<p>I'm a potential biology major and I have a hard time deciding between Wesleyan and Haverford. I can't say for sure I will apply to medical school but I do want to leave this option open. My other possible majors would be international development, economics or math.</p>
<p>I know that Haverford has a very strong biology program and its quite prestigious among medical schools. It also has the advantage of sharing resources with nearby Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, and even has access to the research facilities at UPenn. The thing with Haverford is that it is super tiny (300+ freshmen) and doesn't have a lot of international students (Im one). </p>
<p>I know that Wesleyan has the most funding for research among liberal art schools, but does that mean undergrads get more opportunities to do research since there're also grad students at Wes. Does Wes have a strong biology program and is it reputable among medical schools?</p>
<p>As you’ve noted, Haverford’s biology program is spectacular. You simply could not get any better, and only a few other schools could even match.</p>
<p>By the way, economics is also a very strong department. In fact, it’s tied as the most popular major at the college. Biology has one fewer student. So, they are both extraordinarily well-received by students.</p>
<p>As for the size, Haverford is smaller than Wes. But, I think HC students like that and the sense of community it creates. So, yes, HC has about 1200 students which makes it smaller than most of its peers. But in talking to friends at other LACs, I found that generally speaking they often concentrated friendships with people in the same year (really only using 1/4 of the student body). At Haverford because it’s smaller, there’s a lot of cross-pollination of friendship between the class years (above you and below you). It doesn’t feel small because people really get to know others from the two or three classes ahead of you and then the two or three classes below you. So, with one quarter of the student body changing every year there are plenty of people to meet and interact with if you have a culture where class year distinctions aren’t significant bars to genuine social interactions/friendships.</p>
<p>On the enrollment of international students, 6% of the past two classes at Haverford have been international students. Wesleyan reports 7% international.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about the Wes bio dept., but it is surely reputable with Med Schools. Simply put, all of the top LACs have programs which would be reputable.</p>
<p>Though, keep in mind that with Wes’s much larger size, this is significantly more people. </p>
<p>That said, either choice would be great. If you’re particularly missing something about your culture at Haverford, I’m sure there will be some group between the tri-college consortium where you can go!</p>