Haverford College

Date: Dec 24 2010
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
Here's the scoop with Haverford- While they play up the Honor Code, the extraordinary education, the unique and close-knit community, and the beautiful campus, I felt let down in all of these respects.

Sure, the Honor Code sounds good on paper, and Plenary takes place and everything, but I feel like the only reason people go is because if you DON'T go, Plenary will be held AGAIN, and nobody wants that. The Honor Council basically spams you with emails, and they try and grind the Code into your mind during orientation, but I still feel like very few people actually care about it, and it's just something Haverford likes to play up in their brochures.

The education… Okay, I won't lie, the courses in general are very informative, and the teachers hold high degrees from prestigious schools, however, this doesn't make them great teachers. And yes, all schools have some good and some bad teachers, but, aside from one professor, I really haven't had particularly great experiences with professors. They will certainly help you after class if you seek them out, but I feel like I can sometimes just coast through classes without learning much and then end up with an A. The classes aren't easy, but as long as you don't party and black out every night of every week, you'll probably be fine.

The community- I really did not feel welcomed to the school past the first week of Customs. They try and get you to bond with all the kids in your customs group (orientation group), and honestly, they do a good job with this, but soon everyone splits off into other groups, and if you aren't great at making friends, like me, you'll find yourself feeling ostracized very quickly. The people here are not super friendly, though they like to act it on the surface. Honestly, it's what I expect when I think of an elite, cold, "little ivy"- the kids are generally cold, elitist (though they have no right to be, because they act much better than they are) and ivy league snooty.

The campus is certainly beautiful, but you'll kick yourself come January, Feb, March, and April. It's nonstop ugly and freezing, and I know this is just what the northeast is like, but hey, it's worth mentioning.

All in all, I would not recommend coming here. It sounds SO much better on paper than it actually is. Please at least visit the campus and get a tour (and be a spec) before you decide to come here, I honestly wish I could redo college and go somewhere else, and I'm only a sophomore. Save yourself while you can.