Haverford College Top Questions

My favorite thing about Haverford is the community. There are only 1,200 students at the college, and no grad students, so it is very easy to get involved and meet great people. The school isn't so big that I feel like just another face in the crowd. When I first arrived on campus for orientation, called Customs Week, I felt so welcomed and comfortable, which is more than others can say about their first days at college. I lived on a hall with 12 other freshmen. Our group of 12 had nine upperclassmen who were chosen and trained to help us get used to all aspects college life, from dorm life to academics, from the Honor Code to multicultural issues. It was in this group, my Customs Group, that I made my best friends at Haverford. Even better--they all lived near me! Another big part of Haverford is the Honor Code. Student written and revised, the Code is our manner of self-government. It asks us to uphold certain principals and police ourselves. Under the Code, we must have trust, concern, and respect for ourselves, our schoolwork, and each other in terms of academics and social life. For instance, if I'm having a problem with another student, it is my responsibility to talk to him or her in order to gain mutual understanding and resolve our problem. In class, the Honor Code is most evident in our testing. Professors give take-home exams that we take on our own outside of class. For example, my calculus professor would give us all an exam at the end of the class on Wednesday. We were not to open the exam until we were ready to take it, and we couldn't use the text or any other resource. There was no collaboration alone. I would usually go to my room (a single) or to the library, take a look at my watch, and begin the exam as if I was in a proctored setting. When three hours passed, I put down my pencil and closed the exam. At the next class on Friday morning, I turned in the exam and all the scratch paper. Done. When I tell this to people. most of them laugh, thinking this would never work. But at Haverford, it does! It is my responsibility to not cheat, and my responsibility to not turn a blind eye if I know someone else is cheating. I feel like the students who come to Haverford take their studies so seriously that we know that cheating only hurts us in the end. Know that if you come to Haverford, few people outside of academia will know where you are going. Many will think you are going to Harvard. We're not Harvard, but our Princeton Review rating for academics is as high as Harvard's. When I'm at college, I spend most of my time on campus. Haverford is on a 200 acre arboretum along the Mainline in the suburbs of Philadelphia. I think the campus is absolutely gorgeous, and I don't have to look too far for what I need. Nearly all Fords (Haverford students) live on campus so there is always plenty to do outside of class. There are study spaces for all types as well as a diverse array of possibilities in terms of the social scene.

The general attitude of the school is very comfortable, friendly, and down to earth. That's the best thing about Haverford, is that you immediately feel at home and accepted. However, the problem with this arises when something happens in the community that rubs someone the wrong way. People may overreact because of this disruption in the school's harmony. People I think need to realize that these disagreements are okay, and that all talks don't need to lead to a healthy equilibrium again. Haverford does a lot of raising awareness of things - lots of talks and forums and such but not a lot of action. For example, we talk a lot about class inequality and racism but don't do anything about it. Although we are doing a lot better on putting action to our words. Most people spend their time on campus. It's a very close-knit school and if you wander away too much you'll miss so much going on. But no worries, there's always plenty of stuff going on on campus to keep you occupied. We're only a 25 minute train ride from Philadelphia, so taking an evening to see an opera, a play, or a musical performance is really nice. Also TONS of great places to eat. No one really hangs out on the Main Line - it's basically jsut there for us to run errands and grab some food once in a while. But generally the life is on campus and philly is nearby if you ever want more exciting things to do. There are also nearby colleges of upenn, swarthmore, bryn mawr, and villanova - so you can always go to those schools for excitement as well. I think people generally like Haverford a lot but are not bursting with school pride. You'll always find people anywhere that don't love their school, but everyone at Haverford is generally quite happy with Haverford. Biggest controversies on campus always involve someone being un-PC, too intolerant, not respecting the Honor Code, not respecting their peers, etc. Nothing really terrible ever happens - it's just that they become a bigger deal at Haverford because we have the Honor Code in place and any breach of that sort of undermines the ideals of the school.

The best thing about Haverford has got to be the honor code. The customs groups offers immediate friends for students. Because of Haverford's small size, most incoming freshman do not have friends that have gone or are going to Haverford. The customs groups ease the anxiety of making new friends, by sorta forcing them upon you. Haverford is a very small school and academically stressful. Because of the small class sizes, you can't get away with not doing your homework or just floating through a class. Seeing the same people everyday can get really annoying and this is feeling is even more obnoxious during finals weeks. I love being able to close my dorm room and not see anyone for 12 hrs at a time. Have a single room is by far one of my favorite things. It can be very difficult to never have any privacy, so having my own room is definitely a major plus. There are a lot of unusual things about Haverford. The most is that virtually everyone is nice. If they aren't then they are trying to be. Being bitchy or saying a crude joke won't fly at Haverford because you don't want to be politically incorrect. The reason being is that you have to see the same people everyday and if you offend anyone- it's impossible to avoid them on such a small campus. Rumors spread fast at Haverford, and you don't want to have a reputation on campus.

