Haverford College Top Questions

Social life at campus is great. One thing you get with highly intelligent students is really creative parties, and these happen weekly if not more often. There is a lot of intermingling within groups on campus, so it is not just the "jocks" hanging out with only jocks and not partying with anyone else. There are no fraternities or sororities, and I think this adds an inclusive feel to the social life. There is so much to do on campus besides these student hosted parties, thanks to the group FAB (Fighting Against Boredom) which shows movies, arranges trips to Pat's cheesesteaks, has bingo and quizzo nights, along with holiday themed events. Mentioning Pat's, Philadelphia is an easy train ride away and has plenty oppurtunities for fun. With that said, you won't be eager to leave campus because you will undoubtedly be missing a great time.

Most popular team probably the mens lax team. people party mostly two nights a week thursday and saturday.

The most obvious clubs on campus are the a capella groups--because there are SO MANY of them. Their concerts are always well attended, as are the improv comedy groups' shows. Having small-scale concerts in the basement of one of the dorms is always a fun time. People don't really date around at Haverford--the majority are either singles that don't mind being single, or super-committed-to-the-point-of-getting-married couples. Very few long-distance relationships seem to last at Haverford. I met my closest friends through my customs group, which is the group of freshmen and upperclassmen that live together and help each other out during one's freshman year.

People have social lives. It's great. We also work our asses off. It doesn't always work out super.

doors are almost always open. dating scene is pretty bad, not enough guys, ratio is against the women. friends are met-classes, customs group, activities. no frat/sororities-thank god can go to philly if dont want to stay here, lots of cool stuff there.

It's a small campus, but there's usually something to do. On the weekdays that usually involves just hanging out and playing videogames, but there are also many concerts and various departments regularly bring in guest speakers. One of the most important aspects of the social scene is the Alcohol Policy, which basically gives free reign to the students to drink as long as they are responsible. This means no RA's and no need for secretive drinking. The lacrosse and baseball teams usually throw some sort of party every weekend and there are regular dances in Founders Hall (the main campus building). If I were to spend a Saturday night not drinking, I would probably watch some sort of comedy show or go to a concert. Then I'd probably watch a movie or something. The social scene on the weekends basically revolves around drinking, but there is a large percent of the campus that doesn't participate (not just the phantoms). Once you meet enough people who don't drink (not hard on this small campus) it's easy to organize some sort of event for the weekend.

The Lacrosse Team and Baseball Team have reputations for being the closest we have to Fraternities on campus, but it's all relative - they only party hard by Haverford standards. The jazz band and Haverford Review, two clubs I'm in, are both very small but filled with really dedicated students, which is a good summation for most clubs here. Students here are very trusting - people leave backpacks and computers lying around, their doors open, etc. The dating scene is non-existent. Couples form through random hook-ups, not actually going out. I met my closest friends through bonding with them on the hall through card games (lame I know) and through being in bands with people. People here love their alcohol, although non-drinkers are totally accepted with no pressure. Few people do harder drugs than pot. People generally like to hang out, play games, talk, or go to parties. Off-campus, guys go to Bryn Mawr for hook-ups or groups of students head to the city for culture/shopping.

My favorite part of the Haverford social scene so far was the freshman program, Customs. Your first year, you live on a hall or in an apartment with around thirteen other freshman and your "customs people", who are like RAs, only better. I made all my friends initially within my customs group and I found that our orientation week was so beneficial in getting to know people and creating a base so I was never left eating alone or sitting by myself. I also play lacrosse, which has been great.

Most students leave their doors open, even when their out. They also leave their backpacks lying around all of over school. It's a very trusting atmosphere. A good number school parties are thrown by sports teams (baseball and lacrosse) although there are a number of school dances and various non-sports team parties. Haverfest at the end of the year is supposed to be an amazing (it's a 2 day school put on party celebrating the end of classes) but I couldn't go because of playoffs.

I've been told we have the most a capella groups per capita of any college campus in America, which actually seems about right. I think we currently have eight, and around 1150 students. I'm a member of the Outskirts, an all female a capella group that was founded in 2003 and is a large part of my life here. Singing with other people for fun (outside of a graded course, that is) is rewarding and makes me feel great. Leaving doors open? You would be considered very protective and uptight if your door was locked. There's a sense of safety and community respect here (mostly because of the honor code) that makes it possible for people to feel comfortable leaving doors and windows open, even when they're sleeping at night. I'm not saying this is wise, considering our campus is not fenced. However, it's the prevailing feeling among students, including myself. As I understand it, theater has always been tragically lacking. However, this year it's really picked up and there are a lot of programs and ideas for next year in terms of theater. I think it's going to be great. My closest friend here is my suitemate (she's not my actual roomate, but lives in my apartment of four that shares a bathroom, kitchen, and common room). Partying starts on Thursdays most weekends, and continues to Saturday night. It's also not uncommon for small groups of people to get together on a Wednesday night. It all depends on when you have classes and assignments. There are no fraternities or sororities, but sometimes the sports teams that live together assume these roles a little, such as the lacrosse team or the baseball team. Last weekend my a capella group had our big semester show and afterward I went a combination afterparty/birthday party for a group member. Saturday was spent doing work and hanging out with friends. Saturday night there was a big hoedown themed party at the house where the baseball boys live. A huge amount of people showed up. It was outdoors and a huge success- so much fun. There was also a spring dance in the dining center which was fun as well. There are plenty events that don't involve drinking, such as school dances and concerts. Also, there's no pressure to drink at parties. It's entirely possible to go out and socialize without drinking, as I and people I know do sometimes. There's also an entire group of people dedicated to creating fun weekend activities that don't involve being around drinking, such as boardgame nights, movies, rootbeer keggers, etc. (I won a gift certificate at one of these events and also hung out with great people while playing a boardgame. It was great). A lot of people also go into Philadelphia to eat or attend events such as concerts. There are a few places to eat in the area, but they aren't very good and are not worth spending money on when you're on the meal plan anyway.

