Haverford College Top Questions

Haverford's classes are challenging without being intimidating. Most of the classes are small, especially above the intro level. All of my professors know my name and face. In order to keep classes small, there is a limited enrollment, which means that it takes a little effort to get into classes. The stress of the class lottery system, however, is worth it. It is easier for small classes (especially in the humanities and social sciences) to be discussion-based instead of lecture-based. To know that my comments and input into class are an important part of the class is very empowering, and encourage me to participate. Fords are generally driven to succeed. Nearly all the students in a given class actually want to be there because all the general distribution requirements are broad enough to find something enjoyable that will fulfill the requirement. Students have to take three classes in each of the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. There is also a social justice requirement, which requires students to take one class that examines inequality and prejudice. Examples of social justice classes include "Critical Issues in Education," "Modern Irish Literature," "Introduction to Anthropology," and "Native American Music and Belief." Freshmen need to take one semester of a writing seminar, and all students need to show proficiency in a foreign language or take a year of foreign language. Academics do not end once class is over. I've spent many a meal in the dining center hearing a friend enthusiastically describing what he did in organic chemistry lab or debating over philosophical views of the world. I can sincerely say that I learn something new every day, even on a Saturday.

Really tough academics. Professors are of the highest caliber. Classes are small. Plenty of opportunity to get to know your professor. Sometimes you will have to take initiative. People are sometimes shy to go to their professor in after office hours and talk to them, but the professors all encourage students to meet with them. Professors defintely know your name. Students study A LOT. Class participation very common - definitely helps you develop your ideas. My favorite conversations however take place outside the classroom - but the in class topics definitely stimulate out of class intellectual conversations. Academics are not competitive but very rigorous. English department is wonderful. Great professors, always eager to talk. Very helpful. English classes are demanding though - and how much you get out of them depends on how much you put in. If you do the readings and attend class you get a lot out of it. If you do neither, you can still get by with a B (if you can write), but you won't be getting the most out of the class. East Asian Studies department is also really intimate. You become very close with the professors and the studetns because there are so few of you and you spend a lot of time together (because of the intense number of hours of language classes). Education at Haverford definitely not geared towards getting a job. It's about developing your mind over four years. Teaching you how to think critically. Giving you skills. Learning new things. Getting your career started is up to you. But the career center is very helpful in that area. Academic requirements not hard. I like it because it makes you well rounded. not hard to fulfill but all encmopassing so that you dont just stick to classes in your major or department.

Haverford stands for not being academically competitive. While professors want students to push themselves to their highest achieving academic level, they do not encourage students to share their grades. The sharing of grades is a pretty controversial issue. It can lead to judgements about people that Haverford urges its students not to pass. Because a person recieves a D does not make him or her stupid. Grades don't necessarily correlate to how intellectually capable a student is. Haverford is a very tough school to get into, and every student was accepted for a reason. Students shouldn't be categorized by their achievement level.

Haverford is a tough, challenging place academically. Students here have to work hard to get through the classes. However, the professors are known for being really supportive and caring, and really going out of their way to help their students. I was a religion major, and felt really supported by every professor I had. People always joke with me (who don't go to Haverford) about the impracticality of majoring in religion, but honestly, I learned a ton as a religion major. I learned not only about religion as a topic, but about managing my time, thinking critically and analyzing texts. Professors at Haverford have high expectations, and will assign lots of reading and essay assignments. They really prepare students. I feel much stronger as a student, better able to express myself, and generally more confident academically than I did before coming to Haverford. Also, though professors are tough, I felt really close to a bunch of my professors, and have been to several of their houses, or out to eat with them. They go out of their way to support students beyond the classroom. They proved that they cared about us as people, not just as students. Also, one thing that I love about Haverford is the fact that though it is challenging academically, students are not competitive at all. In fact, it's taboo to talk about grades. I don't know my best friends' grades, and I actually really like that. We each did our own thing, and worked hard individually. That way, my biggest competition was myself.

Hard as hell BUT you get what you pay for and this school is good. So deal with the exams that seem hopeless, the labs that last forever, and the papers that have more red ink than black. It toughens you up while teaching you. So it can make you everything you hope for: brighter, more confidant, intellectual, and aware of the world around you.

Academics at Haverford are all about personal intellectual development. It's non-competitive because grades are neve publicly posted and students are actually mandated by the Honor Code not to talk about their grades. Students have intellectual conversations out of class but really not that often. The waffles smell like semen. Education is not geared towards getting a job at all but there is a career development office which you can go to a any time. Some people live to study, others not so much, but even the athletes and paty animals study pretty hard at least every week. If you didn't you wouldn't pass your classes. But you can find ways to skip readings and still know what's going on in the class although you may not be getting out of it as much as someone who is doing every assignment completely.

Professors definitely know everyone's names. Class sizes range from small (~30) to extremely small (~8). This past year I took the best, most intense, and smallest class I've ever taken. It was a sociology course over two semesters, about 12 students first semester and 7 second semester. Each semester the class bonded very closely, and by the end you really felt like a family. One thing I can say about Haverford classes is that you bond with your classmates. I've made a lot of friends (including my best) just by being in the same class as them.

My first semester at Haverford I was a little bit worried that the workload was going to be far to great or that I would be outpaced by my peers, but that isn't the case. The teachers are there to help you succeed, and being a music major, most of my classes are very small, so if I ever need help, I can easily talk to the teacher one-on-one. As with most colleges, the intro classes in the popular majors (psychology, for example) can be really big, but at Haverford, that's a relative term. A big class is one that has more than 30 people and only something like Intro Psych would have more than 50 people in it. For the most part, students don't care too much about grades, they just have a drive to do well (for themselves, not based on what someone else, like a teacher, thinks) and learn things well. They will often help other classmates if anyone needs anything, and are not at all competitive with each other.

Classes at Haverford are really small (the average size is 14 students). Sometimes it is difficult to always be "on your game" but I know that the academic and intellectual benefit is worth it. Professors are welcoming, engaging and challenging. They respect student opinions and tend to value the concept of continual learning. My smallest class was eight people and we ended up having dinner (twice!) at the Professor's house. On the other end of the spectrum, my largest class, Economics of Public Policy, was about sixty-five people but the Professor learned all of our names--only working to further demonstrate that intense committment and involvement of Haverford professors. The academic environment is non-competitive almost to an extreme in which many people do not even discuss grades with their peers.

Great classes if you're ino English, Anthropology, or Science. Other things are a bit more bland.