or towns (sometimes very small) outside of the major urban areas (sometimes far outside). Haverford is noted for offering access to the Big City, not for access to forests and mountains, although there is probably an Outing Club of some kind that organizes excursions. The campus itself is attractive and green, but not large.
If you are considering Haverford, then you might also consider its sister Bryn Mawr (if female) and cousin Swarthmore. Bryn Mawr is located within walking distance of Haverford and has full access to all Haverford courses and majors, but is easier to get into and sometimes offers better financial aid. Swarthmore is located in a different part of the Philly suburbs. I have not been to the campus, but it doubles as an arboretum, so might be particularly appealing to a nature lover.
None of these schools have the kind of access to nature that you would get at (say) Williams, which is located at the foot of the mountains, near the Appalachian Trail, and where the college facilities include a 2600-acre forest. On the other hand, Williams is located in a very small and isolated town with a one-block commercial district, hours from Boston or NYC by slow and infrequent bus service.
There is an Outing Club. How active they are varies from year to year as it is purely student run.
The Haverford campus is an arboretum also and is lovely. Run trails, places to relax, etc.
+1 to checking out Bryn Mawr as well. Even if male, it is worth popping over to take a quick look as it is really an extension of the Haverford campus with the close bi-college relationship between the two schools.
Valley Forge National Historical Park and the John James Audubon Center are both about 20 minutes away and would be a nice place to walk about in nature. But like the others have said, the “natural” areas in the vicinity are little oasis’s within suburbia. To get to more extensive natural areas, you’d have to travel farther away from campus. The Appalachian Trail is about 1.5 hours from Haverford. There are also some nice state forests and recreational areas about the same distance away.
Haverford is noted for sciences, but primarily for lab (indoor) sciences, as opposed to field (outdoor) sciences. So for example, Haverford has no earth sciences program; Haverford students who want to study geology do so at Bryn Mawr (which has a strong department). There is an Environmental Studies program, but it is offered jointly with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, and most of the environmental science courses are at the other two schools.
ES is only a minor, not a major. Just an FYI.
The Tri-College Environmental Studies program is only a minor, but a new Bi-College Environmental Studies Department and a Bi-College Environmental Studies major have been announced as well.
It looks like the department office, the department website, and the majority of the faculty are at BMC.
https://www.brynmawr.edu/environmentalstudies/bi-co-environmental-studies-major
Haverford has a small arboretum on its grounds, but it is not in the middle of a naturally scenic area. To give you a sense of scale, the nature trail (which circumnavigates the entire campus) is about 2 and quarter mile long. Once outside of Haverford’s campus, you are in the middle of a built up suburb (which is pretty nice as suburbs go, but not at all a natural area unless you see upscale boutiques as “natural”.)
If natural scenery and the ability to hike/explore/see wildlife is a priority, I would suggest that there are much better options. Furthermore, a small college can be hard on an introvert. If one gets off on the wrong foot socially, it is difficult to recover one’s social standing when everyone knows everyone.
There are LACs known for their eco/ science departments and for their wilderness areas – to find one such list do a google search for “30 small great colleges for nature lovers”. I think they have some great suggestions.
Note: This message is written by a nature lover/former park ranger/introvert who lives walking distance from Haverford College.
Thanks for the update, @Corbett. Not surprising as it has been a popular program.
@psycholing great post.
Of course, you should take AP biology & AP Chemistry in high school if interested in a career in the sciences.
Maybe OP was thinking about Hampshire College. https://www.hampshire.edu/news/2016/10/01/hampshire-college-welcomes-hitchcock-center-for-the-environment-to-its-cultural
Regarding @psycholing s comments:
Agree 100%
As a Haverford parent, I am surprised at the closeness created by the school during the customs program freshman year. The dorm, and even more-so the individual hallways, seem to really engage with one another and support each other, almost as family. I believe the school invests a LOT of energy in evaluating candidates that will fit in. I would suggest that if you’re accepted at Haverford, you’ll fit in.
