<p>can someone who has been to Haverford or goes to school there tell me a little more about this college? I'm thinking about making this the only liberal arts college I'm applying to because I /heard/ Haverford has a really strong pre-med, science/math curriculum, but I don't know much about it otherwise. Someone help me out here please? thank you, much appreciated!</p>
<p>You know Rest I have been hoping since I discovered CC to engage Haverford students in conversation because I to would love to go there. I am a junior and need the inside scoop. However nobody from Haverford seems to be here ever. It is so disapointing. HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO> Smilingly,Dana</p>
<p>I'm a Haverford parent. D's Class of 2008 was much more active on CC. It is a gem. Recently there have been some posts on Haverford. Do a "search" and it should come up. Good luck!</p>
<p>i'm a freshman- do you have any specific questions?</p>
<p>so how do you like your freshman year so far?
What would you say are the distinctive characteristics of Haverford that make it a better choice for students than say, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Amherest, etc.? Why is Haverford the only liberal arts college (that I can find so far) that has a strong(er) emphasis on premed/science/math?
thank you! =)</p>
<p>Glad to hear from u starz. Haverford at this point in my search is one of my top four choices. I live in the Philly suburbs so I am very familiar with the beautiful campus ecology. I am interested to know what new construction is going on now and what is planned in the near term? I was very impressed with all of the new building and renovation at Amherst and Wesleyan. I have read your campus newspaper and there seems to be a concern about alumni contributions and the size of the endowment. Part of the enjoyment of college is the dorm life and the modernity of the physical plant.</p>
<p>I definitely want an lac but do u find that with so few students at Haverford it stunts the social life and makes the interactions between students high school like with little chance of meeting new people? Tell me as much as possible about social life.</p>
<p>How political is student body? How is the food? This is a good start and I look forward to your response to my questions and the previous person's questions. Thank you very much. Dana</p>
<p>sorry, I've been swamped with work and such..</p>
<p>Freshman year is absolutely amazing! I couldn't be happier with my college selection. </p>
<p>Academically, you will probably find yourself in a very..humbling situation. Professors are very accessible and willing to help, however regardless of your previous academic status (everyone here excelled in high school, end of story), I've found it is still challenging and rigorous academically. Sorry, I personally am not on the pre-med track (I'm thinking of economics or English with a minor in economics, looking to go to law school) so I don't really know why our pre-med program is better than the other LACs, but it seems as though 3/4 of the freshman class is pre-med. Clearly they saw something in it that is perhaps lacking at other LACs. From what I've heard, it is very demanding, and many people drop out after freshman year after having taken Gen Chem. Apparently, people continue to drop out with each year, (sophomore year is orgo, I believe) due to the difficultly of the pre-med program. Many stick it out and find it very rewarding. I'm sure you've heard of Haverford's high success rate with getting into grad schools; even if your peers or family friends may give you a blank stare when you mention Haverford, those in the academic circle know about Haverford and it's prestige. Of course, there are science and math majors who aren't pre-med. In addition to science and math, Haverford excels in economics and of course is very good at English and the other typical LAC subjects. I think the only department that seems to be a little disorganized is the foreign language department, but of course you can take classes at Bryn Mawr and Swat.</p>
<p>I applied to Swarthmore, Amherst, Tufts, and Vassar in addition to Haverford. Sorry, I don't know much about Wesleyan; I wasn't even interested in looking at it. I guess Amherst's distinction is the open curriculum; from what I recall, they don't seem to have requirements to fulfill, supposedly allowing for a more complete education.. I'm not really sure- I don't think that the requirements at Haverford are difficult to fulfill at all. Rather, the requirements leave plenty of room to explore other courses that one might not ordinarily take. I guess if you look at the rankings, they would consider Swat and Amherst the top, with Haverford in the middle, followed by Vassar and Tufts. I was mainly interested in Haverford, Swarthmore, and Amherst, so once I got into Haverford the other