Haverford, a small liberal arts school, is located in the town of Haverford, a tiny town resting amidst the highly wealthy residential suburbs of Philly, known as the "Main Line." Haverford as a town is almost non-existent-- it is made up of a few boutiques and a bunch of pretty houses. However, the neighboring towns, Bryn Mawr and Ardmore both house a lovely selection of places to go out to eat and shop, and are walking distance, which is highly convenient. The first thing I noticed about Haverford College, is how cozy it feels. It's a small, tightly-knit community, filled with friendly, warm people. I felt immediately welcome, even as a new student. It's a community focused on comfort-- people wear comfortable clothes, and make a lot of effort to make each other feel comfortable. Starting with "Customs," freshman orientation, Haverford does a great job of providing comfort, and truly nurturing its freshmen. Each hall group participates in fun bonding activities (everything from light-hearted ice breakers to intense dialogues about controversial issues) led by upperclassmen chosen to work with freshmen. This provided me with social opportunities with fellow freshmen, as well as support from older students and helped me feel really comfortable right away. However, in the years that I attended Haverford, I got frustrated with the focus on comfort. People at Haverford are so afraid to make anyone feel uncomfortable that they avoid talking about controversial topics completely, except behind closed doors. People skirt around issues and don't address topics directly. As a result, issues like race and class get buried, and only come up when there is a specific forum addressing these issues-- usually as a result of an incident that upsets a lot of people. Basically, unless people feel like it's necessary to address these more "uncomfortable" issues, they get avoided, until people get angry enough and some sort of confrontation occurs. That is my one major complaint. I wish people would engage in dialogue more, and be willing to talk about issues with which they are uncomfortable. Nothing changes without dialogue! A lot of other aspects of Haverford are great. People are considerate of each other, and really make an effort to follow the Honor Code. Professors really trust students, and there is a great sense of trust in the community as a whole. We have don't have proctors for exams, and take-home tests. On the weekends, as long as we follow the Honor Code, we have a lot of freedom socially. There is a sense that as long as we are responsible and "follow the Code," then we can do pretty much whatever we want. This is wonderful and provides for a great sense of freedom and responsibility, and adds to the sense of community. In general, we, the students, have a lot of say in the way things work at Haverford. This can also be positive and negative, however, as sometimes students are forced to take on way more of a load of responsibility since the administration is not as supportive of the students and activities as they could be. Also, being a closely-knit community, Haverford can sometimes feel stifling. Everyone knows each other, and gossip travels very quickly. However, Haverford has a great study abroad program, and after traveling to Italy for the semester, I felt a lot more appreciative of the smallness of Haverford. Also, Philly is only a train-ride away, and can serve for some freedom from Haverford. I played on the frisbee team, and this community also provided an outlet for me, as we traveled constantly, playing teams all over the country. That's another thing: Haverford offers clubs catering to interests across the board, and if you don't see your interest addressed in a club, you can start your own club. Haverford allows people to be proactive and take charge. I only wish there was more funding, and more support from the adiministration. Overall, though, it's an inspiring place-- so many motivated, talented people, working hard and managing to balance that with doing a whole array of activities that many times relate to saving the world in some way.

Haverford has a vibe and an atmosphere, an essence and it is something I have found nowhere else. It isn't something can be explained, which is something you will learn from Derrida if you come here. It is fantastic though. You become a part of something that you can find nowhere else and you know it. Complain about it or not, the place is good for you and more people know it than admit to it. There is just something a little bit fabulous about the place even when you are saddled with work, suffering from lack of sleep, and not interested in waking up at 10 for your class the next day.

The best thing about Haverford is the rapport between faculty and students. Because of the academic Honor Code, which makes students responsible for their own decisions when it comes to things like cheating and plagiarism, professors hold a high level of trust and respect for their students. Most people where I live have never heard of Haverford, but people ho have heard of it are impressed. I spend a lot of time in Lunt basement, is our subterrean bohemia where the majority of student performances take place. Bands jam, improv groups improvise. We got brand new speakers this year so it sounds gret, and there's always a keg. Adjacent to the performance area is Lunt Cafe where you can get pizza bagels for $2.50, plus milkshakes, coffee, nachos etc. There was a controversy in the fall over our new President(Steve Emerson)'s statement that he would support a campus-wide outdoor smoking ban (smoking is already banned in most indoor areas). Many student smokers were upset, as well as non-smokers who felt that such a top-down change would go against the "spirit of the community". There is often a lot of talk about the "spirit of the community" in general as well, and people are often criticized for either violating it, or using the phrase, which is not clearly defined but has something to do with equality, acceptance, democracy, openness etc., to attack views which they disagree with. There's no college town but Philly is right down the road. Twenty minute drive if you have a car (can't have one on campus as a freshman) or it's $10 round trip by train. The station is a 5-minute walk from campus. I went to Philly to see a show this year, there's always something going on there if campus life gets too monotonous. Campus social life involves a repeating cycle of lulls and highs of apartment basement parties, Lunt shows, Founders dances (dances at Founders' hall), beer pong parties and keggers.

I think my favorite thing about Haverford is that I feel at home there. I got that vibe from the college when I visited, and my Freshman year confirmed it. Everyone just sort of knows everyone else. Haverford's pretty small, so there are a lot of times and places where the entire student body gathers. We all meet at "Plenary" twice a year where the student body gets together and decides how things will be run, and we all eat (well, most of us) at the one and only dining center (aka "The DC"). Also, most people tend to be involved in a lot of different things, so the student body isn't segmented into exclusive groups. A Haverford community exists, and I enjoy being part of it. All the faces are familiar.