I will tell you that there is a high percentage of athletes at the school. When you consider the number of teams and the size of the school, the math suggests that 1/3rd+ are going to play a sport. They drive the “frat-like” party scene on campus, but there are a lot of parties and activities that seem to be hosted / attended by the customs groups or other networks.
If you’re really looking for outdoor activities with a similar type of student / environment, Hamilton in NY, Middlebury (VT) and the Maine schools (Bowdoin, Bates and Colby) are much closer to the great outdoors. Philly has its own advantages (like you can fly direct from a lot of places), but it is a suburban school with a very nice, very green, relatively small campus.
It could be different for various students, but my introvert thought the “community” aspect of Haverford sounded awful when she visited. (I love Haverford, and my other D also did). The tour guide talked about how her RA (?) dragged her out to do things with groups when she was new to campus, and gave other examples of the tight community and bonding experiences. My D2 was repelled. Sad, because I was hoping she would like it. And YMMV, so your kid still might.
Whitman and Carleton come to mind as other possibilities.
@psycholing: “Furthermore, a small college can be hard on an introvert. If one gets off on the wrong foot socially, it is difficult to recover one’s social standing when everyone knows everyone.”
These are very true words. However, I suspect that Haverford may be a wonderful community offering refuge, if needed, at the partner colleges or in the big city.
My suggestion is to avoid schools with a heavy fraternity/sorority presence unless that is your thing.
“I will tell you that there is a high percentage of athletes at the school. When you consider the number of teams and the size of the school, the math suggests that 1/3rd+ are going to play a sport. They drive the “frat-like” party scene on campus, but there are a lot of parties and activities that seem to be hosted / attended by the customs groups or other networks.”
The majority of Haverford parties are very inclusive, no matter who organizes them. I’d also say Haverford athletes are cut from a different cloth than many college athletes, probably because being an athlete doesn’t count as a huge hook with admissions. Fit and aptitude are still very important.
There are a bunch of colleges in upstate new york that could be a good fit for you
I recommend your family check out Deep Springs College (https://www.deepsprings.edu/). It’s a unique educational experience for exceptional students. It is a two-year program whose graduates go on to excel at some of the best schools in the country. Based on how you described your student, might be a great fit. Starting with the class entering this summer, it will be co-ed. It’s really small (25-30 students total) and not many folks in the general population are familiar with it, but all the top schools and plugged-in high school counselors all know about it. Every student gets a full merit scholarship and is expected to help work the ranch on which it sits in Nevada.
My son is a Haverford athlete and STEM major. One of the reasons he chose Haverford is that athletes take real majors and jock culture is relatively understated compared to other top liberal arts schools.The campus community tends to accept people for who they are without judgment, consistent with the Quaker principles upon which the school was founded.
Best of luck to your family during this exciting time!
As someone who craves nature but lives in a major city, I have found solace in the parks–walking and running. That has worked for me.
With that as context, I visited Haverford to check out its “nature trail”–and can happily report that it exists. There are areas where it’s less nature and more parklike, but then in the northeast corner of the campus there’s a small section that really does feel like you’re in a forest. It seemed like a place where my child could find refuge. BUT IT IS SMALL.
Other schools with lots of nature not already mentioned –
Vassar – it’s quite large and has multiple environments to walk in.
Mt. Holyoke – smaller but feels natural and there are multiple ponds. Also – horses.
Sewanee – 13,000 acre campus in the mountains
Earlham – 800 acre campus
Berry College in Georgia is the largest contiguous campus in the world with more than 80 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. Shared by only 2,223 students (2,141 undergraduate, 82 graduate).
Travel+Leisure ranked Berry as among the most beautiful college campuses in the United States, noting its numerous fountains and pools among its English Gothic-style buildings.
Source:Wiki
Also, I second @o2bdownsouth’s recommendation to explore Deep Springs College.