New Students
Summer Opportunities
Please Note: Updated information for the Class of 2027 will be available in early June 2023.
Purchasing Travel
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage students to opt for flexible tickets when purchasing travel on airlines, trains, or buses so that you may make changes to the date and time of your trip before departure with no additional fees.
International Student Orientation (ISO) (Required)
First-year and sophomore international students arriving on campus for the first time will participate in International Student Orientation (ISO). ISO participants include F-1 visa holders and U.S. citizens living abroad. ISO is independent of Customs Week and will not conflict with those events.
Students are strongly discouraged from making travel plans before they receive confirmation of ISO dates and before they receive approval for their F-1 visa.
ISO Program Dates: ISO is now confirmed for August 19 - 24, 2022. ISO participants will move-in to campus on Friday, August 19. Confirmation of dates will be communicated directly to participants by the International Student Support Office.
Pre-Customs Outdoors Program (PCOP) (Optional)
Applications for Haverford’s Pre-Customs Outdoor Program (PCOP) are now open! To apply, please complete the application by midnight on Thursday, June 15. Please email hc-engage [at] haverford.edu and bkane [at] haverford.edu (Brisa) with any questions.
What is PCOP?
First imagined in the spring of 2015 by a group of three student leaders of the Haverford Outdoors Club, The Pre-Customs Outdoors Program (PCOP) is a student-run outdoors orientation program that takes place the week before Customs, Haverford’s official orientation. The program provides incoming students with the opportunity to begin the transition into the Haverford community a bit earlier by making new friends before the official start of school, meeting current students, and having an all-around awesome time in the great outdoors. Even after the trip ends, the experience and friends gained during the trip will stay with the students as they start their college journey.
What do PCOP trips do?
More specifically, PCOP trips last 5 days and 4 nights and are centered around backpacking and hiking. Each trip is composed of 6 first-year students and 2 trip leaders, who are current students at Haverford with extensive outdoor leadership experience. PCOP is free of cost for all incoming first years and interested students apply and are selected for the trips. All required gear is provided. No outdoor or backpacking experience is necessary and all are welcome to apply.
What’s the timeline?
Accepted students will move into their on-campus housing on August 24th. PCOP trips will depart the next day, then return before Customs begins. There might be different move-in dates and details for students who are also doing ISO or Chesick/Horizons programs.
- June 15—applications due
- Last week of June—applicants notified of application status
- August 24th—PCOP participants arrive on campus for early move-in
- August 25th—trips depart
- August 29th—trips return to Haverford
- August 30th—customs program starts
PCOP Deadline: June 15, 2023
Summer Social Justice Institute (Optional)
The Summer Social Justice Institute (SSJI) is designed to create opportunities for students to explore critical questions about identity, as they build experience with the deep listening and storytelling skills. Applications are open to the entire incoming class.
Note: SSJI will be offered virtually Friday, August 19 through Sunday, August 21, 2020.
Summer Social Justice Institute Deadline: June 26, 2020
Haverford Horizons Leadership Institute (Invitation Only)
The Haverford Horizons Leadership Institute, or Horizons, is a leadership development program for students who have demonstrated leadership potential in high school. This invitation-only opportunity is designed for students who are first-generation, from under-represented backgrounds, and/or Questbridge scholars.
Haverford Horizons Leadership Institute Dates: August 25, 2020 - September 2, 2020
By invitation only. Horizons will be delivered virtually this year in order to accommodate students who are learning remotely and/or are unable to be on campus by August 25, 2020.