The admission process is conducted as a comprehensive review, where each applicant is treated personally and individually, and every part of the application is taken into account. First-year applicants will have earned a high school diploma prior to matriculation and will not have completed a full year enrolled as a full-time student at any other higher education institution.

A student is eligible for transfer admission to Haverford if at least one year has been completed as a full-time student at a college or university by the time of enrollment at Haverford. (Students who have completed one year of full-time university study must apply as transfer students; they may not apply as first year students.) Transfer students must enroll as full-time students and must spend a minimum of two years at Haverford.