Applying to Haverford
The admission process at Haverford is conducted as a comprehensive review in which each application is treated personally and individually, with extraordinary care and attention to detail.
We provide you with the opportunity to convey the broadest sense possible of who you are, what you have achieved during your secondary school experience, and how you will both contribute to and grow from a Haverford education.
Our primary consideration in the evaluation process is academic excellence. Haverford is interested in students who demonstrate ability and interest in achieving at the highest levels of scholarship and service; engaging deeply and substantively with the community; and growing both intellectually and personally. To this end, we consider:
- secondary school transcript;
- standardized tests (see Application Checklist for required exams);
- teacher and counselor recommendations;
- quality of writing as demonstrated in your essays, testing, and recommendations;
- potential for contribution to the campus community;
- interview, which is strongly recommended, especially for students who live within 150 miles of the Haverford campus.
We give the greatest weight to your academic transcript. The rigor of the courses you’ve taken, the quality of your grades, and the consistency with which you’ve worked over four years gives us the clearest indication of how well you will do at Haverford. Standardized tests also play a role in helping us evaluate you in comparison to students taught in many different secondary schools. Recommendations, the form and content of your writing, your potential for contribution to the campus community, and your interview also help the Admission Committee draw fine distinctions among highly talented applicants.
Financial need does not influence our admission decision for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.