I am a senior and I am really stuck on whether I should apply early decision 1 to Swarthmore or Haverford. I have visited both schools and don’t prefer one over the other. I feel like my stats are not high enough for Swarthmore, but they would give me around $11,000 more in aid than Haverford. On the other hand, Haverford has almost double the acceptance rate early decision and I feel that early decision 2 might be too competitive. What do you guys think? And do you think that early decision 2 is a harder pool than early decision 1?
My Stats:
Major:Bio
SAT: 1390 retaking in October got 1460 on practice
SAT II: Bio:790
AP: AP Government:5, AP: Calculus AB: 4, AP Lang: 3, AP Bio: 3, APUSH, AP Geo
This year: AP Chem , AP Physics, AP Calculus BC
Just for some info other than stats…I’m writing my essay about working 3 jobs over the summer and riding my bike to them. I have 5 siblings. I was president of my class freshman and sophomore year. Last year treasurer of multicultural now VP. I worked as a swim instructor at the ymca, a bank teller and a camp counselor. I have had all A’s just a B in AP Calc AB but my teacher was out on maternity leave for a few months.
While the FA seems better at Swat, it’s not at all a sure thing. You may not get into Swat.
Also if you got into Haverford, you could take classes at Swat.
If you were my child, I would say ED to Haverford and hopefully get in. The cost of Haverford, while not as cheap as Swat, is cheaper than virtually all other private schools. So it’s still a pretty good bargain.
More, Haverford’s personality and culture for my sensibilities (not yours – you’re different) seems more pleasant. I don’t care for Swarthmore’s culture of overt intellectualism and competitiveness based around that. Swatties tend to be proud of their intellect and like to use it for humor (which is nice) and cleverness (sometimes too clever by half) but also to compete even in casual conversation. That can get tiresome. I’ve met only one person who has attended Swat and said later that they had a good time. I actually know someone who attended Swat, is an alumni interviewer for the school and who said that s/he was never sure whether to tell the applicant how miserable s/he was there–and never has. One person I know who majored in physics had a blast there. Some people find this level of intellectual competition energizing, exciting, and they thrive. For others, it’s less wonderful.
Haverford also is a little better connected to Philly (both have train systems but H’s is closer–it’s close enough to pop into the city for a short while and return; I hear from others that the trip for Swat is just a little too far to make that as common there). H is also surrounded by little shops along the Lancaster Ave strip. The bus to Bryn Mawr runs like every 10 minutes, further making it feel more integrated and part of the world, to my way of thinking. It’s nice to be able to walk off of campus and just see or do something else for a few minutes. BMC also has some departments like geology that it provides for Haverford – and their pool. It’s like having two campuses in one. They are only one mile apart and share the same ideal of Honor Code.
@Dustyfeathers covered Swat really well, and her/his comments basically suggest what is not outright stated. Haverford, also an elite school, has a different culture than Swat’s. Haverford’s Quaker heritage is evident. There’s more emphasis on collaboration and community, less emphasis on competition. H’s philosophy is baked into the school’s mission statement, its policies (such as the honor code), and its overall vibe. Haverford would also align more with my personality and values. However, OP, you need to decide for yourself. Both schools are obviously excellent.
I would imagine that ED2 is more difficult than ED1. The ED2 pool will be filled with all of the people who were rejected from the Ivies and higher ranked LACs.
My son is at Haverford and toured at Swat. He had a strong preference for Haverford over Swat based on his campus visits. Swat has a more competitive and confrontational feel to it than Haverford. Do not make your decision based on rankings. Both are elite schools and if you are applying ED you should make sure you are choosing the best school FOR YOU, not the one that is higher on some list.
The posts above capture the differences between H and S pretty well.
I did get a lot more face time at Haverford College; however, I am swinging toward Swarthmore ED 1. After doing the net price calculator Swarthmore is half the price of Haverford. This aid is not guaranteed but Swarthmore surely has more money to give. I have an income of four parents to report since both of my separated parents are remarried, but none of them plan on helping contribute to my education. Even though stats don’t matter cost definitely does.