There are a lot of best things about Haverford. The students are really nice, interesting people, and even if people are a bit awkward sometimes, they are generally very well-intentioned. The honor code, which some students say doesn't really work, is really important because it allows a lot more freedom in the structure of learning and of life in general. It isn't necessary to worry about whether someone is going to cheat or steal. Life at Haverford feels very safe. In some ways, one of the best things (for me) is also one of the worst things. That Haverford is so small means that one can find friends in almost any situation, but it also means that if you try to avoid someone (eg. after a hook-up), it's virtually impossible. And Haverford's limited party scene lends itself to a lot of awkward hook-ups.

One of the best things about Haverford is its honor code. We have an academic honor code similar to most schools, however, we also have a social honor code that greatly enhances both our learning and living environments. People are very friendly and genuinely interested in the well-being of other community members. At times Haverford can get a little small, but Philadelphia is so close that it is easy to escape the "Haverbubble" and spend a weekend downtown.

I think that Haverford is great as a small liberal arts college- if you find your niche. Haverford is very small, and you will likely find a little bit of everything, but in most cases it is a very little bit. Most academic departments are small, most clubs and extracurricular activities are fairly small (obviously a few exceptions to this, e.g. a capella groups). I think much of Haverford's impressive academic reputation comes from it's natural sciences and rigorous pre-med program. There are several other departments that stand out, such as the religion department, but many of its other departments are far less impressive (e.g. philosophy, sociology, fine arts...) For this reason it is advantageous that Haverford is part of the consortium with Swarthmore and especially Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr offers a lot that Haverford does not, and should be taken advantage of, since it is five minutes away and has frequent buses to and from. The campus is very pretty, and while there is not much of a town, it is a 10-15 minute walk out onto the mainline to get to a few restaurants, drug stores, bank, the train station, etc. Philadelphia is a 20 minute train ride away as well, which is a good option to have even if not very many students take advantage of it. Students generally get a lot of attention from the administration, and often develop close relationships with them, especially when support is needed. Returning to my point that the school is cliquey because of its size, I think that athletic teams definitely have a presence on campus. Boys baseball, lacrosse, and track and girls soccer and basketball are very clear examples of this, but certainly not the only ones. (The large athlete presence may be one reason why this school is not as ultra-liberal as many other small liberal arts colleges. I would call it moderately liberal.) There are definitely clicks throughout the non-athletic student body as well. Often this forms around "customs groups" which are the orientation groups that you live with your freshman year. This probably is pretty indicative of what Haverford is like compared to a larger school, where the people you live with don't usually tend to be your best friends. At Haverford, you kind of have to seize upon what is in front of you, rather than go out and search for who you want to be with or what you want to do. This may be the root of why Haverford is not one of those schools that is universally loved; some people find their place there, some don't, some kind of in between. The dating scene is a fairly good example of how the character of the school is defined by its small size. In general, people either randomly hook up with each other at or after drunken parties and then awkwardly avoid making eye contact with the person for the rest of their time at the school, or become "Haver-married," which essentially means that you spend all of your time with the other person (study, classes, cafeteria, sleep...) because you really cannot avoid them. Usually couples have the same or similar friendship circles, so even if you wanted to go hang out with other friends on a Friday night, your significant other would probably be there. There is usually not much in between these extremes. I asked one of my friends if he would recommend Haverford. He said, "It's better than a state school." It is not the perfect place, but it serves some people well. I would say that you really have to look at what Haverford has and does not have before coming here- and weigh your other options. I just realized I talked about Haverford without talking about the Honor Code. Basically a lot of students come to Haverford partially because of the honor code. It is kind of a big deal to most people, and people have pride in it to varying degrees. It certainly works better at Haverford than it would at other schools because Haverford is small, but I think that for it to actually work, especially in the social honor code, our school would have to be even smaller. I really have not very much of an idea how well it works academically, but we at least have the impression that it works, and that students are upholding it.

The honor code is amazing. There is a lot of trust and respect between students and teachers. For example, teachers give us take-home tests and expect that students will adhere to the time limit and not cheat. I don't know of anyone who was cheated and I believe that, as surprising as it may seem, the honor code is very effective and that violations of the honor code are few and far between. In theory, the honor code extends to social life and students should use "trust, concern, and respect" in their social interactions. However, the social honor code, in my opinion, is not nearly as effective as the academic honor code. Part of the social honor code is that one should confront peers who do something disrespectful/hurtful, but in my experience, people are very reluctant to confront others.

Haverford is a lovely place to be. Safe: very little theft, little to no sexual assault, a great social atmosphere, great classes. It's a fabulous place to spend four years. Yes, it's a bit small and can get a little stifling, but it's easy to make friends and they are always willing to listen (because they usually have the same things to complain about).

The Honor Code is great most people respect it facillitating a comfrotable and somewhat carefree enviroment to study and socialize in. You always meet great new interestigng people you wouldn't otherwise meet in other situations. The professors and classes are great but Bryn Mawr professors are mean and unhelpful for the most part.

