Visit Report by littleathiest (Member since December 09 2006 with 753 posts) Visit Date - July 2006
Visit to Haverford College in July 2006 by littleathiest (Student, HS Class of 2007)
Visit Activities:
Information Session:
No - Information sessions aren't offered on a daily basis because the student guides who give the tour are trained to cover information session info. during the course of the actual tour. Campus Tour:
Yes - The student was very informative and an energetic speaker. Very social and friendly seeming. We were taken into a bunch of the campus buildings (gym, dorms, dining hall, classrooms, library).
Haverford College Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Students: 5 - Excellent -
A summer visit so the only student I interacted with was the tour guide. She was friendly and very positive about all aspects of the school she discussed including the honor code.
Appearance of Campus: 4 - Very Good -
The buildings were attractive and the campus was quite pretty... it was not as nicely landscaped as some of the other schools I've visited (Swarthmore, Amherst, etc).
Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness: 4 - Very Good -
The school just built a new sports center which was quite impressive. The dining hall had a ski lodge sort of feel. The dorms were spacious. The library was also quite attractive. Clean in appearance.
Dormitories: 4 - Very Good -
The dorms were quite spacious and, although not brand new, appeared to be well-kept. Students are trusted (as part of the honor code) to monitor their own behavior.
Security/Safety: 4 - Very Good -
I don't actually recall seeing a blue light system on campus. The campus was, however, in a very safe area so security didn't seem to be much of an issue.
Overall Campus Impression: 4 - Very Good -
An attractive campus with friendly students and a state-of-the-art gym. Although not religiously affiliated, the school had a strong connection to its Quaker roots (the Honor Code, one dining hall).
Off-Campus:
Area Immediately Around Campus: 4 - Very Good -
The town around Haverford was very cute with lots of little shops and cafes. Also nearby are Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges which add to the social scene of the school.
City/Town/Community: 5 - Excellent -
Haverford is only 10 miles from Philadelphia and the train station is very convinient to the campus. An excellent school for someone who wants to be nearby a major city but may not want a city school.
Campus Visit Notes for Haverford College:
Visit Description:
Although I usually try attend both the tour and the information session when I visit a school, I opted out of Haverford's information session. Information sessions are not offered on a daily basis at Haverford because the school trains its tour guides to cover information usually discussed in an information session on the tour. This, I found through the course of the tour, is definitely done; the student guide made sure to address common information session topics such as SAT scores and financial aid while we were on the tour.
The Haverford College campus itself is quite attractive. Although it is not as well-groomed and landscaped as nearby Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr, it is attractive enough and has several open fields along with a duckpond and some wooded areas off of the main drive leading into the campus. The buildings are also lovely and the tour was, fortunately, quite comprehensive in what it showed. Haverford only has one dining hall due to its Quaker traditions, however, it is spacious and resembles a ski lodge in the interior (complete with a large fire place). The library is also quite attractive as was the spacious dorm I was shown which, although not new, was well-kept. There is also a black box theatre on campus. Another appeal of the campus was the new state-of-the-art sports facility which contained a lap pool and an impressive fitness center.
The area around Haverford College was also lovely. The town itself was a bit small but definitely cute with lots of local shops, cafes, and restaurants. Furthering Haverford's appeal is its convinience to Philadelphia: the 10 miles it takes to get to the city can easily be travelled by train. The school also has a relationship with several nearby colleges: Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, and the University of Pennsylvania. This allows Haverford students to take classes at the other three institutions and to enjoy the social life that the three schools have to offer in addition to the one at Haverford.
Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:
I stayed in the Hamannasett Bed & Breakfast which was about 30 minutes away from campus (its located closer to Swarthmore College). It was quite nice although a bit on the expensive side.
Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:
The are several local cafes and restaurants proximate to the college which offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):
There is limited parking near the admissions office. The train station is also near Haverford which makes getting to and from Philadelphia a breeze.
-
A summer visit so the only student I interacted with was the tour guide. She was friendly and very positive about all aspects of the school she discussed including the honor code.
-
The buildings were attractive and the campus was quite pretty... it was not as nicely landscaped as some of the other schools I've visited (Swarthmore, Amherst, etc).