two were eliminated. I was waitlisted at Amherst and decided not to stay on the waitlist for various reasons: I liked the people at Haverford more (people here are genuinely nice and caring, interesting, intelligent, ambitious, fun, and so on), and I liked the fact that Haverford is near a city (Amherst is very isolated- when students there told me how excited they were to go to a WaWa, I knew it wasn't the place for me). Now Swat.. wow, if I had gone to Swarthmore, I think that would've been a grave mistake. I was waitlisted there, as well, and decided not to stay on the waitlist. I speced there for a sport my senior year in high school; the team barely talked to me and people there seemed very cold and distant. At Haverford, students naturally take their work very seriously; however, we know how to have fun, plain and simple. Swarthmore students seem to submerge themselves in their studies and leave room for not much else. They also seem cutthroat and under much more consistent pressure. I put a lot of pressure on myself in high school and didn't want to be constantly nervous, but if you think you can handle it, take a good look at Swat. I don't think you would fit in at both Swarthmore and Haverford; they're so different. I mean, academically, sure; regardless of what Swarthmore students may say, Haverford students are just as capable and intelligents as Swatties. Yet I think Haverford encompasses more of the entire college experience: an intense, challenging academic atmosphere, numerous clubs, activities, and sports (athletics are huge here), and bonding between human beings that will last a lifetime. I've met some truly amazing people that I care about dearly. I'm sure you know about customs- your customs group equals your family at Haverford. Additionally, Haverford really does care about you as an individual (I had trouble with my schedule the first week- I registered for a class way over my head and needed to get out of it) and the Dean of First Year Students sat down with me and personally resolved the problem. Socially, as I've said, Haverford is very rewarding. You immediately make close bonds with your customs group within the first couple of weeks freshman year. People here are generally friendly and welcoming. I probably see at least ten people I know walking around on campus from class to class. I don't think it's too small, though I know they're thinking of expanding the size of the school. I still don't know much of my class yet, as it's only been a couple of months of school so far. Parties are typically Thursday nights and Saturday nights. There's no pressure to drink, however there is an open alcohol policy (which coincides with the Honor Code.. I'm sure you know about that already). I personally think an open alcohol policy is a fantastic idea: people don't have to hide in their rooms from their RAs (we don't have RAs, our customs people are here for support and aid but friendship rather than authority) and thus we rarely have people being sent to the hospital because they went out of control. Security can be found around campus if necessary, but they won't intrude on your personal space unless you are impeding upon others' safety or your own safety (don't go walking from party to party with a can of beer in your hand). Some people think that Haverford students are socially awkward. I guess you would find that at any "smart school," but honestly I've met plenty of really cool people. I think socially awkward is a term formed by students who go to schools where everyone talks, thinks, and acts the same way, deeming those who fall outside of the "normal" realm of a college student as awkward. That's all I can think of now.. hope that helps =)</p>
<p>Well, they just finished the new athletic facility: it's HUGE! I haven't been inside yet since I have practice everyday, but it's accessible to both athletes and non-athletes. It was quite necessary, considering how horrible the old gym and locker rooms were. However, it also has other various features, i.e. new squash courts. I've heard that the next project is something for drama and the arts, but I'm not quite sure. Sorry, I'm still getting used to all of the current buildings. They are seriously considering expanding the size of the school, but I don't know how they propose to do that seeing as that would disrupt the serenity and foundation of the college. They put a water fountain in the duck pond, I guess to help with the circulation, but a lot of upperclassmen were really angry about that. At plenary (which occurs twice a year, in which students present resolutions on the state of the college and hold debates on the resolutions.. it is completely void of administration (so much at Haverford is student-run..) the heated subject was brought up and there was much debate over it.. it seems as though the people who want to expand the size of the school do so for primarily social reasons .. but opinions are mixed. I think the campus and facilities are fantastic as of now, anyway, but I'm sure that whatever they have planned for the future will only augment the campus. Dorm life.. I love my dorm room; I have a single, and it's huge.</p>