The one word you will hear over and over again at Haverford is "community." Haverford is a very close-knit supportive community that takes its quaker roots seriously. We are the only school with a working, completely student-run honor code that covers every aspect of student life. Our tests are unproctored, some are even take-home and the teacher will trust you not to open your book while taking the test, and the best part is, you won't. The school takes this so seriously that unlike most institutions, there is no fee to hold your spot once you say you are coming. They take you at your word. The professors, other students, staff and administration are all incredibly helpful and supportive. You can go to anyone with questions from your suitemates to the college president. In order to make this work, Haverford is a very small school, less than 1200 students. Some people find it too small, but there are tons of colleges in the area: Bryn Mawr, Villanova, UPenn, St. Joe's, Drexel and Swarthmore, where you can go hang out. Also, there is no college town, but Philadelphia is just 20 minutes away and is really accessible with the SEPTA regional rail line. Unfortunately, because of its size if you tell somebody that you go to Haverford one of two things is likely to happen: 1. No recognition/blank stare and "Where?" or "Ohh?" 2. "You go to HARVARD?!?" So if you want name recognition, this probably is not for you. The people who know it are always impressed, it's just that nobody knows it. In Summary: really close community with lots of support, no name recognition, close to Philly, HONOR CODE

Living at Haverford College is like living in a tight-knit community. Community is one of the most emphesized aspects of our college experience. Classes are all small and professors and students are able to form a bond beyond text books and tests. THe campus is beautiful and professors can be seen on campus on weekends as well as during the school week. Students and professors interact together outside the classroom. Many of the professors live near by and feel comfortable having their students babysit or walk their dog.

Haverford provides great opportunities for research as an undergraduate. Graduate schools and research employers are generally impressed by this; I would say that is Haverford's greatest asset. If I could change one thing it would be the male to female ratio that is tipped in favor of males due to the fact that we share all of our resources with Bryn Mawr College, our sister school. Most people have not heard of Haverford but the ones who do know that it is strong academically. Not a great college town, though Philadelphia is close enough to provide good escapes. It definitely helps to have a car! Haverford's administration has been greatly helpful to me when I needed it, though I have heard of many horror stories when this was not the case. Haverford does not have as much money as other small, prestigious liberal art schools and sometimes that shows-the dorms are not very clean, the dining center food is mosly only okay, the music and art facilities need improving (though the art department is currently undergoing vast improvement) and we need more computer labs and libraries.

The small size is great in many ways, the personal attention and close connection you have with students, faculty, staff and administration is fantastic. It allows for you to really personalize your college experience and have a lot of say in your overall education throughout your time at Haverford, which will probably be four years due to the incredibly high graduation rate, though this might not seem like such a great thing after four years. You might not want to leave college, but there are plenty who will. Some do feel the size gets to them but these just aren't small college types. Size is definitely an important factor when choosing your college. The school is very much student run and the administration works very closely to make sure the students get everything they need. The staff for the most part works hard, but it gets frustrating when things don't get done after you put in 50 requests. Though, certain things just take priority and unfortunately you might just not be one of them at that moment. This would never apply to academics, healthy or safety issues on the college's part but does often apply to maintenance and financial matters. Another big factor is location. For me Haverford has a great location, the main line is a fun spot with a lot of other colleges around the area and the campus is just a short train ride away from Philly. The regional rail also allows you to easily get to NY or other cities. In addition, the campus life is extremely active especially on weekends. This is definitely not a suit-case school with 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students living on campus, as well as, 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} or so of the faculty.

Great school. Great professors. Fun place.

One of the biggest controversies at Haverford during my time was when former president Tom Tritton wanted to expand the school from 1200 to 1500 kids. This is a telling story about the way Haverford works and what makes it unique. President Tritton wanted to expand the student body slightly so that the arts could receive more funding, given that the sciences and the athletic department had both received brand new buildings within the last five years. Well, his idea received so much backlash that he quickly pulled it off the table. It's not that no one wants to support the arts at Haverford; rather, the idea of expanding the school by a mere 300 students made almost everyone uncomfortable. What makes Haverford so unique is how small it is, and how that size creates an intimacy that few colleges can claim to foster. Adding 300 students, albeit a small step, could lead to Haverford becoming just like every other school in the future, and no one wanted that to happen.

While Haverford, with about 1100 students, is considered teeny-tiny-unlivable by a lot of people outside the college, the college really has access to many other students--there's Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, UPenn...Philly is a big college town and so there are students everywhere. The College Town is really nice--it's small, but there is really a lot to do. Suburban Square is close, which is a really nice outdoor shopping area with stores like J.Crew, Banana Republic, the Gap, Lily Pullitzer, American Eagle, Macy's, Apple, Urban Outfitters...and there are a lot of nice restaurants too, from burgers and fries to Coldstone to a soup/sandwich place. Not to mention that the public transportation is awesome, as the train station is less than a 10 minute walk away, and Philly is really accessible. Haverford is just a really cool place to be because it is so open. Coming here made me feel like I could be whoever I wanted to be, and college is all about trying to figure out who you are and what you want to be and what you want to do with your life, so it's a very open and nurturing atmosphere. As far as the administration goes, they seem incredibly open and very involved with the students. The social policy, part of the Honor Code, says that each student is responsible for being respectful of others with regards to their actions. The Honor Code is a large part of the Haver-life, as it is a huge part of the Academic and social atmosphere. In terms of academics, it allows students to take unproctored exams which they can self-schedule, many of which the student may even take it whenever or wherever they choose (i.e. 2 am, Duck Pond if you wish). It holds the students accountable for their actions, which fosters respect and understanding.

Don't turn your nose up at small schools, young grasshopper. You'll have better classes, more friends, and more opportunities. You'll be a big deal. I'm certainly happier than my friends at universities. No, you won't have a bunch of anonymous hookups, but you'll get over it. As a former hallmate of mine once said, "It's only NOT strange ass if you lived together freshman year".

