I’m a gay/fluid male student at Haverford (also sports adverse), and I would highly encourage you to consider coming to Haverford, especially if it’s going to be a financial full ride. I too was initially concerned about a lack of a solid LGBT community, but I can tell you that it is actually quite substantial. Sometimes it seems like every other person I meet is queer in some way (though that may just be due to the type of person I’m drawn to hahah). But nonetheless I would say Haverford is a very welcoming place. Even the normiest of students wouldn’t make a fuss about it, and students are quite open to and encouraged to express themselves however they see fit.
I will say though that the small size of the school lends itself to a relatively cliquey social culture. Not unbearably so, but because there are fewer students overall, people generally find the people they get along with the most and inevitably end up hanging out with them more than others. Not to say that people aren’t open to making new friends, but it just takes being a bit more proactive to try get to know people, especially upperclassmen. I consider myself pretty shy and terribly socially awkward, but if you find an activity you like or go to events that interest you, you’re bound to find like-minded students. If you’re lucky you might make some really good friends in your customs group (many do), but if you don’t, don’t lose hope!! In reality, all liberal arts colleges attract nearly every type of student. Some schools just have slightly different ratios. I would say Haverford seems to have slightly more athletes than what would be expected, but it is by no means overwhelming. I’d say there’s a far greater percentage of awkward academics and quirky hipsters than preppy athletes. I think sometimes it just seems like there’s a larger presence of athletes because you’re inevitably going to see them around on a daily basis with a student body so small. Also the cliqueiest students tend to be those on sports teams (people I wouldn’t necessarily be excited about getting to know anyway… no offense intended), so if you’re most interested in theater and music, I wouldn’t be worried.
And on that note, in terms of theater and music there are definitely opportunities to get involved. The most popular theater group is called Greasepaint which is completely student run (directed, acted, etc), but even so has a pretty substantial budget from what I’ve seen. It draws from both Haverford and Bryn Mawr. They do two musicals a year, one per semester. In the last couple years they’ve done shows like Spring Awakening and Rent (both of which sold out every night), so there’s definitely interest/support theater-wise. Oddly, improv is also very popular on campus if you’re at all interested in joining a troupe. Also you’ve probably heard that there are several a cappella groups if that all interests you. Not really for me, so I personally sing in Chamber Singers (a group of about 25), which is chorale-music focussed and has a professor/director. I’m not positive we have a jazz band, but I would be more surprised to find that we didn’t. Otherwise I know for sure that we have a full orchestra that rehearses weekly if that would at all interest you.
As far as access to Philly goes, I would say it’s been a huge bonus in serving as an artistic/cultural outlet. This year I’ve taken a Haverford-sponsored trip to the Philly Museum of Art, and I generally make it into the city for a concert about once a month or so. You get 4 round-trips worth of free SEPTA tickets (the train/subway system) per semester if you sign up online at least a couple days in advance, and the nearest stop is only a 5 - 10 minute walk, so getting off campus really isn’t difficult if you want to make it happen. I’d say access to Philly is one of the biggest draws of Haverford in comparison to other liberal arts colleges, and it’s lived up to my expectation. Some may disagree, but honestly as long as you have things you want to do in the city, all it takes is a little effort planning-wise and you can make it happen. Plus, as someone from the midwest, I’ll note that it’s been incredibly interesting/worthwhile being immersed in an entirely different culture, an experience I wouldn’t have really had had I gone to a more rural or isolated school.
Sorry for the wall of text, but that’s my 2 cents! If you have any other questions or want clarification on anything just let me know. Best of luck making your decision~