<p>I don't think the social life is restricted by any means. Actually, I think it's better - I've made closer relationships with more people here than I ever would have at a larger school. And, I still don't know so many people, so I always seem to meet someone new every weekend. My hall is pretty crazy, so you definitely won't find yourself bored here. It's easy to find a party on the weekend, and since the campus is small, you can walk from party to party in the same night. They started this thing called Social Fund here- you pay like $30 at the beginning of the year, and from then on you can go to parties without having to pay for alcohol. And, you'll get emails about all the parties that are going on that weekend- such a Haverford thing to do. There's no pressure to drink, but if you do drink, you don't have to worry about getting in trouble, so long as you control yourself and don't do anything stupid. Since so many people here are athletes, Friday nights are usually pretty chill on account of the games and such on Saturday mornings. Friday nights are good nights to go into the city, watch movies, or just chill with your hall. Thursday and Friday nights are party nights, which don't start until earliest 10 pm. There's also usually things to do beforehand, such as improv shows, concerts, and so on. Right now, it seems a lot of people are looking for hook-ups rather than relationships, but if you're looking for serious dating, there will definitely be people into that, as well.</p>
<p>The student body is veryyyyyyy liberal- they say it's easier to come out as gay than Republican here. I personally am politically conservative and definitely find it somewhat intimidating. I think that's my one gripe with Haverford - people seem to be pretty mean and spiteful towards Republicans as well as intolerant of their views. If you fall in this category, keep and open mind and come willing to be challenged by your peers- Haverford is definitely a school where students are not embarassed to talk about politics in casual conversation. </p>
<p>The food is what you make of it. I think the best advice I've been given is to be creative. If you always go to the hot food line, you'll probably get sick of the DC .. you need to learn to mix it up and make your own meals sometimes. I don't really eat breakfast at the DC since my classes are so early and you tend to go to bed really late in college.. usually I'll just eat a granola bar or fruit in my room. They have everything you could want.. it's just the quality isn't always so great. Sometimes you'll be surprised and the meal will be fantastic.. but there's always alternatives (the salad bar, the pasta bar, deli meat, etc). And the dessert's usually pretty good ;)</p>
<p>yay, thanks so much for all this info! it has definitely given me a much better picture of Haverford, which I previously didnt really know too much about. And wow, the alcohol policy/emails/social fund thing is really, interesting... but a great idea. A few more questions for when you have time,
- how is the diversity there? IMO, the LACs are usually more white/preppy than universities. and even if the statistics look good, do the different ppl acutally mingle well, or tend to stay within their own racial circles? this is important to me since I'm Chinese...
- i havent been to haverford, so, reading from what you and danashu said, the campus is very pretty, but small and cramped?
- do you know anything about the haverford collaboration with UPENN, Swarthmore, and Bryn Mar (sp?)? does that mean we can take classes at those colleges (i'm esp. interested in the UPENN part)?</p>
<p>Haverford is such an awesome school. too bad just about noone i've spoken to has heard of it =/ argh, awesome undergraduate education vs. big name....</p>
<p>I believe the Asian population at Haverford is between 10%-13%. D is a 2nd yr Ford...also Chinese-American.</p>
<p>Starz : This was a great reply and very helpful . My dad recently contacted the admin office to see about tours and info sessions. I've had great visits to Amherst, Wesleyan, Williams and all had info sessions. The admission's secretary told us that Haverford does not have info sessions. Is that correct? They told my dad they had interviews that would answer all my questions. How are the perspective student's parents suppose to learn about the school without info session? Reading the viewbook and going to website is not the same as an info/question/answer session. Can u confirm this info. Thanks,dana</p>
<p>we do have info session for prospective students.