Haverford is the school to come to if you want to be really involved. Not every one is, and it certainly is a goo place to be really dedicated to academics, but in general it is a good place to get involved and be really dedicated to something. It is true that the school is rather small, although you have easily access to Bryn Mawr's classes, and Swathmore's and Penn's as well. The activities here are run by the students, so most people are really dedicated to something. In addition, though this may not be the most progressive school, we are trying and we have the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, E-house (the entirely green house) and our Dinning Center is attempting to use more local food. We still have a lot of work to do though. Here we are privilege to be part of a very community oriented school, where we have such things as customs, which is group integration with your hall (instead of orientation) and works to build community and ensure that you are not lonely. We all have to go to Plenary which is the place where the student body as a whole makes decisions for the college, or to suggest to the faculty or staff. Our exams are all self-scheduled or take home, and we have an Academic and Social Honor Code that everyone agrees to follow, instead of a set of school rules. The Main Line is the suburban area around Haverford, and it is nothing special, but there are two ways to get to center city Philadelphia and neither takes more than a half an hour (they are both public transport, one costs $3-5, the other $2.75). Also, the Haverford campus, and the Bryn Mawr and Swathmore campuses with which it is associated are beautiful. I hang out in the INSC, which is the gorgeous new Integrated Natural Science Center. It is open 24 hours a day and has a great big room for quiet, but not silent studying and lots of nooks for studying in small groups or just hanging out. Sometimes there are issues of diversity being silent, that there is not a voice for "diverse" groups or much action, and although the student body is mostly white, there are actually lots of outlets for "diverse" activities, but there sometimes is a lack of awareness or action, usually because people are so busy with other things. The thing I dislike the most is that getting sleep, and generally taking care of yourself physically are put on the back burner, academic work, student activities, and social life come first. Speaking of social life, we tend to have great concerts in Lunt basement, and the Lunt cafe is a great place to hang out in comfy chairs, get yummy food, drinks, or snacks, and play board games. We also have a lot of great speakers that come from outside of the school or within the student or faculty body, but I can rarely go to them because they happen at the "no academics" time at around 4:30pm, which is when I have crew practice for much of the year. Students really do have a voice here, and our student activities coordinator, Jason McGraw is amazing, he is fun, dedicated, and creative. In general it is a very open and liberal campus, where there are many people who are to the left of center and GLBTQ or who have funky hair, or rather radical views of how life is to be lived or run, but there are all kinds of people here. The draw to people seems to be the reputation of school and academic interest, so all kinds of people come here, but although this is true of many people, the school still only has pockets of academic focus, where being immensely dedicated to being intensely academically knowledgeable and really celebrating academics (as this is probably the only time in four years that we will get to be so devoted to academic learning and to reading books) is the culture. There is a rather interesting culture here romantically though. There is little light hearted romantic or sexual interaction (although it does happen), but in general it is an all or nothing kind of culture: random hookups do happen, but there is very little "dating," instead it tends to quickly morph into a dedicated relationship of some form (probably because you will see the other person almost every day), which is why the term "havermaried" is common. These relationships are not bad, though they may be a little exclusive for friends who want to also spend time with one of the participants. I really enjoy being here, and living in a group where I am not anonymous and where I know or recognize most of the students. I have had personal interactions with the faculty or my classes and the president of the school, Steve Emerson. In general everyone is very friendly and it is a safe space; hanging out with a new group of people, partying with them, dancing with them, or having a conversation about life, school, relationships, whatever, is not uncommon.

Haverford is NOT a multi-cultural place obsessed with people learning from each other's everyday manners. I would have loved to see more of that, but the size of the school makes it hard. Book knowledge is the rule of the game here, with hand-on experience for everyday things being relatively rare.

When I first got a recruiting letter from my (current) coach I threw it out because I didn't recognize this mysterious "Haverford College." It was only after my Dad rescued it from the trash that I gave it a second thought, and found out what the deal was about Haverford. Little did I know how prestigious the school is, or how multi-faceted the student is. Now that I am here I realize Haverford isn't the type of school that needs to brag about our small classes, great professors, and high ranking, because the type of students that Haverford wants to attract as possible future community members aren't about bragging about how smart they are or what grades they are getting. It is the type of environment where you are valued as an individual and not for a number you represent, and I think it is special that Haverford doesn't need to over-advertise to be found.

The best thing is the honor code, especially in the social scene. there are no rules for drinking or smoking. The school is definitely too small. People have never heard of Haverford. We spend most of our time at apartment fourteen. It's a college town..there are about 5 schools around. The administration is good. Not a lot of school pride needs to be more.

I definitely love Haverford's atmosphere. It seems like everyone really wants to be around each other, and everyone who's there is really smart, but not intimidatingly so. Of course, Haverford is probably best known for its Honor Code, which is social as well as academic, meaning that students are supposed to respect the school and one another and to help govern the school. It works pretty well, for the most part, and it really does give each student a feeling of being an important contributor to the school. It's true that Haverford is small, but that has never been a problem for me. I think that it's a very comfortable number of people for the size of the grounds and for the type of school it's trying to be. Also, being right near Philadelphia means that it never feels suffocating having only 1200 students. But almost everyone stays on campus all the time, anyways, because there is so much to do--and because the students generally just like hanging out with each other!

