I’ve been accepted to both schools, and right now I’m not sure which would be the best fit for me. I’m still awaiting financial aid from Reed, so if the Haverford offer is better, it’s definitely my final choice, but as of right now I’m still trying to figure out this hypothetical.
I am very interested in the humanities, especially medieval literature/history, philosophy, and linguistics. I love learning for the sake of it, and it is very important to me to be surrounded by likeminded students who want to learn because they love the information, not because they are a seeking a grade. I don’t like heavy competition, and I want a friendly and quirky social environment.
I live in the Southeast so travel is another concern–Reed feels like it is across the world from where I live.
For someone who loves learning, wants an intellectual community, loves the idea of an honor code and student lead system, and really just wants a college experience where she will feel comfortable being away from home and highly engaged in classes, as well as close with her teachers, which school is a better fit? They seem pretty similar to me right now, with the major difference being location and Reed’s quirkiness. My other concern is getting a job after college–I intend to go to grad school, and eventually pursue a PhD, but I don’t want to have a degree that means nothing outside of the world of academia. Any advice is appreciated!
It sounds like Haverford is an excellent fit. Both colleges are outstanding although I personally think Haverford is stronger, and more appreciated outside the academic world. Reed is a riskier bet. If the fit is right it is an outstanding college, but it appeals to a unique niche and as a result a larger percentage of those who matriculate end up transferring to other colleges than is the case at its peers.
Retention rate is a key indicator. My understanding is that if Reed is the place for you, it’s extraordinary. But it’s not for a lot of people. From collegedata.com
Reed
First-Year Students Returning 90.0%
Students Graduating Within 4 Years 66.6%
Haverford
First-Year Students Returning 97.0%
Students Graduating Within 4 Years 87.8%
6-year graduation rate may be a more reliable indicator, but I couldn’t find that as easily as the other two.
6 year graduation rates
Haverford: 94%
Reed: 79%
(USNWR.)
Ah, thanks @merc81 - also, it turns out, on collegedata.com if you click through to the Students tab.
Thank you to all. Right now I’m leaning to Haverford because although I feel I “Fit” the quirky, intellectual vibe of Reed (Communism, atheism, free love and all of that) I think I could find that niche at Haverford, and HC is 2 hours away from home, whereas Reed is 5.5-6.5 hours away from where I live, making travel highly expensive and difficult. There is also the fear that I need a degree that could do something for me outside of the academic world, and at Haverford double majoring is a bit more common and accepted (from info. I received from admissions reps). I’m just not sure if I need to try organize a trip to see Reed, or I can feel content committing to Haverford. I applied to Haverford ED and was deferred and then accepted, so perhaps this is just a bit of post-application jitters–I just don’t want to miss out on something great.
I think your reasoning is solid.
You can find plenty of the quirky, intellectual vibe at Haverford as well. No worries there. 
One thing to be aware of when double majoring at Haverford is the senior thesis. A double major would mean 2 of them which is a TON of work.
Well, traveling from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast isn’t actually that much more expensive than flying from the Northeast to the Southeast. My family lives in Atlanta, and I have lived in New York but now live in Seattle. The flight prices are about the same, honestly - sometimes the Seattle flights are a little bit more expensive but they’ve generally in the same range. The difference is the time - if you get a direct flight that’s about 5 hours, and sometimes the least expensive flights are not direct, which can add a couple hours of traveling time (also, a 5 hour flight just feels really long).
Anyway, it sounds like you’re leaning more towards Haverford anyway and you really want to go thereif you visited and you like it, then I think you should just go. I understand the tendency to maximize (“but what if I like Reed MORE?”) but really, most students could probably thrive and be happy at a lot of places. It’s about finding one of those places that fits you and that you want to attend.