College Counseling
The Haverford School community prepares boys for life by developing men of character, intellect, and compassion who will transform our world.
The College Counseling Office echoes this mission by supporting students as they develop the knowledge and self-awareness to determine the path that is best for their education and their future. Applying to college, as well as being an exercise in learning how to make decisions, is an important process of self-realization—a period of learning about oneself.
The College Counseling team provides clarity and support and educates students and families on the ever-changing world of college admissions. The key to a successful college search experience is good communication between the student, parents, college counselors, and colleges. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the team at collegecounseling@haverford.org.
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Did you know?
- 95% of Haverford graduates were accepted to one of their top three college choices.
- 59% attend of Haverford graduates attend their top-choice college.
- Students receive individualized counseling during their IV Form/sophomore year
Meet the Team
Damian Long
Director of College Counseling
Damian Long joined The Haverford School community in 2023–24 as the Director of College Counseling. Long came to Haverford from Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, N.J., where he served as the Director of College Counseling. Prior to Moorestown Friends, Long was the Associate Director of College Counseling at The Shipley School, the Associate Director of College Counseling at The Hun School in Princeton, N.J., and a College Counselor at Saint Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, N.J. Long holds a B.A. in Human Services and M.A. in Counseling from Villanova University, where he was also an Admissions Assistant and a Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Counseling and Education. In addition to serving as the Director of College Counseling, Long sits on the SpeakUp! Board of Directors.
Karen Ley
Senior Associate Director of College Counseling
Karen Ley has experience working in college admissions, earned at Lafayette College, Dickinson College, and Guilford College. After years on the college side, where she visited The Haverford School for each institution, Ley happily joined The Haverford School community in 1995–96. She has also been a Haverford School parent, experiencing the college search firsthand, and enjoys working with families from this perspective.
Jeremy Branch
Associate Director of College Counseling
Prior to joining The Haverford School, Jeremy Branch worked in college admission at Penn State University for seventeen years and was responsible for schools throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, parts of New Jersey, and Delaware. In addition to his extensive work in admission counseling, Branch is an active member of the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling (PACAC), where he has served in a variety of roles for the Executive Committee, Dean of the Summer Institute at Bucknell University, and as President for the Association in 2020–21. Today, Branch’s association service extends to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), a 28,000 member global organization, where he serves as Board Director. His role on the NACAC Board places him front and center of the issues facing higher education access, advocacy, attainment, and success and his passionate student-centered approach has been a welcome addition to the Board.
Beth Downing
Senior Associate Director of College Counseling
Beth Downing joined The Haverford School in the summer of 2024 after three years at Aiglon College, an international boarding school in Switzerland, and sixteen years with the University of Pennsylvania’s Office of Admissions. While at Penn, Downing recruited students from Haverford and reviewed their applications. Downing has also served as a seasonal application reader for Northeastern University and the University of California, Los Angeles. A native Philadelphian, she holds both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Policies
Statement on Independent Educational Consultants/Counselors
The Haverford School College Counseling Office does not recommend the use of independent educational consultants/counselors; our statement about these third-party individuals can be found here.
Statement on Advanced Placement Courses and Exams
While colleges do not expect Haverford students to present Advanced Placement exams results with their applications, some students still sit for AP exams. Please note that you need to work with your local school district to try to arrange for AP testing. If your son is doing such; there are no seats available at any of the area’s independent schools. For more information on accessing AP test sites, please see here.