Haverford is very intimate and friendly, perhaps because of the type of student that the Honor Code and atmosphere tends to attract. Some think that the school is too small, but I am comfortable with the size and have come to recognize more distinctly the difference between what makes a friend a friend, and not just an acquaintance. The school is very non-competitive, very relaxed. There are excellent support systems in place to hold your hand through the process. Courses are very challenging, with lots of reading to be done. Also, the minute size of the classes means that reading MUST be done. There is no back corner of the room to slump down into.

It's really a school that no one has heard of out of the small liberal arts realm or the northeast nearby. Its really an amazing school with a great student-run community. Customs week where the freshman get to bond with the people they live with, really bond, it's great and makes the most of the year. ardmore and haverford is great, but most things happen on campus, where most students are anyway. people think i'm going to a bad school, cuz they've never heard of it, but it's amazing academics mixed with people who are brilliant, even though you would never expect it. everyone is a closet nerd, or proud nerd. people are pretty proud to come here and be intelligent while having a great time. the honor code is everything here. everyone is honestly trustworthy and held accountable to the honor code by themselves. i think that everyone truly abides by it and that makes me feel very safe here and i never have to worry about my things that i leave anywhere on campus. we've never really had to lock up our doors at any point during the year because haverford people follow the honor code

Haverford is a great place. Almost everyone is friendly and the campus is beautiful. Some might complain about the small size (1200-ish), but I think it's pretty nice to know almost everyone on campus. Unfortunately this can lead to a lot of awkwardness when you happen to see the person you're trying to avoid everywhere you go. Its small size also makes it relatively obscure in the real world. Most people who didn't themselves go to a small school or live nearby don't really know what school you're talking about. "Woah, you go to Harvard?" "No, Haverford." "Oh." I guess one of the main attributes of the school is the Honor Code. The basic principle is that everyone, including faculty, should respect each other and not cheat. This leads to take-home exams (some of which are closed book) and a much more flexible finals period. But it also governs social behavior, although I've never actually seen someone confront someone for playing their music too loudly or something of the sort. I think the Honor Code just draws students to the school who are generally nice, respectful people. Bryn Mawr is also right around the corner and buses travel there every half hour. A bus for Swarthmore leaves every hour, but we really aren't that closely connected with them.

The best thing about Haverford is the environment and the people. Haverford feels like a big family in a lot of ways. This can be good and bad - it's difficult to be anonymous. It's nice to have such a sheltered, peaceful campus but also have Philly nearby for excitement. The size can be stifling, so it helps that students tend to visit Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore a lot, particularly on weekends. In my area, no one had really heard of Haverford, but those who had (typically people similar to me who had gone through the college search process) were impressed. There's no real college town - we're on the Main Line, which tends to have expensive stores for much wealthier people. There's been a big controversy recently regarding the campus-wide smoking ban proposed by our new President. Haverford's honor code is really what sets it apart - it's truly ingrained in daily life, and creates a strong sense of community and trust.

When I tell a lot of people I go to Haverford, they tend to shrug their shoulders and go "where's that?" even though it actually is a good, competitive school. Or the other reaction is "Woah! Harvard!", at which point I have to let them know I don't actually attend an Ivy League. The thing is though, I love the atmosphere here and wouldn't ever trade it for an Ivy League. I'm sure that our classes push us in the way classes at an Ivy League do, but people are here to learn from the toughness and not to beat out the person next to them. I don't know any of my friends grades in their classes and I don't want to. We work for ourselves and I love that. I love that everyone is openly or secretly nerdy. I love that the honor code allows us to take our exams whenever, wherever we want. I love the libraries (believe it or not). I love that it's a small school, that I see people I know whenever I leave the dorm, the fact that there may be at least on familiar face in one of my classes. I love that I can meet people in places like the Math Help Center and become friends.

A lot of people complain that it's too small, although I haven't really found it to be a problem yet. There's a lot of school pride, and the honor code is very important. There are no proctored tests and about half are take home. Self-scheduled finals are a savior. There's a surprising number of good restaurants nearby, and Philadelphia is easy to get to.

Haverford has quickly become a second home. The campus is beautiful and makes me feel at ease. I always feel safe and calm walking around at all hours of the day and night. Not a lot of people have heard of Haverford, but I think the kind of people who attend the college don't really care about having any prestige attached to their institution. The administration is awesome. They really work for the students and with the students to create an atmosphere we can all enjoy. School pride in terms of attendence at athletic events is moderate. People attend and you're never the only person in the stands, but people only get really worked up as a whole when it's a game against Swat. The most frequent complaints are horrible and repetitive food in the DC. It's true that it gets a little boring and hard to deal with, but I don't have a big problem with it. I don't think there's much more you can expect from a cafeteria serving almost 1,000 people three meals a day.

Haverford is a very small school. This is nice because people get to know each other. One problem with Haverford is that many people outside of the "Haverbubble" have not heard of it and assume it is a junior college, when in fact it is one of the best liberal arts colleges. The location of Haverford is great because it is a beautiful campus in the suburbs but is only a short train ride away from Philadelphia. The area around us is nice but relatively expensive because it is in mainline Philadelphia and all of the people in the area are very wealthy.

Haverford seems to be changing dramatically. Maybe it hasn't. Maybe I'm just a senior who has grown and now sees the school in a new light. But I feel that the types of students enrolling at Haverford now are not as quirky as the students I observed during my freshman and sophomore year. There was a time when I was proud of the eccentricities I thought my fellow students had, but now it seems like people are getting more "normal."

