Haverford is a fantastic academic environment. In my experience, professors really care about their subject and their students. Overall, they are incredibly approachable and always interested in helping you learn and eager to discuss issues that are of further interest and tangentially related to classroom work. Professors will work you hard, but the work is meaningful, productive and worthwhile. Busywork is very minimal if not absent. As a sophomore, I've already been to three professors' houses for dinner. Classes are small, allowing for involved student-professor and student-student interaction. Students themselves are thoughtful, generally interested in learning and care about their subjects. Haverford is a liberal arts college, and discussions in the classroom frequently involve related subjects and connections made to other classes. It's definitely an intellectual community: I am constantly aware that I'm surrounded by incredibly intelligent human beings and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from all of them, whether their lessons be academic or social.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
Haverford prides itself on its Honor Code, a unique student-written and student-enforced living document which covers both academic and social concerns. The Honor Code is logistically useful, as it allows students to take self-scheduled exams and it also creates a general atmosphere of student/administrative/faculty trust. The Code stresses personal involvement and responsibility, and the community takes it to heart. Rules at Haverford are minimal and make sense. Interactions are friendly. Haverford is an incredibly unique community where the average person has a great deal of common sense, is trustworthy, and takes time to listen and discuss concerns. All of this translates to the social environment: students know how to have fun, but are responsible and understanding of others' concerns. Issues on campus definitely carry the feeling of we're all in this together. We have a very strong ethos of student self-government, and the student body comes together once a semester at Plenary to present and vote on resolutions. These, and other forms of student input are actually taken very seriously by the administration. Haverford students are aware they live in the Haverbubble but generally enjoy it. There's a stereotype that the kids who come here are nerdy and socially awkward, but this characteristic is manifested in an endearing manner, and the vast, vast majority of Haverford students are lovely, thoughtful, respectful, and intelligent human beings. Of course, every school has its problems, but in the grand scheme of things, Haverford functions pretty well. It's a pretty good example of a real, cohesive community.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Haverford is expensive, with tuition upwards of $50,000 a year. If you're not on financial aid, it can be brutal. However, Haverford has (relatively) fantastic financial aid: many students say that their financial aid package from Haverford was by far the best of their offers. If you're looking for an intellectual, socially responsible, and laid-back community, I'm convinced that Haverford is one of the best out there. By virtue of its uniqueness, I think the price is very worth it.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Read the Honor Code (http://students.haverford.edu/code/). If it's interesting and appealing to you, that's fantastic. If it's not, Haverford is probably not the best fit. The community is structured around the Code, and while you don't have to agree with it, it will pervade most aspects of your life here. That being said, Haverford is not the kind of school that looks for everyone to obey and accept the standard: we value discussion, constructive criticism, changes. The Code is a living document, re-ratified by the student body every year. Past that, be genuine. Haverford students are interesting, and admissions prizes personality, thoughtfulness, character over GPA and numerical measures of excellence.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
The average Haverford student is thoughtful, intelligent, modest, ambitious, laid-back, sincere, responsible, friendly, and somewhat socially awkward. Haverford is diverse on paper, but the Honor Code definitely attracts a fairly ideologically homogeneous student body. That being said, people still have plenty of opinions and talk about them.
Haverford is a fantastic academic environment. In my experience, professors really care about their subject and their students. Overall, they are incredibly approachable and always interested in helping you learn and eager to discuss issues that are of further interest and tangentially related to classroom work. Professors will work you hard, but the work is meaningful, productive and worthwhile. Busywork is very minimal if not absent. As a sophomore, I've already been to three professors' houses for dinner. Classes are small, allowing for involved student-professor and student-student interaction. Students themselves are thoughtful, generally interested in learning and care about their subjects. Haverford is a liberal arts college, and discussions in the classroom frequently involve related subjects and connections made to other classes. It's definitely an intellectual community: I am constantly aware that I'm surrounded by incredibly intelligent human beings and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from all of them, whether their lessons be academic or social.
Haverford prides itself on its Honor Code, a unique student-written and student-enforced living document which covers both academic and social concerns. The Honor Code is logistically useful, as it allows students to take self-scheduled exams and it also creates a general atmosphere of student/administrative/faculty trust. The Code stresses personal involvement and responsibility, and the community takes it to heart. Rules at Haverford are minimal and make sense. Interactions are friendly. Haverford is an incredibly unique community where the average person has a great deal of common sense, is trustworthy, and takes time to listen and discuss concerns. All of this translates to the social environment: students know how to have fun, but are responsible and understanding of others' concerns. Issues on campus definitely carry the feeling of we're all in this together. We have a very strong ethos of student self-government, and the student body comes together once a semester at Plenary to present and vote on resolutions. These, and other forms of student input are actually taken very seriously by the administration. Haverford students are aware they live in the Haverbubble but generally enjoy it. There's a stereotype that the kids who come here are nerdy and socially awkward, but this characteristic is manifested in an endearing manner, and the vast, vast majority of Haverford students are lovely, thoughtful, respectful, and intelligent human beings. Of course, every school has its problems, but in the grand scheme of things, Haverford functions pretty well. It's a pretty good example of a real, cohesive community.
Haverford is expensive, with tuition upwards of $50,000 a year. If you're not on financial aid, it can be brutal. However, Haverford has (relatively) fantastic financial aid: many students say that their financial aid package from Haverford was by far the best of their offers. If you're looking for an intellectual, socially responsible, and laid-back community, I'm convinced that Haverford is one of the best out there. By virtue of its uniqueness, I think the price is very worth it.
Read the Honor Code (http://students.haverford.edu/code/). If it's interesting and appealing to you, that's fantastic. If it's not, Haverford is probably not the best fit. The community is structured around the Code, and while you don't have to agree with it, it will pervade most aspects of your life here. That being said, Haverford is not the kind of school that looks for everyone to obey and accept the standard: we value discussion, constructive criticism, changes. The Code is a living document, re-ratified by the student body every year. Past that, be genuine. Haverford students are interesting, and admissions prizes personality, thoughtfulness, character over GPA and numerical measures of excellence.
The average Haverford student is thoughtful, intelligent, modest, ambitious, laid-back, sincere, responsible, friendly, and somewhat socially awkward. Haverford is diverse on paper, but the Honor Code definitely attracts a fairly ideologically homogeneous student body. That being said, people still have plenty of opinions and talk about them.