<p>Accepted to both schools - picking one is tough. Any insight on the pros/cons of these two schools for a potential poli sci major would be much appreciated!</p>
<p>[Reposting what I said in the Haverford forum.]</p>
<p>I have a very similar problem - accepted to both, can't decide which I prefer. (I'm also interested in social sciences, possibly even political science.)</p>
<p>Here are the differences, as I see them right now:</p>
<p>Haverford is smaller, but it is part of a consortium with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore so class options and social circles are expandable. Haverford is in a "nice" college-town like suburb; Philadelphia is easily accessible and offers a plethora of cultural/educational/social experiences. Haverford is also probably preppier.</p>
<p>Wesleyan is larger, but is on its own and is not part of a consortium. It's a hybrid of sorts - either a very large liberal arts college or a very small university. Middletown is an actual city, not just a college town, and it's faced with all of the problems and poverty that real cities have, but it's not as large as Philadelphia. Wesleyan is also quirkier and more liberal.</p>
<p>If possible, you should visit both. I'm hoping to visit mid-April. Reading student newspaper can also be helpful:
<a href="http://www.wesleyanargus.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.wesleyanargus.com/</a>
<a href="http://www.biconews.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.biconews.com/</a></p>
<p>ThoughtProvoking - that's fair enough. I would just add that judging from some of the threads I've read on the Swarthmore board, you'd think the two schools (Haverford and Swat) were on opposite sides of the globe; the mutual hostility seems pretty high; almost as high as that between Amherst and UMass, which impacts how "expandable" their curricula are in reality.</p>
<p>I believe it is very important that you visit each school while it is in session and not on Admitted Student's Days. As a parent, I got distinctly different impressions of each school. I think the differences are much more in the culture of each school rather than the academics which are stellar in both places. Go visit and see where you are most comfortable.</p>
<p>This issue was discussed here: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=3142274#post3142274%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=3142274#post3142274</a></p>
<p>As the linked thread is in the Wesleyan forum, the pro-Wes leaning is perhaps not surprising.</p>