Name: Emily Shutman
Sport: Women's Tennis
Hometown: Huntington, N.Y.
High School: Huntington
Activities/Clubs/Committees: Bi-Co Friends of Israel, Peer Awareness Facilitator
Why did you choose Haverford?
I chose Haverford because I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school that had small classes and individualized attention. I also wanted to continue playing tennis. Haverford is also much stronger in the sciences than other comparable liberal arts schools which was attractive as I am a likely biology major.
Why did you choose to play a sport in college?
I chose to play a sport because tennis was something I played competitively for almost 10 years going into college, and I couldn't imagine giving that up and disregarding all the hard work and time that went into my sport. Also, playing a sport is a great way to make a fantastic group of friends with whom you have so much in common and really fosters a great social environment. Playing a sport also gives me an outlet to forget about academics for a while and just have a blast on the court for two hours a day. I think knowing I have practice or a match even makes me more productive throughout the day and teaches me how to make good use of my time.
What makes Haverford unique?
I think a lot of what makes Haverford unique is derived from its Honor Code. Academically, the Honor Code allows for greater trust to be fostered between the students and faculty which I feel engenders an academic environment more focused on learning than competition and grades. Although the academics are quite rigorous, I think being able to take self-scheduled final exams alleviates some of the finals stress found at other schools. During finals week you will always have more than ample time to prepare. Additionally, I think that the Social Honor Code helps extend that trusting academic environment to the social sphere to enable students to fully enjoy a thriving college social life.
What advice would you give to a high school student considering Haverford?
I would tell them that if all this sounds appealing they should totally come but they should think about if they have any hesitation about coming to such a small school. While I personally love the intimate classes and social environment and value the community it creates, it is not for everyone and I think it is just something to consider before committing to the school.
What is your favorite team experience?
My favorite team experience so far was when we beat Washington College in the first round of conference playoffs. We had beaten Washington College in a really close 5-4 match previously in the season, but there were many tense moments where we were unsure of how the match was going to go. However, when we played them in the playoffs we immediately took a commanding lead and didn't drop a match. It was an incredible experience to have a really great match against a player I had previously lost to and it was great to see my teammates dig really deep and grind out win after win.