Haverford v. Swarthmore
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Anonymous
| Besides Swarthmore being generally more well-known and a harder admit, they look similar in campus-feel and academic. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
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They do have a lot of similarities. If you’re interested in the differences, I would say size (Haverford is smaller), location (Hav has a lot more retail and restaurants in walking distance and is near a main artery and very close to Bryn Mawr and Villanova, Swarthmore is more in a in a suburb/village).
Both have Quaker roots, but Haverford was part of an orthodox branch of Quakerism while Swarthmore was part of a reform branch and was coed very early on. I’m not sure this would affect your experience today at all but it is why there are two Quaker schools in close proximity. Growing up (I’m Quaker) all the Friends we knew had gone to Swarthmore and Haverford was considered a bit “different”. I think the tininess of Haverford could be hard if you don’t find your people. It’s very diverse racially and has a lot of first gen students and its social justice reputation is real. Last year when I toured with my kid it was the only school that started the tour with an acknowledgement of stolen land AND made us wear masks on the tour even while outside. To me it felt a bit much. |
Anonymous
| DS loved Haverford and could not get over how miserable the kids at Swarthmore seemed. He was reticent about the small size but got comfortable after learning about the Quaker Consortium. Definitely worth visiting both. |
Anonymous
| Swarthmore has a stronger reputation - it makes a difference! |
Anonymous
Interesting, I was a member of 15th st meeting and my general impression was that Haverford was the one that was more Quaker currently. Maybe Swarthmore had moved farther away. Kind of a WestTown vs George School thing. My kid wouldn't get into either and I don't know how I'd choose between them if they could. I would also find the acknowledgement of stolen lands to be too much, although I'm into the mask-wearing. Doesn't hurt. |
Anonymous
| Haverford and Bryn mawr have a much closer relationship - only 10 min away with bus that runs continuously so very easy to go to other campus for classes, meals, clubs, etc. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks for the insights! We will visit both. |
Anonymous
| We visited both in the fall. I thought Haverford felt like a healthier, more balanced place than Swarthmore (although Swarthmore didn't feel as grindy as its reputation). DC decided both were too small and too suburban, which I think is a shame because I could totally seem them thriving at Haverford. Both have lovely campuses -- although it certainly helps to visit on a day full of sunshine, blue skies and autumn leaves. |
Anonymous
| My DC is a student at Haverford and loves it there. They are in the class of 2026, but here is the class profile for the class of 2027 for those who are interested: https://www.haverford.edu/admission/class-profile-2027. |
Anonymous
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As others have said, Swarthmore has a reputation for being a real grind and (this is what my DC particularly hated) for students that "get off" on how hard the grind is. It's sort of its brand.
Haverford (which DC loved but did not get into, though I have a nephew who went) attracts very smart but more balanced students. FWIW, nephew had great medical school choices and had several friends go to grad school directly (in the sciences). Many kids seem to go for social justice/non profit jobs right after undergrad... |
Anonymous
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We visited Haverford, Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr. They were all very similar in a lot of ways. My child ultimately picked Bryn Mawr because she liked the vibe, the traditions, and thought it was the prettiest. She can also take any class she wants at Haverford--will probably be taking about half her classes there. It is also the only one of the three that gives merit aid. Her second choice would have been Haverford.
But really they all seemed quite similar. Swarthmore is, of course, the most well known and highest ranked. |
Anonymous
| Swarthmore is a much tougher admit so it can more hand select its students. It has been flexing its selectivity muscle to increase URMs, first gen etc. Only 32% of student body is domestic white students. Haverford is 49%. Lots more seats there if don’t fall into one of those categories… |
Anonymous
How? |
Anonymous
Swarthmore is a well established feeder into top PhD programs. Haverford and Bryn Mawr are excellent schools, but Swarthmore is arguably the nation's top producer of PhDs across the disciplines per capita, and the intellectual rigor and academic expectations of both the students and faculty reflect that. |
Anonymous
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“Last year when I toured with my kid it was the only school that started the tour with an acknowledgement of stolen land AND made us wear masks on the tour even while outside. To me it felt a bit much.“
We’re registered Dems and it’s too much for us, too. I guess it’s very generational, but I also find that the more white the organization, the more likely there are these performative declarations. Will be visiting both next week. |