URGENT TRANSFER CHOICE

Transfer Students
1

Hi, all!! So I am looking to transfer from GWU to a smaller liberal arts college for primarily academic reasons. I much prefer the liberal arts college experience with small classes, where critical thinking and discussion are encouraged and promoted.

On May 1, I was accepted to Haverford, which was a wonderful surprise. I love the Honor Code system and how much I’ve heard about students being engaged on campus – like there is truly a sense of community. I know several people who go/have gone there who loved their time there and who I know I could connect with. My largest hesitations with Haverford come with the size (with only 1,300 kids, I’ve heard a lot of “everyone knows everything about you, whether you want them to or not”), and also the geographic location. Additionally, they have a massive proportion of athletes and I worry about feelings of exclusion. After the way COVID has played out, I think I would like to stay closer to home (I am from Massachusetts). Initially, Haverford asked me to make my decision by May 15, but I was able to get an extension until today, June 2. I only heard back from Smith college yesterday.

I was admitted to Smith and there are components that appeal to me – the location and all-women’s environment are positive factors for me. Additionally, they have a minor I want to pursue that Haverford does not (Data Sciences). What I am struggling with is that I have never visited during the school year when other students were there, so I’ve had a hard time imagining myself as a student there, especially since I don’t know anyone who currently attends.

I suppose overall I would just like some context or words from people familiar with these schools as to the student experience and which school people thing I would do better at. Any advice at all would be immensely helpful, as I’m pretty stuck right now and have to decide what I am doing by 5 pm.

2

Smith College is the right answer for one who wants to study Data Science at an all-women’s college. Seems to me as though you are fighting this path for the wrong reason–knowing friends at Haverford & not visiting when Smith was in session.

Ignore fear of the unknown when the knowns should be more than enough to direct you to Smith College.

3

Haverford is close to Bryn Mawr and my understanding is that there’s a decent amount of comingling of the student bodies there.

Any LAC will be small. You can’t go wrong.

4

@PurpleTitan: OP has another thread on this topic which was started prior to receiving Smith’s formal decision. Haverford parents sugest that Haverford-Byrn Mawr association is not as easy as it may appear at first glance.

Also disagree with your advice: “Any LAC will be small. You can’t go wrong.”

Smith College has about 2,500 undergraduate students which is almost twice the number of students at tiny sub-1,300 student Haverford College. Size matters.

LACs tend to have strong, dominant personalities or campus-culture which suggests that one can go wrong by attending an unsuitable LAC with respect to fit.

5

I know it’s hard to pick without visiting, but it seems that Smith checks a lot of your boxes. It’s a bit bigger, all women, closer to home, and has a minor that appeals to you that is not available at Haverford. I don’t much about Smith but know it has a reputation for being extremely liberal. If that doesn’t bother you then I would recommend picking Smith.