082349
March 29, 2012, 10:10am
6
<p>I quote b@r!um’s post from last year: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11804322-post2.html[/url] ”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/11804322-post2.html</a></p> ;
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Math at Haverford is phenomenal! I am a Bryn Mawr student who has interacted with the math departments at Haverford and Penn, and I am continually impressed by (1) the rigor of the math curriculum at Haverford, (2) the breadth of the courses offered, and (3) the friendly atmosphere in the department. Let me elaborate.</p>
<p>(1) There’s a national trends among liberal arts colleges to make math more “accessible.” In practice that means taking hard material out of the curriculum or stretching it out over more courses. Haverford doesn’t do that. You’d get exactly what you would get at Penn or Swarthmore or Williams, not at Bryn Mawr or Lafayette. </p>
<p>(2) Haverford’s math curriculum is pretty unique among liberal arts colleges in that it offers courses in both pure and applied math. Faculty interests span all areas of pure math as well as statistics, numerical analysis + scientific computing, and cryptoplogy + optimization. Math is one of the few subjects in which students rarely take classes off campus, because it’s all right there at Haverford and the professors are amazing!</p>
<p>(3) Students and faculty are on a first-name basis, and they interact more than at any other school I have seen. Professors make themselves incredibly accessible (some set up to 10 hours each week aside for office hours), they socialize with students in the math lounge, engage students in their research projects, and even invite them home for a BBQ!
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<p>I second worldspirit’s suggestion of joining the FB group. There are plenty of discussions going on there and several current students are also in the group and they can help to answer your questions!</p>
<p>Here’s another thread about the math department at Haverford: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/haverford-college/1018235-interview-math-question.html[/url] ”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/haverford-college/1018235-interview-math-question.html</a></p> ;