After a long bus ride to Haverford College, we started our day with the info session, where we learned a lot about life as a student at Haverford and what the university has to offer. Students were pleasantly surprised to learn that dorm rooms were about 70% singles. In addition to learning about the campus, students were able to make parallels between the Quaker community at MFS and Haverford. MFW is available and encouraged at Haverford, and twice a year, two-thirds of the student body joins together to re-ratify the honor code and make changes to better suit the students. We also learned that the classrooms consisted of 12-14 students per class. To conclude the info session, people were very comfortable with asking questions and learning more about what they were interested in.
After the info session, we went to lunch. Students had an array of food to choose from, including pizza, salad, chicken, a sundae bar, and even a make-your-own quesadilla bar. They found the dining experience impressive, especially the healthier eating options, which aren’t always as accessible at other schools.
Haverford had well-appointed facilities inside each building, such as a library, a gym, dorm rooms, and a main office. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see inside the main office because it’s where important meetings take place. We also didn’t get to see the dorm rooms. The library was well put together and contained flags from all the countries from which they had students. The gym was pretty average with rooms for squash and exercise equipment. There was also a gift shop that had pretty good merch and other school supplies.
After finishing our day at Haverford University, we traveled back to Moorestown Friends and discussed our pros and cons about our visit. Some plusses included access to research, the location near the city, the architecture of the buildings on campus, the enthusiasm of our tour guide (Aani, MFS class of 2022!), the flexibility of the schedule for students attending the university, and the in-depth, personal info session.
The most highlighted pro of the university overall seemed to be the architecture of the buildings and their overall beauty. In contrast, students disliked the small size and population of the school, some suggesting they want to attend a college that is different from their high school. In addition, we noted how there is no Greek life at Haverford, a lack of sports (i.e., no football or swim team), the student body not feeling very diverse, and also not being able to sneak a peek at the dorm rooms and classrooms. The main con of this college visit seemed to be the honor affirmation at Haverford, and how professors trust students to not have a proctor during exams; some added that they felt this would stress them out more when it comes to taking tests.
