Anonymous wrote:Just visited Haverford. I thought the campus was pretty (it's an arboretum), but some of the buildings (library, dining hall, apartments) are butt-ugly. It's a very quiet campus, an oasis of calm in a densely populated suburban area close to Philly.
The school has a stellar reputation academically, but it didn't feel very warm or welcoming to me. It's a very small school -- 1200 students -- and it's very selective and academically intense. I know kids from my DD's school who have gone there and liked it. They are very smart, studious kids who would never go to a party school.
I would not go there, but that's me. It felt cold for some reason. Both the admissions office and the tour guide were sort of standoffish -- just a subjective feeling, and the info session was boring and rambling, almost designed to turn off applicants, not sell the school. I got the feeling that they have so many applicants that there is no need to sell the school, so they just don't bother.
OTOH, I think DD would be very well suited to Haverford, so I'm trying not to think too negatively about it. She's quiet and studious, not a partier, very interested in interdisciplinary stuff, loves collaboration, hates competition, all of which Haverford stresses.
The food choices are dismal, which won't matter to some, but to DD, who has allergies, there was almost nothing she could eat in the dining hall or the cafe place in the student center.
Wonderful sports facilities. Varsity cricket team!
DD wants to apply and is excited about it. Me, not so much. Just my .02 cents.
This post is very consistent with how we felt on our visit as well. School definitely has its pluses....but negatives.....seem to outweigh....I won't touch the comments on the $60000 tuition...one said an "ivy League" tuition....hmmm.....?