For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country (the subject line of the e-mail is “Three quick questions”), and then I hope to hear back from them. When I do, I post them on Apply with Sanity. It’s that simple.

The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

This response is from Tyler Clausen-Wolf, Admission Counselor at the Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

What is a course, tradition, program or event that is unique to Haverford College?

Haverford has a commitment to developing ethical leaders in the world. This extends to the coursework offered, as students can concentrate any of their studies in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. On campus there is also an academic resource center called the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship which offers local community engagement opportunities, community-engaged courses and curricular pathways, and financial support for student and faculty activities that advance peace, social justice, and global citizenship.

Haverford has a tradition called Pinwheel Day to celebrate the first warm day of the spring semester. It involves covering the academic quad, known as Founders Green, in pinwheels. No one truly knows when the tradition started or who oversees the rollout now. It is a surprise to the community when they wake up that morning to find the pinwheels signally the celebratory tradition has arrived.

Naturally every college wants to recruit the perfect student--high grades, high test scores, involved in their community, leadership...everything. But what kinds of imperfect students tend to flourish at Haverford?

Students who are willing to step outside their comfort zone tend to be successful. This can take form in a number of ways, but students willing to try new and exciting classes, clubs, internships, conversations, or really anything, are going to be able to more clearly identify their strengths and interests. They will also develop crucial skills by putting themselves in situations where they are not at their most comfortable which will serve them well even after they have graduated Haverford.

When people come to visit Haverford, what's a place off campus that you recommend they check out while they're there?

If you come to Haverford, you must visit Philadelphia! It's less than 30 minutes away from campus by car or train. You can always grab a cheesesteak or go to the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But more than that, you can visit the countless restaurants, city parks, shows, professional sports games, or many museums that exist in downtown Philadelphia. Everything this historic city has to offer is at the fingertips of Haverford students.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, here are three easy things you can do:

1. Share it on your social media feeds so your friends and colleagues can see it too.

2. See which other colleges and universities answered the questions.

3. Is there a school you’d like to hear from? Let me know, and I’ll make sure they get the questions.

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth. [The banner photo is not of Haverford. I use the same photo for all Meet the Class posts so you can spot them easily.]

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