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Our Mission 

Haverford College offers students better learning for broader impact as scholars, creators, citizens, and practitioners. Committed to critical inquiry and ethical practice in local and global settings, we foster an inclusive intellectual learning community to prepare students for lives of integrity, ambition, and purpose.

Courage, Clarity, and Focus in a Time of Change

It’s hard to not feel a sense of uncertainty, or even apprehension, about the future of higher education in the US. As a closely-knit, diverse, and inclusive community, please know we will face potential change and challenges together.

Also know that in the face of change, we are steadfast in our values and our mission. Haverford has remained a leader in liberal arts education over almost two centuries because of our commitment to the transformative power of the liberal arts and our Quaker-informed traditions around ethical engagement and student agency. Today is no exception.

Changing Federal Landscape

We have been closely following the rapidly changing federal guidelines, regulations, and judicial responses that are emerging weekly or even daily. We are mindful that the potential changes are far-reaching, spanning federal funding for scientific research, Pell grants and work-study, international student and faculty visas, undocumented and DACA students, and gender identity matters.

As we work to evaluate the changing environment within higher education, and more specifically, what it means for Haverford, we will remain grounded in our mission and values. We are being clear-eyed and realistic about what we may be preparing for, and we are doing so with a calm intentionality.

I want to remind you of the principles that guide our response: 

• Haverford’s Quaker-rooted tradition of seeing the light in every person extends to our longstanding commitment to access and inclusion, nondiscrimination, and free inquiry. 
• Diversity is a driver of academic excellence—communities like ours that are rich in experiences, backgrounds, and expertise create environments that help generate solutions, ideas, and insights. We are committed to continuing to attract, welcome, and support students, faculty, and staff who fulfill this promise. 
• All of our decisions are merit-based. This is true not only in admission, but also in all hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions. 
• We follow the law. We must be vigilant to ensure open access and opportunity for all without bias or affinity. 
• We will continue to uphold academic freedom as a foundation of higher education and democracy. 
• We will continue to uphold free expression within a community centered on trust, concern, and respect. 

In This Together

The College has successfully met abundant uncertainty in our past by bringing curiosity, creativity, courage, and collaboration to our work while caring for one another, ourselves, and our community.

We will not waver in our commitment to developing and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community of open inquiry and learning, where each and every one of us belongs and has the opportunity to thrive. As in any time of change and unpredictability, Fords stand together.

Sincerely,
Wendy Raymond

Admission as High-School-Age Demographics Shift

Our country is reaching the front edge of what is often described as an 'enrollment cliff,' driven by a predicted 15% reduction in the number of high-school graduates across two waves, 2026-30 and 2033-39. And yet Haverford remains a top choice for many of the world's best students, with demand by qualified applicants far exceeding enrollment limits. At this stage of the admission process, the Early Decision cycles have concluded, and the results speak for themselves. Even though domestic and international applications are down approximately 9% compared to last year’s all-time high, it was Haverford’s second-largest applicant pool, including one of the strongest early decision rounds Jess Lord, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, has experienced in his entire 20-year tenure in terms of both quantitative and qualitative assessments. (See profile of Jess Lord below.) Such results may not be singular, but they are exceptional in today's marketplace and are the result of the contributions of everyone across the Haverford community.

Annually, nearly 50% of Haverford students receive financial aid, with approximately $3.5M of that coming from federal funding. Should any of that funding be in jeopardy—something that is not clear at this time—it is our promise to continue to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all current and admitted students, regardless of federal funding availability or student citizenship status.

Haverford 2030

Our strategic plan, Haverford 2030, positions Haverford to meet the intellectual ambitions of future generations of students, to create an inclusive and just campus community for all, and to educate the creators and leaders prepared to engage the world's unprecedented and continuing challenges. The response to our vision for Haverford has been enthusiastic, and early fundraising is on target.

Over seven years, there will be many milestones—some large and some more incremental. One example: Faculty will introduce a yearly ethics theme as a cornerstone of the Kim Institute for Ethical Inquiry and Leadership. A pilot of this initiative will launch next year with the theme "Heat," led by professors Joshua Moses (Environmental Studies and Anthropology) and Anna West (Health Studies), exploring the health and environmental impacts of a warming climate through courses, components of courses, and gatherings.

Another example of change arising from the strategic plan is the work being done by Vice President and Dean of the College John McKnight through an initiative to support student learning outside the classroom, called FORD Life. Grounded in educational research and praxis, FORD Life will better coordinate and promote the wide range of programs and initiatives happening on campus and provide a roadmap across students’ undergraduate years. By allowing students to better reflect upon and articulate their personal growth and skill development, FORD Life is intended to enhance students’ abilities to demonstrate the value of their Haverford experiences in ways that contribute to their post-graduate success.

A Passion for Admission

For 20 years, Jess Lord has worked to recruit, admit and enroll Haverfordians. Today, as vice president and dean of admission and financial aid, he manages all aspects of student admission and aid, including recruitment, admission, and enrollment. Lord worked at other colleges before 2005, including Pomona and his alma mater Brown University, but it wasn’t until he took up his role at Haverford that his work dovetailed with his life as a Quaker. He and his entire team play an enormous role in Haverford being able to deliver on its promise of an inclusive intellectual learning community to prepare students for lives of integrity, ambition, and purpose. Read the full profile.