I’ve been accepted to both and have narrowed my search down to these two. I know that I am going to get a lot of pro Colby responses on this thread, but I would like to know why any of you believe Colby is better than Haverford.
As of now the pros of Haverford are:
close to a big city
ability to take classes at Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and UPenn
better ranking therefore assuming better academics and professors
Any others that I should consider?
The pros of Colby are:
better financial aid package
named a presidential scholar therefore have the ability to participate in paid research my first year and get a 3000 dollar —stipend for a study abroad, internship, etc. opportunity. Among other perks.
beautiful campus in Central Maine, very idyllic
Any others I should consider?
To add to the Haverford column:
Plenty of research opportunities at Haverford which include pay/stipends. Being a Quaker school, Haverford doesn’t single certain students out for things like “Presidential Scholar”, no Dean’s List, or Honors program, or things of that ilk that divide students and limit opportunities for some. It super nice to have a major city within 15-20 minutes on public transportation (think museums, concert venues, etc.) Haverford is the best of both worlds - a bucolic campus that is an arboretum yet big city amenities close by and coffee shops, dining spots, etc. within walking distance. The honor code and the resulting trust between faculty/students allows for many self-proctored, self-scheduled exams (sure helps with stress) as well as for more student autonomy than can be found on 99% of campuses. Less preppy than Colby. Warmer weather/much shorter winter.
Colby is a good school, too, but isolated and Waterville, ME leaves a lot to be desired. If you are into outdoors activities like hiking and skiing, Colby is better for that.
Those scholarship perks look pretty sweet. If you’re thinking grad school, those could translate into significant benefits like added years of research experience and possibly better recommendations if you really stand out.
My daughter is a freshman at Colby. We are not from New England but have always loved the vibe. She did look at Haverford, which is a truly outstanding school but some of the requirements (mandatory PE) made her think twice. Also for some reason she was turned off by the “honor code” thing and does not like the idea of a “southern” school. Honestly, she loves the cold and feel in love with Maine. She goes into Portland which is a fantastic city and there are actually many interesting places in Waterville. Congratulations on being named a Presidential Scholar, that is a rare distinction at Colby and you must be a very deserving student! My daughter has a friend who was named a Presidential Scholar and the opportunities afforded to her are unique and impressive (she turned down much more “prestigious” schools for the opportunity at Colby. It comes down to your "gut"and definitely visit both schools. I can assure you that whichever you chose, you will be happy and find all the opportunities you are looking for.
I’m undecided on my major for now but I am interested in exploring: political science, computer science, economics, philosophy, neuroscience, chemistry. Maybe a double major in two of them.
All those majors are solid at Haverford. Hopefully, you’ll be able to attend accepted student events? The two schools have a different vibe so visits would help with your decision. Nice choice to have!
Never heard Haverford called a “southern” school before or heard PA described as the south.
I rarely ever post…because I find that no matter how helpful I try to be and specific in my comments, someone finds something objectionable that is completely besides the point. Yes, my daughter found Haverford somewhat “southern” and perhaps to us PA is southern. It is really not that relevant in terms of the response I gave in regards to our impression of Colby or Haverford, both are good schools.
Both Haverford and Colby are great schools. I would say that they are roughly equivalent but for different regions – Haverford for Philly-NYC, Colby for Boston. The USNews differential for these two top 20 LACs is meaningless. Most likely any differential is based on data you care little about – like how much per capita money alums donate or whether the student teacher ratio is 9:1 or 9.2:1.
One point of differentiation is size. Haverford is really small +/- 1150, while Colby is +/- 1850. Colby has a terrific economics department. Haverford has some great science departments. Both are small enough that you will have opportunities for research. You probably should reach out to a college prof type in the specific majors of interest for a more specific assessment.
Waterville is not Haverford for sure. Haverford is a very high income town on the Main Line of suburban Philadelphia. Waterville is not a very high income town. On the other hand, The Colby president is a super dynamic person and is on the move to improve Waterville in the same way that he improved the University of Chicago. His ideas are coming to fruition very quickly as the school is building dorms in dt Waterville and has already attracted new quality employers.
While I do believe that Haverford students take classes at neighboring Bryn Mawr, I suspect they less often take classes at Swarthmore, which is a healthy 25-30 minute car ride away. Penn is reachable by train, but once you factor in the walk from Haverford’s beautiful campus to the train (depending on where you are, a healthy 10-15 minutes), the train ride (20 minutes), the walk from 30th Street station to Penn (10 minutes) and SEPTA being late, I’ll bet there isn’t all that much cross matriculation going on unless it’s the summer. I understand that even the Claremont consortium colleges have less in the line of cross-matriculation than one would suspect, given the adjacent proximity.
Congratulations MMM258!! Haverford and Colby are two terrific schools. I am very familiar with both and believe you can have a great education and experience at either. I strongly encourage you to visit both schools for admitted student days. Colby, which is more isolated, has an outdoorsy feel, a very strong study abroad emphasis and a great sense of community. Haverford, while smaller, is very connected to Bryn Mawr, they are only a mile apart with shuttles making it very easy to take courses at either school. Many activities and campus groups span both schools. I hope you can visit the colleges, talk with the students and see where you feel more comfortable.
@lacgrad My son has the same choice to make, along with W&M and W&L. Between Haverford and Colby, do you have any feel for at which school the students would be more accepting of ideas (religion, philosophy, politics) that are different from their own or from prevailing opinions? My son is somewhat conservative, and wants to go to a place where his personal ideology is respected, or at least tolerated, rather than ridiculed. He is open to new ideas and loves intellectual discussions. Any others with experience in this area, please chime in… thanks!
@MMM258 You sound a lot like my son, and are facing the same choices as he. His interests are in Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Philosophy, and Political Science. He is also a Presidential Scholar at Colby. Do you plan to attend the Admitted Student Days at each school?
@dscottvb Congratulations to your son! My husband and I are both Colby alum. We found Colby quite accepting of different ideas and opinions. Of course, this was quite a few years ago! Knowing several present Colby students, attending reunions and visiting recently, I would expect your son to be fine there. W &L is definitely much more conservative than Haverford or Colby. My son visited and was accepted to Colby, Haverford and W &L. He was offered a Johnson Scholarship at W & L and the Presidential at Colby. However, he didn’t choose any of these schools. He found his visits to schools after acceptances were the most helpful is deciding where to attend. I strongly encourage your son to visit accepted student days! He can talk to students and see how he feels. For me, when I visited Colby in April of my senior year, the Dean of Admissions picked me up at the bus station and gave me a tour of Waterville on the way back to Colby. As I walked around the campus, I knew it was the right place for me. I hope your son finds clarity in determining the best place for him to continue his education.
@dscottvb Unfortunately I can only attend one of the Admitted Student Days as they are both on the same weekend. I still haven’t decided which one to choose. I like Haverford because it close to a big city like Philadelphia and has limited access to New York and Washington D.C., at least more so than Colby, and it has amazing science facilities. I also just got a piece of mail from Haverford today informing me that I am a Cheswick Scholar giving me access to a 4-year mentorship program for underrepresented students. But I also love Colby as it is in an beautiful part of the country and through the Presidential Scholar program is allowing me to be a paid research assistant my first year. I also love that they have a strong economics program. Ugh it’s so hard to decide. But they are both great options. Thanks for all the advice!
@MMM258 If you care to share, what school did you choose to attend? My son chose Haverford, primarily due to fit, reputation in the natural sciences, and location… but Colby has advantages also, and he would have been happy there too. It is a great school and we were impressed with the leadership and vision for its future.
