<p>This where we are... whaddya think?</p>
<p>Visit them.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is pretty rural, Haverford in Philadelphia. Both are great schools. I think if you visit you will have an answer.</p>
<p>Visited both... day trip and then an overnight. It didn't help. Sigh.</p>
<p>Hate to be blunt, but without knowing you (or anything about you, for that matter) the question of "School X" vs. "School Y" is not really something anyone else can answer for you. </p>
<p>Probably, if you're asking on a Haverford-based website, you're going to get an opinion biased toward Ford, but I'm not sure you're posing the right question.</p>
<p>Perhaps if you ask a more pointed question, responses will be more helpful to you. (eg: How is Ford's "Insert Interest" major? or, How do Forders like to spend their free time? etc)</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision-making process! I know these things are much easier said than done.</p>
<p>sometimes it helps to tell people you're going to haverford for a few days. see how you feel telling this to people. then, maybe a different day you tell different people you're going to bowdoin. see how you feel telling them that. </p>
<p>if there's nothing that can break the tie, flip a coin.</p>
<p>On the bright side, frankly, you're in quite a comfortable predicament fatlady. :)</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure if you visited both and still aren't sure which, you're pretty safe wherever you end up.</p>
<p>Isn't bowdoin all-girls colege?</p>
<p>Bowdoin is co-ed.</p>
<p>Hey, maybe I can help. I'm currently a student at Haverford while my sister goes to Bowdoin. We've both been to each other's campuses. </p>
<p>I think Bowdoin's food and dorms definitely win, hands down, so if those are important to you (as they were to my sister) you should take a look at Bowdoin. Their dorms are supposedly "like palaces" and their food is number 1 for liberal arts colleges. Haverford dorms are standard, not great, but acceptable. The food ranges from good to bad, depending on who you ask and what day it is. </p>
<p>Campus-wise, my sister was really impressed with Haverford. She said it's much prettier than Bowdoin and has a cute duck pond. The buildings look very New England/19th century. Lots of stone and green grass. Bowdoin has a more modern look and has less greenery.</p>
<p>Academics-wise, Bowdoin is stronger in political science and economics, while Haverford is strong in hard sciences like bio, physics, chem, etc. I think the level of difficulty of classes depends on what area you take them in. On the plus side, Haverford is close to Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore, and you can take classes at both. You can also take classes at UPen.</p>
<p>Bowdoin people in general are better looking than Haverford people. Just look at pictures of people from Facebook and you'll have to concede! However, Haverford seems to be more diverse and slightly smarter. ;)</p>
<p>Location-wise, I think Haverford wins. We are close to Philly, 20 minutes by train, and we have a lot of good transportation systems in place. We are also reasonably close to NY and Boston. Bowdoin is slightly isolated, though my sister tells me that her college provides shuttles to Freeport, which has a ton of major outlets. </p>
<p>I hope as a generalization, this was helpful. Please feel free to ask questions, and I'll ask my sister if I don't know something about Bowdoin. :D</p>
<p>HC or Bowdoin?<br>
My son, who is a Senior now at HC had done overnights at both schools and was also accepted at B. His experience and impression was that the B students were not quite as open and friendly and mabe a little "preppy" for his midwestern taste. That influenced him as well as the fantastic T/F Coach at HC. When he was a Soph in HS we went to the D-3 Indoor Nationals and met many of the team members as well as a few HC Alums that follow the T/F guys, they all treated him warmly and like an equal with respect. His mind was made up right then and there. Good luck with your decision, I know my son made the right one.</p>
<p>One of the really great things about HC is its location. Obviously, its location allows students to venture into Philly for fun or for volunteer opportunities, do research with the Regenerative Medicine Institute at Penn (linked before), visit numerous museums, ect... but one less obvious benefit with location is that it allows scholars from outside to easily and regularly visit HC to enhance the education provided. HC itself, like remote schools, has a contained campus (98% students live on campus, >50% faculty live on campus as well) <strong>BUT</strong> such types of experiences can foster an "ivory tower" mentality that isn't great to promote in kids. HC's location makes it possible for 1) kids to leave campus and explore the "ouside world" but also 2) allow outside knowledge/wisdom/experiences to be presented to kids throughout the whole year (not just when there's no snow). This year alone, one nobel prize winner came to give a series of econ lectures and have lunch with majors, several pulitzer prize winners, and numerous scholars, scientists, physicians, artists to count... and that doesn't even include the visitors to BMC as well. </p>
<p>Small sample:</p>
<p>April 4th
Dennis Stern ’69, Deputy General Manager, The New York Times
Haverford</a> College: Calendar: Event Detail</p>
<p>April 6th
"Axon Guidance Unplugged: The Role of Unplugged/Wnt signaling in Motor axon guidance."
Talk by Laura Carlson, Granato Lab, Cell and Dvelopmental Biolog, U. of Penn.
Haverford</a> College: Calendar: Event Detail</p>
<p>April 7th
"Doctors as Writers, Doctors as Readers, Doctors as Characters."
Talk by Perri Klass, M.D.
Haverford</a> College: Calendar: Event Detail</p>
<p>April 9th
Nobel Peace Laureates for a Better World
Haverford</a> College News Room</p>
<p>April 10th
"The Secret Gospel of Thomas-New Views of Jesus and His Message."
Talk by Elaine Pagels, Gest Lecturer!!!!!!!
Haverford</a> College: Calendar: Event Detail</p>
<p>AcadeMIX live!" Panel on International Hip Hop
Haverford</a> College: Calendar: Event Detail</p>
<p>Obama policy director Karen Kornbluh '85 to discuss the path from BMC to Capitol Hill (at BMC)
Bryn</a> Mawr Now: Obama Policy Director Karen Kornbluh '86 to lecture</p>
<p>If I'm not mistaken it's your S making the decision? I would say the words "honor code" and see how your S reacts. Some kids really really like the idea, some kids find the attention given it pretentious.</p>
<p>Both are wonderful schools.</p>
<p>And then say the words, "The Atlantic Ocean." See if that's a real turn on or just so-so.</p>
<p>/\ Very True</p>
<p>With respect to post #10, I think that it might be better stated that Bowdoin students are very friendly while Haverford students are incredibly friendly. Both schools have beautiful campuses. Haverford, I believe, offers a semester or year long exchange with Claremont McKenna College in California. To recommend Bowdoin College, I would add a caveat that the student should be open to a term or a year abroad to address the somewhat isolated location and to escape from the inevitable beer bashes. I would also recommend a car. That being written, Bowdoin College, to me, is like going home. It is a small, beautiful Atlantic Ocean community with great programs in government & history. So much, however, really depends upon factors not included in the above posts. Some folks function well in a closed and fairly isolated community, others need the freedom of anonymity of a large city. Either way, your daughter will be known & well cared for. P.S. After reading reading your prior posts, I am going to recommend Haverford College for your daughter.</p>
<p>Hey icy9ff8 - what is about my previous posts that makes you recommend Haverford?
For everyone else - thanks so much for your input. She definitely loves the idea of the honor code, but there are things she loves about each school. She seems to have more of an emotional connection to Bowdoin, and an intellectual connection to Haverford. It's a really hard decision, but there's no down side. Anyone who wants to add more-- what you like, what bothers you, what you do in your spare time (assuming mr. alum, that they get to put down their books eventually). Thanks so much!</p>
<p>oooh, I do have another questions. I've heard that because the school is so small, that it's not unusual to be closed out of classes. Is that true? If so, how do things work out in the end?</p>
<p>"I've heard that because the school is so small, that it's not unusual to be closed out of classes. Is that true? If so, how do things work out in the end?"</p>