Haverford College - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

One of Haverford’s keystone strengths is its faculty. A large percentage of professors live on or near campus, and it isn’t uncommon to be invited to their homes for dinner. We don’t seem to be particularly interested in attracting “celebrity” faculty (i.e. former legislators to teach political science), but we have a solid core of bright, personable academics who know how to teach. While some professors are obviously going to be better than others, the Haverford faculty is an excellent group on the whole. We also benefit from very small class sizes—it’s rare to find a class with more than 50 people, even at the introductory level. Higher-level classes frequently run under 15.

The only real problems that most students have with Haverford’s academics involve the school’s size. It is true that our small class sizes can cause a significant number of students to get shut out from the most popular classes. Also, because most departments only have a few professors, if one of them goes on leave, it can mean a significant drop-off in the number of courses offered that semester. The good news is that you can usually push your way into a class that counts towards your major. Haverford students can also take classes at Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, and the University of Pennsylvania, so if you really want to take something bad enough, you can usually make it happen.

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Students Speak Out

HavDB says: Haverford College 2012 Undecided

The professors are great. The... The professors are great. The workload is fairly heavy but manageable if you budget your time. If you do get behind on assignments or just don't understand something, the professors are, for the most part, very good about working with you until you're back on track. There is a great level of trust and respect between professor and student at Haverford. 12345 Academics: March 09, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

With very few exceptions, the... With very few exceptions, the academics here are awesome. Professors are intelligent and very interesting and very dedicated to the students. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

It is hit or miss with professors... It is hit or miss with professors at Haverford. While some professors are entertaining and bring the material to life, others are insipid and do an absolutely terrible job. That being said, it is hard to judge a professor by just one class—while a professor may be poor at teaching an introductory level class, they may be better at higher level courses. The classes at Haverford are generally interesting. Because of the size of the school, however, it is sometimes hard to find a course that interests you, despite the proximity of Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr Colleges, since many Haverford students only take courses there if they really need to. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Professors are usually helpful.... Professors are usually helpful. Like at every other school, some of them go out of their way to help you, some will only help you if they believe you are working extremely hard, and some of them don’t care. It depends on how much effort and time you put in their classes. Because Haverford is a liberal arts college, you are able to take classes that are not only interesting, but that suit your preferences. I mean, sometimes I find some of my classes boring, but I think knowing a little bit about everything, and being aware of the social issues that Haverford classes expose is definitely rewarding. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

The professors are very... The professors are very interesting and personable. Though they are often challenging, they want you to do well, and most are willing to put in exceptional amounts of time to help you understand the material for their course. 12345 Academics Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Haverford has the country’s only varsity collegiate cricket teams.

Actor and comedian Chevy Chase attended Haverford College briefly during the 1960s. Though Chase claims to have been expelled for misbehavior, several alumni insist he left for academic reasons.

Haverford was recently involved in a lawsuit over the estate of J. Howard Marshall, an alumnus who passed away shortly after a marriage to Anna Nicole Smith late in his life.

At the annual “Screw Your Roommate” Dance, students conspire to arrange interesting and potentially awkward blind dates.

Haverford is part of the “Quaker Consortium,” a league of area schools with Quaker influence (though Haverford no longer has an official religious affiliation, it was founded by the Society of Friends). The Consortium includes Bryn Mawr College, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania. Haverford students are allowed to take courses (and even major) at any of the other schools.

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Kira E. Jones
Hometown: Moorestown, NJ
Major: Undecided

Fun Fact: Kira is a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

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