So when i tell my friends i back home i go to Haverford they ask "where's that?" or "what that?". So since the school only has about 1,200 kids not alot of people I know, know what or where Haverford is. It's right outside of Philly so a quick 30 minute train ride gets you downtown which is cool. It's very close to three other colleges so getting from one scene to another isn't that hard.

The Honor Code is the big deal here. It separates Haverford from all the other top-something liberal arts colleges, because unlike most schools, it encompasses not only academic life but social interactions as well. Students are expected to take care of each other, to trust each other, to be concerned and respectful, and above all to speak up when the actions of another seem out of line. In classes, teachers trust students (and students trust each other) with take home and unproctored exams-- which are totally sweet. When breaches of the Honor Code occur, the transgressor is tried by their peers, who have near-complete jurisdiction over the proceedings including the power to seperate (our version of suspend//expel) the individual. The Honor Code places a lot of responsibility on each student to be responsible for themselves and others, and it can be a burden at times, but generally it's liberating; when those around you trust you completely, you don't need half as many rules (and yet things still function smoothly).

The best thing about the school is the professors.

Haverford is way way too small. Halfway through your freshman year, you will be fully entrenched in your social circle. You will stop meeting new people entirely. You will recognize everyone but most will be too awkward to ever start a conversation. Think high school but with a higher percentage of weird kids. Maybe with another 500 kids the normal percentage could rise to a comfortable number. As is, it isn't even close. Haverford would be great if it weren't for the people.

The best thing about Haverford is that everyone is really friendly and it is such a nice community. If you want to be friends with people it really isn't a problem; you really don't have to try to make friends, it just happens. Customs Week is also nice but it has it's pros and cons. Because it is a week of hanging out with your hall only, some custom groups become cliquey. Haverford PA isn't so much a college town. The only reason, that I know of at least, that people go into the town is for Wawa, CVS, or Rite Aid. Sometimes people will go for a restaurant. Most of my time is spent in Lunt Basement where the majority of the bands perform at Haverford. It really isn't everyone's scene because there is a large amount of smoking thus causing it to be smoky. But there are bands every weekend and I'm there basically every weekend. There also is a cafe there, with good food but sometimes bad service. When I tell people about Haverford they respond, "Oh, that's nice." and I just know that they have no idea what I am talking about thus causing me to reply, "It's a small liberal arts school outside of Philadelphia. Have you heard of Swarthmore or Bryn Mawr?" (normally they will say yes to one or both) "Yeah, it's around those schools."

The best thing about Haverford is the intimacy. Everyone here belongs to a tight-knit community and we are really close. However, the best thing about Haverford is also it's biggest pitfall. I think the school is a little too small. Everyone is in everyone else's business, and if something happens to you everyone knows about it. Most people unfortunately have never heard of Haverford, but the ones that know about it are really impressed when they hear that I go here. The most frequent student complaints are about the food. The food is not fantastic, but it's not awful. The administration here is pretty good, but Haverford is at once very critical of itself and in denial about some of the problems. We like to talk about changing a lot of things, but I don't think that very much change takes place. We think that everything can be improved, but we spend a lot of time talking and not much time acting.

For some people, the small size is the best part of the college, for others it is the worst part. There is definitely a close-knit sense of community in place here that's open-minded and accepting. Haverford students are really nice Most don't know what the heck Haverford is, let alone where it is. Here's how a typical conversation goes between a stranger and a Haverford student - Stranger: "So what school do you go to?" Student: "Oh, I go to Haverford." Stranger: "You're going to Harvard?!" Student: "No, not Harvard, Haverford." There's even a facebook group about it. I was so tired of giving my reflex answer of "no-not-harvard-it's-a-small-liberal-arts-school-outside-philadelphia" followed by getting blank stares that I was relieved to finally get here. I spend most of my time on the hall with my friends or in class. But where you hang out varies depending on your personal schedule; whether or not you play sports, if you're in a lot of clubs etc. There's definitely a lot of school pride. Being as small as it is, the College and its students care a lot about the community and show school spirit any chance we get. Students here most often complain about the food and lack of a student center. The surrounding towns of Haverford, Ardmore, and Bryn Mawr a

Haverford is one of the best kept secrets in college offices.

