Haverford College Library
Today we have the treat of having a guest blogger: my husband, a Haverford alum. His bias is clear.
Haverford College, on Philadelphia’s Main Line (named after a commuter train which stops at some of Philly’s oldest and toniest burbs), is part of a consortium of colleges, including Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr, that triple the number of course offerings available to students. (Courses at Penn may also be taken, but our guide was quick to tell us that few students feel the need to go there). Students can even major at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore.
All three schools are highly competitive, but the guide was quick to note that Haverford is distinguished by its academic and social Honor Code, as well as the requirement that all students must complete a senior thesis in their majors that they must orally defend. The Honor Code is something special. Not only does it create a community based on trust and respect, but it gives students freedom to take exams when and where they want.
Although Haverford is a place for serious students, the library closes early on Fridays and Saturdays to encourage students to come out and play. The school has many more places to mix than when I attended there in the 1980s, including a state-of-the-art fitness facility and a student center that are adjacent to one another, and several late night cafes. Haverford boasts the largest number of a cappella groups per capita. (Every school talks about a cappella on their tours, and in the post-“Glee” and “Picture Perfect” generation this seems to be a competitive selling point, like “need-blind” financial aid, vegan options in the cafeteria, and “open curriculums”).
Another distinguishing feature is that 85% of students live in singles organized around common space, a facet that my wife dislikes but I like. But what I like is beside the point –my son, who hasn’t loved many of the stops on this tour, liked the school. I think it was because his jump shot was falling during a shoot-around in the gym. He also really loved the concept of the Honor Code.
