Haverford College

Statistics

Rankings & Lists

School Says - General Information
Haverford is a coeducational, residential liberal arts college located 8 miles west of center city Philadelphia. Haverford was founded in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). While the College is no longer formally affiliated with any religious body, the values of academic strength, intellectual freedom, individual worth, and tolerance upon which it was founded remain central to its character. Haverford's 1,200 students represent a wide variety of interests, backgrounds, and talents. They come from public and independent schools from all 50 States, DC, Puerto Rico, and more than 30 countries around the world. Extensive cooperation with nearby Bryn Mawr College adds an important dimension to the resources available at Haverford. Educational opportunities are further enhanced by cooperation with Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania. Although students choose Haverford because of its academic excellence, a strong sense of community participation informs the Haverford College experience both inside the classroom and out. Haverford is well known for its emphasis on self-governance, and students work together through the arts and cultural activities, service programs, athletic programs, and day-to-day campus life. The Honor Code, affirmed by the student body each year, embodies the philosophy of conduct within the College. Students are expected to maintain a strong sense of individual responsibility as well as intellectual integrity, honesty, and genuine concern for others. Haverford College offers an atmosphere of intellectual and personal challenge, excitement, and growth in a close-knit community that is dedicated to encouraging humane values during the undergraduate years and for a lifetime.

School Says - Student Body
There are more than 150 student organizations on campus. Musicians, athletes, writers, actors, rock climbers, gourmet cooks, feminists, political activists . . . everyone finds ways to pursue their extracurricular passions at Haverford. There are 11 varsity sports for women and 12 for men, including the only varsity cricket team in the nation. In addition, the students support a host of club sports and intramural teams.

School Says - Academics
Haverford offers the following academic programs, in addition to the majors and minors named above, as Concentrations: Africana and African studies, biochemistry and biophysics, creative writing, dance, education, environmental studies, gender and sexuality studies, Hebrew and Judaic studies, Hispanic and Hispanic American studies, international economic relations, Latin American and Iberian studies, mathematical economics, neural and behavioral sciences, peace and conflict studies, 3/2 liberal arts and engineering, and theater studies.

Students may pursue pre-medical, pre-law or pre-business intentions through any major; special advising is offered in these areas.

School Says - Admissions
The admission process at Haverford is conducted as a comprehensive review, treating each application personally and individually and with extraordinary care and attention to detail. We aim to provide you with the opportunity to convey the broadest sense possible of who you are, what you have achieved during your secondary school experience, and how you will both contribute to and grow from a Haverford education.

Our primary consideration in the evaluation process is academic excellence. Haverford is interested in students who demonstrate ability and interest in achieving at the highest levels of scholarship and service; who will engage deeply and substantively with the community; and who are intent on growing deeply both intellectually and personally. To this end, we consider:
- Secondary school transcript
-Standardized tests
-Teacher and counselor recommendations
-Quality of writing as demonstrated in your essays, testing, and recommendations
-Potential for contribution to the campus community
-Interview

Students may begin their studies in the fall semester only. The College uses the Common Application, along with a Supplement, both of which can be obtained and submitted on-line or by mail. All applications should be accompanied by a non-refundable $60 application fee payable to Haverford College. Decisions are announced before April 1. Students are required to submit all forms and supporting documents included in the application. In addition, they must also have their official SAT or ACT scores and two SAT II test scores sent to Haverford.

School Says - Campus Life
Originally landscaped by the English gardener William Carvill, the park-like, 204-acre campus includes more than 400 species of trees and shrubs, a nature walk, and a duck pond. The varied architectural styles of campus buildings, representing more than 150 years of architectural evolution, give the campus a unique character and charm. Just 8 miles away from Haverford are the cultural and educational resources of Philadelphia. Frequent train service to and from the city add to campus resources and enhance student opportunities.

School Says - Cost Aid
For the 2009-10 School Year, tuition for Haverford College is as follows: For Tuition, the cost is $38,735, for Room and Board $11,890. In addition, there is an activity Fee of $350, and an orientation Fee of $180 (new students only)Haverford has always sought to enroll the most qualified students regardless of their financial circumstances. To that end, the admission staff admits students without regard to their financial need. An application for financial aid will have no bearing on admission decisions for all US citizens and permanent residents.

Financial aid decisions are made solely according to a need-based allocation formula developed by the College. In other words, Haverford does not offer any financial aid on the basis of academic, musical, athletic, or other evaluation of merit. For many years, Haverford has provided aid to all admitted students who were judged eligible according to the College's formula and procedures. Beginning with the Class of 2012, Haverford will no longer include loans as part of a student's financial aid package, replacing this form of aid with additional College grant funds.

Applicants are required to fill and submit the FAFSA and the PROFILE application if they want to be considered for financial aid. Regular Decision candidates must register for the PROFILE by January 1 of the senior year of high school and submit by January 31. The FAFSA should be mailed to the federal government with Haverford's Federal Code (003274) by January 31. Early Decision candidates are held to different deadlines; please visit www.haverford.edu/financialaid/dates.php for further details.

Students Say - Academics
The academic experience is nothing less than stellar at Haverford. "The classroom is an incredible place where I have been intellectually pushed beyond what I believed possible." The work load can be "intense," but "professors are always available and willing to help," and there is "a support system to help you...composed of students and faculty." Everyone raves about the accessibility of professors. "I have the cell phone number or house number of all my professors. An incredible number of professors live on or within a block of campus and regularly invite students over for tea or dinner." Some students note the lack of research opportunities, but most "love how we have access to Bryn Mawr, Penn, and Swarthmore. The schools really work together to provide a wide range of courses." Haverford is known for its honor code, which "really works, and we actually do have things like closed-book, timed, take-home tests. I honestly don't know of anyone that who ever cheated." The administration also receives high marks. "There is a lot of discourse between the administration and the students," and "the deans...are pretty receptive to student opinions." Though a few students feel "the degree of transparency between the administration and students has dropped in recent years," the "administration does a good job of keeping us informed about important news," and the president holds weekly office hours.

Students Say - Campus Life
The academic demands of Haverford keep its students focused. "In general, students go to class, participate in extracurriculars, and do homework all day Monday through Thursday." "Students are very active on campus," "with classes, work, on-campus jobs, volunteering, running clubs, and acting on administrative committees." "People are very oriented toward social justice, and overall, our student body is very aware." "Conversations at meals consist of discussions on political issues, scientific breakthroughs, etc." "But that doesn't mean people don't know how to have fun," students assure us. "There are a ton of concerts, a capella shows, student theater, movies, dinners, dances, sponsored events in Philly." "While students here do party," many note and there's no pressure to drink, and plenty of students don't. There is easy access to public transportation, and students say "it's nice to have Philadelphia so close-the music scene is amazing." At the same time, "a lot of people never leave campus because there is so much to do there." Thursday and Saturday are the nights to party, owing to the athletic teams' schedules, and there's not much of a bar scene. Most socializing is on campus, and school-sponsored events are well-attended. "Every weekend night there are at least three options-a music show, an improv show, a movie, or games." It seems Haverford students never really disengage from the classroom, though "Don't be surprised if you witness a discussion about someone's senior thesis next to a keg-stand."

Students Say - Student Body
Many students describe themselves as a little "nerdy" or "quirky," but in the best possible way. "For the most part, Haverfordians are socially awkward, open to new friends, and looking for moral, political, [or] scholarly debate." The honor code draws a particular type of student-"don't choose to go here if you're not dedicated to the ideas of trust, concern, and respect and to making sure we are a well-run community." Most are "liberal-minded" and "intellectual" and "want to save the world after they graduate."

Other Schools To Consider Top Programs