The one thing that I would change about Haverford is the dining services. I know it's tough feeling 1000 people under one roof, and John Francone (the head of d.s.) does everything humanly possible to change things daily according to feedback from students, but they're just so unwilling to make the big changes necessary to improve the quality of the food (re-structure the meal plan so that there are more options for getting meals, like at the coop or lunt cafe, so that everything can be cooked in smaller portions). In terms of a reaction to "Haverford," most people from my city have never heard of it and thought I was saying Harvard. But the people who have heard of it have a lot of respect for Haverford and what it means that I'm a student there. Anyone who has heard of the school is always impressed that I go here. The biggest controversies on campus (there are two) are the perceived divide between athletes and artists and the racial tension that comes from being a small school on the Main Line. The divide between athletes and artists isn't really a big deal. It tends to arise from the perception of teams as exclusive... which isn't a fair representation of athletic teams at Haverford. For example the baseball team eats together in the dining center and a lot of the members live together in one of the few houses on campus. They're actually really friendly guys that come across as intimidating or exclusive because they're close with their teammates. However this whole issue is becoming less and less of one in the past 3 or 4 years as teams are making more of an effort to reach out to other social pools on campus. For example, the chemistry majors' party (with faculty) was held this year at Drinker house, a.k.a. the baseball house. As for the racial tensions, it's an interesting problem at Haverford. Haverford is the most diverse community that I've ever been in, and my high school was about equally black and white. Haverford brings in a lot of international students and various ethnic backgrounds. As a result the population of students at Haverford that would identify themselves as black is disproportionately small, and somewhat segregated. It's really not a question of whether the segregation is an act of the majority non-black students or self-promoted (the Black Cultural Center on campus is self-identified as the black house, and I personally believe that a lot of the ways in which black students feel targeted at Haverford are the product of selective attention- for example it was said that last semester people always pee on the BCC, which has the unfortunate location of being halfway between Drinker house and the apartments, which are more frequently peed on... so drunk people who can't make it back to the apartments and forgot to pee on the stoop of Drinker before they left might take a pee break at the BCC). However, there are undeniable presences of racism on campus, such as the rare occurrence of racial graffiti. For the most part it's not really a pervasive issue on campus, but there are awareness events held every semester and I think both issues have drastically improved over the last 4 years.

The best thing about Haverford is the friendly population. I knew that Haverford was a great college academically, but what really drew me in were the people! Everyone is so friendly and wants to help whoever needs it. 1,200 students sounds really small, and it is, but it doesn't FEEL that small. We share classes with Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, and Penn; so it's a busy little campus. I would still love it even if it was self-contained: I love passing by people I know and giving them a big grin! The Nature Trail is one of the most beautiful parts of the campus, and we are a natural arboretum, which means that we are surrounded by gorgeous plants and trees. Our dining services are amazing – everyone complains about college food, but we really have the best quality imaginable. And we definitely have the friendliest staff. They are truly our friends. Everyone on campus is friends with everyone else.

A VERY small school which you sometimes wish you could escape from but you love anyway. The small environment means that you have at least some sort of invested relationship with everyone from the dining hall staff to your deans. The Honor Code is great because people are allowed to exercise their own judgement which means we have fun without (usually) it getting out of hand.

The best thing about Haverford is definitely the Honor Code and the Student Government. Students have control over large portions of the governance and this empowers us students to work for the benefit of our community. The Honor Code is also integral in fostering a community full of trust, concern, and respect. Our school is by most standards small, but by our standards, just right! People normally react when I tell them I'm from Haverford by raising their eyebrows and going "Ahhh." Haverford is in a historic suburban area with many amenities and much to do off-campus, especially with Philadelphia nearby. Haverford's Admin is very outgoing and seeks to dialogue with the students. They are very supportive of the students and seek mutual understanding and cooperation. The biggest controversy is regarding limiting smoking on campus. There is school pride, but it is sort of a hush-hush school pride insomuch as we hold Haverford dear to our hearts, but don't need to shout about it. Many High Schoolers observe that we say the word "However" a lot.

Haverford is AMAZING! When I first came to campus I was immediately drawn to its beauty. The campus is an Arboretum with over 200 different species of plants and hundreds of acres of trees. For a school with a relatively small student body, it has an incredible amount of open space. It is beautiful in the dead of winter and during the hottest summer months. The students are what make Haverford such a special and unique place. They are generally the most intelligent students that I have encountered and I have taken classes at Haverford, the University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr. They love to study and excel, but on weekends they know how to have fun and relax. Parties are generally well attended by underclassmen that have not yet ventured into Philadelphia or the surrounding suburbs. Students take care of each other and monitor their friends closely. I have never felt more safe at a party in all my life. It is refreshing to be a student; however some grow to dislike the comfort and security that comes from being part of the community. Your four years here can be decieving if you do not have a clear career in mind. Because grades are not discussed, the same ethos carries through to work and can hurt students during the job search if they are not aware of the process. I am proud to attend Haverford College. Faculty are dynamic and the opportunites to explore academic pursuits are great because Haverford, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr and Penn cross register courses. I will always remember the first night I ever spent at Haverford. A new beginning in a new place with new faces...yet it felt like home.

A small school with a lot to be proud of. The close-knit community makes it more unusual NOT to be known by a majority of the campus than the reverse. The "HaverBubble," the invisible, intangible bubble that encloses us from the outside world and allows a unique Haverford culture to develop, is something we both love and hate: Haverford is both an kind of flawed utopia and also false idyll from real life. We maintain a strong relationship with Bryn Mawr, the women's college down the road, diversifying the social, academic, and cultural scene. It's true, though, that the food really could be better.

I LOVE Haverford, and I think most people do, too. There's a lot of school pride, but at the same time, it's common knowledge that by the time one reaches senior year he's ready to burst the "Haverbubble" and experience the real world. On the same note, Haverford students spend most of their time on campus, and resources in Philadelphia aren't used nearly enough. We're a fairly self-sufficient little community. As far as college towns go, Haverford's connection to the school is limited. Locals like to walk on our nature trails (because the campus is basically the most beautiful thing ever), but since this area is so economically well-off, there aren't many opportunities for student outreach unless one goes into Philly. Oh, and just like in high school, everyone is way too over-programmed. Students like to do EVERYTHING, and rarely have time to breathe. But people tend to only do what they love, so whatever works for them...