My D is considering Haverford as an athletic recruit. She’s academic but also very social and outgoing. Her main concern is the size and whether or not she will fit in. The proximity to the main line, other colleges and Philadelphia are major pluses, and of course the excellent academics at Haverford. Just worried she won’t be happy there - it’s smaller than her high school. Hoping current students or alum can weigh in. Another option may be Swarthmore, which isn’t much different in size.
You’re worried, or she is worried? If you’re worried, don’t be. It isn’t your place to determine if she will be happy. Haverford is a top LAC with both very high freshman retention rates and graduation rates. The numbers alone are evidence that students are happy. (You can read some recent posts on the Haverford forum, as there was a bit of controversy last year and you are likely to hear of it at some point.)
Small colleges are not necessarily like high school. There is a huge difference: kids are CHOOSING to be there. You don’t choose who you go to high school with. I would not hesitate to send my child to either of those schools.
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To the extent that students have been disappointed with Haverford, this has arisen largely from a social divide exposed by recent protests. Before committing, your daughter may want to read about campus events, and then draw her own conclusions.
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She is worried, and I’m worried knowing she is worried :). Good to know about the retention rates. She is aware of the recent protests, that’s a separate issue and I’d prefer not to make this thread about that.
Freshman don’t return if they aren’t happy. Kids transfer out and graduate from other colleges if they aren’t happy.
Something else to consider is that Haverford takes its honor code very seriously. Does that appeal to your daughter? When my kid visited, our tour guide was very earnest in describing how she could take a test in her dorm room and would never dream of cheating. My D took Haverford off her list because she found it hard to believe that nobody ever cheated.
Clearly, Haverford isn’t right for everyone and given it’s very small size, your daughter is smart to consider these issues. As a recruited athlete, I am guessing that the rest of the team and the coach should be very important factors in her decision.
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I can’t add much about whether the size is too small for your D. I would find out how often students leave the campus for social activities (whether with other schools, or in Philadelphia), and how many students take classes at consortium schools (and whether that works for athletes).
I do know that many spring athletes and their families were extremely unhappy due to the cancellation of sports competitions, even though most (maybe all?) the rest of the conference was playing. So that is probably something to talk with the coach about, regardless of the sport your D will be playing.
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Haverford has the reputation of treating athletic recruits in a different way than other schools. As recently as a few years ago, getting a pre-read approval did not mean the coach could get you in, just that you were qualified for the school. Many athletes were disappointed when they thought they were a ‘recruit’ but were not admitted. Maybe that’s changed, but there are several threads on it in the archives (under athletic recruits).
Many athletes (and parents) were angry last year because the president didn’t consult them before cancelling the seasons. The Ivies also cancelled sports for the year, and athletes transferred out, or graduated early and transferred to other schools as grad students to still play.
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If both you and she are worried…well, that’s not a good thing. It’s best to choose a college where the new student will be most comfortable. In this case, Haverford’s size is an important part of what the school offers, and you and she are not comfortable with that.
What are her other options?
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Another poster wrote: “Freshmen don’t return if they aren’t happy.”
I think that this is an overstatement as financial aid and merit scholarships often result in students staying at a school despite being unhappy at that school.
Additionally, many unhappy students are urged to stay because the freshman year may be portrayed as an adjustment or transition year which is the most difficult socially & academically; essentially, the student is counseled to tough it out as things will get better.
Furthermore, it may be difficult for some to leave a prestigious school to attend a less prestigious institution. Transfer acceptance rates at highly ranked colleges & universities tend to be quite low.
This is true of any school, not just Haverford.
Not sure why this matters. If someone is so miserable that they want to transfer, I don’t see it as a reflection on the college if a kid only wants to transfer to another highly selective college. If they fear they might only get into a “lesser” school, I don’t see that as a real problem.
Retention rates and graduation rates matter. The user isn’t talking about attending one of these colleges, for example. https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/rank/colleges/lowest-graduation-rate/
PM’d you with an HC recruit. Check your messages!
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