Haverford or Colby?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Colby College
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So I was accepted to Haverford and Colby. I know they are very different schools in terms of locations, sizes, vibe, etc, but I love both and have no clue which one I should choose.

Which school has stronger Economics department?(I’m still not sure what to major in, so any other information about majors will be helpful)
Which has better reputation among grad schools?
Which school has a more inclusive community (better for international students)?

I couldn’t visit both schools before May 1. Hope you guys can provide some insight. Thanks :slight_smile:

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This seems to be a common dilemma this year! There is another thread that has some great answers:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21407183#Comment_21407183

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Congrats on your acceptance to both schools! I think something you should definitely take into consideration when picking between these two schools is that Colby is a part of the NESCAC, which can be a very valuable alumni network when it comes to finding employment. I’ve gotten more “foot in the door” interactions with alumni from Bowdoin, Bates, and Middlebury simply for being a Colby student. Furthermore, I’d take a look at the initiatives made by President Greene, who took over only a few years ago. Since Greene took office, Colby has seen its level of prestige rise consistently year after year, currently ranked 12th in US News. Our acceptance rate has fallen to 13%, and what I’m trying to get at is the point that Colby’s recognition and degree-value is continuing to rise. Dare Northward hopes to push the endowment over $1 billion, and new buildings such as the downtown dorms (that have freakin’ granite countertops) and the new athletic center could be things to look at. As a Colby student I’m obviously biased. Personally speaking though, Colby was not my first choice school and I can’t see myself anywhere else now.

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"Colby is a part of the NESCAC, which can be a very valuable alumni network when it comes to finding employment. I’ve gotten more “foot in the door” interactions with alumni from Bowdoin, Bates, and Middlebury simply for being a Colby student. "

I’d argue that NESCAC has little to do with it and that Haverford students would get a similar reception from those other schools’ alums. LAC grads recognize and value a LAC education even when it’s not their own alma mater.

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I respectfully disagree^,

Being a part of the NESCAC means much closer interactions with other schools like Amherst, Bowdoin, Bates etc. especially for student athletes. NESCAC schools, while all unique in their own way, also tend to have a very similar New England “vibe”. NESCAC grads are much more aware of other NESCAC schools simply because they’ve had more exposure during their experience (theres even a NESCAC barstool / NESCAC snap story) etc. They call it the little ivies for a reason.

1 Like
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And I respectfully disagree with you. Not all of the members of the NESCAC are the same or consider themselves to be the same, and not all of them are considered “little Ivies” any more than Swarthmore (or Haverford). For example, Amherst or Williams grads tend to an affinity/grudging friendly rivalry/respect for each other, but that does not really extend to all NESCAC schools, and I don’t think they would respect a Colby grad any more than a grad of any other good LAC.

Haverford is a great school, and has been a great school for decades.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ivies

As much as I dislike the whole “Little Ivies” moniker, please note that Haverford is included as well as other non-NESCAC colleges.

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I would also like to add my input (current Williams student here). Regarding @abstudent44 's comment, I am unsure if being a part of the NESCAC means having “much closer” interactions with the other. Do you mean sports-wise, as in competitions and whatnot? Then yes, there might be more interactions between the NESCAC schools. Otherwise, though, I am unsure what you mean, and don’t think there is a particular special bond felt across the NESCAC schools. I would also disagree that being a part of the NESCAC offers you an edge when it comes to finding employment because, after all, it’s mostly the student who makes up the fit and case for why they should get a job, not the school’s name brand that does so.

Going back to the original poster’s points, I am honestly not sure what I would do in your shoes. My first advice would be to visit the two schools (since a visit means so much more than advice and comments you receive online), but since you can’t, I would really consider the differences between the two schools and try to see which is more appealing to you. I am not particularly an expert on either school, but I do know that Haverford is a part of the Quaker Consortium which allows you to take classes at participating schools such as Swarthmore, UPENN, etc, if that is something that intrigues you. I am honestly not sure about Colby (but that’s why we have the internet!).

Good luck. Deciding where to go can be a stressful process–especially when you can’t visit–but at least it will be over soon, right?

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I’m biased but go with Haverford. Grad schools look favorably at Haverford grads. The community is cohesive and tight-knit yet individuality is accepted. As an international student, getting to Haverford is much easier than getting to Colby.

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I would say Haverford. But where are you from and where are you envisioning yourself ending up?

11

Academically speaking, these schools are roughly equivalent, one from the Philly-NYC region and the other from the Boston region. There often is a bias that emerges when asking on this site about particular colleges, so make sure you take half that is said with a grain of salt.