<a href="http://www.haverford.edu/admissions/visitcampus.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.haverford.edu/admissions/visitcampus.htm</a></p>
<p>TheRestisSilence,</p>
<p>I don't know of the specific statistics concerning the minority representation at Haverford. However, I have realized from your question that I don't think people here really look at each other as white, black, Asian, and so on. Everyone here pretty much socializes with each other, regardless of color or ethnicity. I have friends from all different backgrounds, but I honestly didn't even realize how diverse my friends were here until you asked that question. This goes for socioeconomic class as well. Haverford seems to put everyone on an eye-to-eye level, and all other forms of "separation" don't really matter in our social or academic realms. Multicultural awareness is huge though; there are numerous groups and clubs for those of color, certain religions, and so on if you feel that would be of interest to you. But, for instance, Jewish students don't all necessarily join the Jewish Student Union (I believe that is the correct name) or only befriend Jewish people. It would be impossible - the campus is so intimate that it's really impossible for groups of people to isolate themselves completely from the rest of the campus. And to answer your question about "preppiness," it seems that the more.. hippy type of students claim Haverford is a preppy school, while the preppy students think it's very .. unconventional. But I guess we have more important things on our minds to really allow that sort of thing to really affect us.</p>
<p>I don't think the campus is cramped as it is now, though if they try to increase the amount of students, it certainly will be without further construction. A lot of people here enjoy being outdoors, so people can easily "get away" by running or walking along the nature trail that encircles campus. It seems that Haverford was very carefully planned out- there are numerous benches hidden within various spots around campus and of course the beautiful trees providing for numerous areas to get some alone time. I personally think our campus is especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves are changing color. And plus, people have such different schedules that you're not going to be surrounded by the same people at various points throughout the day. It's also very easy to get off campus, whether just to Bryn Mawr for a meal, to the surrounding neighborhoods, or to Philadelphia.</p>
<p>It's easiest to take classes at Bryn Mawr, which are supposedly "easier" classes from what I've heard. I can't really make that assumption since I haven't had a class there, but I know that, for instance, here you need to take chem before biology, so if you want to take biology without having taken chem, Bryn Mawr is a wise option. It's harder to take classes at Penn since it's further away, and you'd essentially have to formulate a schedule around your Penn class, but it's do-able. I've heard that Penn students are much more cutthroat in terms of competing with each other, rather than themselves, than Haverford students.. Haverford students taking Swarthmore classes are probably more prevalent than Penn, but then again it's further away than Bryn Mawr. They do have a linguistics department, which I don't believe we have.</p>
<p>Don't worry about the name. I know it's hard, I was considering the Ivies, as well, not because I saw myself being happy there, but because I felt obligated to attend a big-name school due to my accomplishments and achievements. But in all honesty, Harvard is just a name. People have turned down more well-known "names" for Haverford. Worry about the quality of education - it will pay off in the long run.</p>
<p>Danashu-</p>
<p>Since the tour groups are usually pretty small, I think that the information one would normally attain during an info session is presented during the tour. I think my tour guide had an info session in Marshall Auditorium when I visited. I would highly recommend doing an overnight here, or at any school you're looking at, for that matter. You will learn a lot about a school that you can't really learn from the Internet or college guide books.</p>
<p>TheRestisSilence,</p>
<p>P.S. Your undergraduate experience should encompass the entire picture- academics, extracurriculars, and the social experience. I strongly believe that a liberal arts college such as Haverford provides the best undergraduate experience. Development occurs outside of the classroom, through interactions with others.. it's really hard to do that at a school with thousands upon thousands of students. You don't want to just be a number to your professor. people come here because they have passion about what they do.. athletics, music, journalism, acting, politics, and so on. And there are always people in the DC trying to gain support for various causes: the mudslide catastrophe in Guatemala, the endangered polar bears, an AIDS awareness program that's being held.. Haverfordians have a genuine love for learning and for learning from each other. Everyone here has a story; everyone here is so intelligent and fascinating; but they don't flaunt it to the entire world. I guess that quality distinguishes someone who goes to a big name school (merely for the sake of saying they go there) as opposed to someone of equal "value" who goes to a school like Haverford.</p>
<p>Star,
I applied ED at Haverford, and I'm anxiously waiting. I noticed you said you had practice - what sport do you play? I'm hoping to play field hockey and softball, if I get in. I've loved reading all of your responses; they have just made me want to get into Haverford even more! BTW, I wondered if you knew what the chances of making the student body larger are? I don't think there is much room for more students...
Thanks!</p>
<p>Starz:</p>
<p>I would also like to hear from you about this possible increase in the number of students in the future. Has there been more than rumors about this possible change? Did the administration or Board of Trustees announce something? Did the school announce a new stragic plan that reviewed the issue? Has there been a concommitant review of increasing the physical plant? Can you give us specifics on this issue? Thanks Dana</p>
<p>thank you for all your indepth answers starz!</p>
<p>nylorac87,</p>
<p>I have no idea if the school will even definitely be expanded- but if at all, it would be a gradual increase through time. And I agree- there isn't much room for students. Further construction might just ruin the campus. That's why it's being heavily debated right now.</p>
<p>noo problem - do you guys have any other questions?</p>