Almost all Haverford students are involved in some sort of athletics, either varsity or club. I'm on the tennis team. I love the tennis team because all of the girls on it support each other both on and off the courts and we have become really good friends. However, while each athlete supports their individual sport, athletic events are not one of the most common. The most common events are definitely acappella concerts and we have over 5 acapella groups on campus. Because of the Honor Code everyone in the dorms leave their doors open whether they are in their rooms or not and I will often wander into the rooms of my friends to study or just to hang out. The party scene at Haverford is very much whatever you make it. Their are concerts by Haverford bands and outside bands at least once every weekend and most times 2 or 3 concerts a weekend. The special events committee also organizes dances such as 80s dance, 90s dance, dragball, snowball, and sundance. Students also create their own parties, often revolving around other events going on on Campus. While many students drink because of the lenient alcohol policy I have never felt any pressure to drink and it is perfectly fine to hang out with people who are drinking when you are not. Also, before game days athletes are not allowed to drink so you will usually find other people who are not drinking. Because there is so much going on around Campus people tend to stay on campus but it is also possible to go into Philly, or to go to parties at UPenn or bryn mawr.

The track team is... an unusual entity on campus. It has long been the case that the men's team is widely regarded as cult-like, but in recent years the women's team has been adopting a more group-think mentality as well. Unless you live and breath running, stay away. Stay very far away. Generally nice people, but something to be warey of.

Basketball games tend to be full for the guys games. When it comes to the date scene i would rate the girls a C+ and a majority of cute girls tend to be taken so its not like you can do what you want. I met a lot of my closer friends either through basketball, class, or though my friends. If I'm up at 2 am on a weekday chances are im doing some late night paper with some friends so I'm half playing around. The honor code helps you be able to feel free to drink on campus but it also states that there is somewhat of a buddy system so no one gets out of control.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BI-CO (with Bryn Mawr) AND TRI-CO(with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore). When there are 1200 kids, sometimes you just need to get out, and it's nice to take a class or join a club elsewhere.

Haverford parties are some of the worst parties on the east coast, hands down. Thanks to the honor code, they could be amazing. You can drink and smoke almost anywhere on campus. But most people are content to stand around a few kegs of natty until 1 in the morning and call it a night.

Haverford has a lot of different ways to be social. A third of the people here play a sport. I do sound crew and lighting for band's shows, theater performances, speeches, and pretty much anything else that needs sound and lighting. People here have total trust in each other and their doors are open all the time.

The sports teams are always throwing amazing parties. There is so much going on every weekend, life is a blast.

The most popular groups on campus in terms of partying are the men's lacrosse team and the men's baseball team. That pretty much arises from the two groups of guys having housing together (a place to party) and a total absence of fraternities and sororities at Haverford. People generally go out on Saturday nights, and also on Thursdays (no Fridays because all the athletes on campus have meets/games on Saturdays). Those of us that are 21 love to go to Brownies, the best bar scene on the Main Line, on Wednesday nights. The sober activities are pretty well covered at Haverford, too. Most weekends there's a recent movie (not yet out on dvd) showing on a big screen in one of the auditoriums twice nightly Friday and Saturday. There's also Haverfest every year the first weekend of finals, with bands on the green all day and djs in founders at night. They bring in tons of musical acts and other fun things like a huge foam pit. Philly is nearby, but most people stay on campus. Also, the dating scene is pretty pitiful. It's a small school and since not everyone goes out, there tends to be a lot of overlap, which can make the school seem even smaller. Get tested.

The most popular groups are the sports teams and the Honor Council (responsible for dealing with the Honor Code). I played squash all four years and wouldn’t have given it up for the world. My coach was absolutely amazing – really relaxed about everything, and yet he instructed us and we were so dedicated to him. We have lots of sports fans: I was just talking to someone and she said that she hasn’t missed a lacrosse game yet this season. We have a lot of a cappella groups, and I’m in one this semester. Dating? It’s a bit awkward, but I’ve gone out with 3 guys during my time here. Mostly they’ve been really good experiences, and I’ve learned about myself. Half the guys here are mature and datable, half are a-holes who think too much of themselves. Haverfest is the biggest tradition here. It’s the weekend before spring exams, and there are lots of fun outdoor activities. Other people party a lot, including drinking and hookahs; me, I stay away from that kind of thing, but I know that they go on. We don’t have any fraternities or sororities, and that’s part of why I came here. Last weekend my friend from Maryland came to visit, and we went to an a cappella concert with some of my Haverford friends, and then we had a slumber party of sorts (just girl talk, you know). Other things that Haverford offers are movies in the auditorium and game night. I don’t go off-campus much because I don’t drink and Haverford brings lots of stuff to us here so that we don’t have to go anywhere.

There's a lot to do and so little time to do it! Fords Against Boredom (FAB) organizes trips to see shows in Philly, go rock climbing, whatever. I am involved in a lot of stuff around campus and Haverford's proximity to Philly and all the cute little suburbs nearby means you're right in the midst of civilization! Also we're a $20, 2-hour bus ride from New York City!