There are some differences. The first is size. Haverford is one of the smaller LACs, and is significantly smaller than Colby. That allows for professorial mentoring, but it also becomes increasingly small as you complete the years. Size is less an issue at Colby.

The second is location. Haverford is in an affluent suburban area outside of a major city. Colby is more isolated, and may appeal to the more outdoorsy types. Waterville is not as affluent as Haverford, but some great improvements are going on in Waterville and on Campus. For that reason, if you have an interest in community service, Waterville may have more options than Haverford. That’s not to say that there aren’t lots of options in Philadelphia, but you have to be committed. Philadelphia is “close” but not really. Its about a 25 minute train ride to Philly, but you have to get to the train station. While the Haverford train station is very convenient, if you are walking to the station, add a ten minute walk from the college to the train (not to mention the predictable delays on SEPTA).

Haverford’s athletic facilities are fine, but Colby has a new facility slated to open soon. When it does, Colby will have it hands down in that department over Haverford.

Haverford is solid in the arts, as is Colby which has a very impressive art museum and is expanding its teaching based on its museum collection.

Haverford is very strong in the sciences, although Colby also is very good.

Colby has an excellent economics department, but chances are, so does Haverford. Again, ask a professor you know which is better regarded.

I strongly suspect the consortium is less feasible than many people think. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that many Haverford students cross matriculate at Bryn Mawr. If you plan this out well, it can be done without owning a car. Taking a class at Swarthmore is going to be more of a challenge, since it is a 20 minute drive, depending on traffic. Taking the train would be a huge pain, as it would involve taking the train to Philly and then a separate train out to Swarthmore. Can it be done? Yes, of course, but it is not as easy as advertised. The same goes for taking a class at Penn, because after that 25 minute train ride, you need to walk another ten minutes to Penn’s campus. In fact, the same could be said for Colby students taking classes at Bowdoin or Bates.

The good news is that both of these school are really good. You won’t make a mistake which ever you choose.

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“There are some differences. The first is size. Haverford is one of the smaller LACs, and is significantly smaller than Colby. That allows for professorial mentoring, but it also becomes increasingly small as you complete the years. Size is less an issue at Colby.”

The Quaker Consortium which includes Bryn Mawr (Bi-college and seamless connection), Swarthmore, and UPenn, expands the offerings and also makes the school feel less small than it is in terms of student body.

Students can get to Swat on the Tri-Co Van. It runs constantly all day between Haverford and Swarthmore. No need for the train. A student would need to take the train to get to Penn. Yes, more students do take classes at BM than the other two but students DO take classes at Swarthmore and even UPenn. It’s not that unusual actually.
http://www.brynmawr.edu/transportation/trico.shtml#hc_sc
http://www.brynmawr.edu/transportation/bico.shtml

SEPTA is easy to use and efficient. Not a problem at all.

Colby students taking classes at Bowdoin or Bates is not the equivalent of the Bi-College and the Quaker Consortium. It just isn’t.

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Re: #10 above: Bates and Bowdoin are each an hour away from Colby, so I don’t think Colby students taking classes at either one is very feasible or common. I am pretty sure that there is no cross-registration among those 3 like in the Quaker Consortium, but I could be wrong.

My son had this exact choice to make 2 yrs ago. He chose Haverford due to its academic strength in his chosen discipline (and loves it there) but was very drawn to Colby’s gorgeous campus, outdoorsy feel, and community engagement. Both are great options.

I suspect that Colby is slightly better than Haverford in Economics, but that is my own impression based on some subjective comments by current students, rather than any first-hand knowledge of the curriculum.

As suggested above, visit to see which one is a better fit for you and be sure to talk with Econ profs in both schools.

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@doschicos,

“SEPTA is easy to use and efficient. Not a problem at all.”

Gotta disagree with you there. I’ll bet there are a lot of restless natives who would agree (and do) with me.

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If you think you are going to major in economics, look at the course catalog and map out what you’d take (including the distribution requirements ) at each. See if there’s a meaningful difference to you. I don’t think one is “better” and I think you’ll have the same kind of interactions with profs at both. I know the econ program at Colby is good.

Think about the environment. Colby is remote, so a very self-contained community and lots of kids do outdoorsy activities for fun. Haverford is in a suburb of Philly with easy access to the city. If your idea of fun is going to the city to listen to music or visit a museum or if it’s snowshoeing in a national park, that might point you to one over the other.

I personally like Jan Plan (although I wouldn’t choose specifically for that.) But if you’re on the fence, consider it. It lends itself to studying things that might be tricky during a regular term, either because travel is involved, or it’s something that requires a lot of work with others (a theater or music project, for example ) that would be a scheduling nightmare during the regular term.

Both are wonderful schools and regardless of the choice you make, it’ll be a good one.