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How to Respond to the Haverford College Supplemental Essay Prompts
Haverford College is a private liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The Haverford College supplemental essays offers applicants the opportunity to share In this article, we are going to break down both of Haverford’s supplemental essay prompts to make them easier to understand. Let’s get started!
Before you start writing…
The Haverford information page for prospective students states that applicants are “treated personally and individually, with extraordinary care and attention to detail.” In other words, every part of your application, and perhaps especially your essays, is very important.
We recommend looking over Haverford College’s Honor Code before you start writing your essays. The Honor Code is a statement of values shared by the academic community, so in order to get a better feel for the school and what kind of student they are looking for, familiarize yourself with this. Their Honor Code is comprised of four pillars:
- Academic Freedom
- Student Agency
- Community
- Leadership and Engagement
Prompt #1
Tell us about a topic or issue that sparks your curiosity and gets you intellectually excited. How do you think the environment at Haverford and the framework of the Honor Code would foster your continued intellectual growth? (250 word limit)
Although there are most likely a lot of things that you are passionate about, it might be harder to consider what makes you intellectually excited. First, you have to choose one thing that gets you excited to learn, to work for, or to talk about. From there, go back to those Honor Codes and connect what you love to what Haverford students are passionate about.
Next, think about how what you are passionate about will have the opportunity to flourish while attending Haverford College. Here, you can talk about all of the ways your experience can be enriched, how your passion will lead you through your college career, and how it can help you grow as a person and a member of the Haverford community.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What are you passionate about?
- Is there a class in high school that makes you excited to come to school everyday?
- Are you passionate about any environmental, social justice, or human rights issues?
Prompt #2
Please tell us what motivated you to apply to Haverford and what excites you most as you imagine your Haverford experience. (150 word limit)
This is another prompt that you can connect it right back to the Honor Code. Whether you picked Haverford because of your major, because you enjoyed the campus, or because a family member has gone there, you picked it for a reason. Be honest while explaining your motivation for applying.
As for what excites you most, you can always connect this back to academics and community. If it’s too far in advance to know what you are most excited about, go for the academic route and talk about the opportunities that Haverford offers within your major, or professors that you are looking forward to working with. These are always great options.
Questions to ask yourself:
- Did you pick Haverford because of your major?
- Do you know of any clubs or organizations that you are interested in at this university?
- Did you choose Haverford because of the environment?
Final thoughts for students
The Haverford College supplemental essays are an ideal way for the admissions team to learn more about you. As long as you are honest about why you chose your major and why Haverford is the best place for you, they will respect that. Although there is a pretty small word count, you can always go back to edit later. Write how you feel, and go back and edit for conciseness.
Additional resources
At Scholarships360, we understand that the college application process is a stressful time for students. That is why we make it easier for you to break down things like college essays, scholarships, financial aid, and so much more. Check out our articles on how many colleges to apply to, and our tips for successful college applications to start. You can also read more about when you’ll hear back from schools and how to make your college choice.
