Harvard University Top Questions

is pretty cool

Students of the economic department seem to attach more importance to clothes.Internationality is lower than I expected it to be.

is incredibly diverse, although groups tend to stick together. for example, most of my friends are minorities whose families are from the US or children of immigrants. i've also interacted with plenty of mainly-white , mainly-black or mainly-indian groups.

Very diverse and committed. Even without much leadership groups achieve to work in a coordinated manner.

I feel like there is a very broad range of backgrounds here. Just about anyone can find a group of friends, although I notice that certain groups seem to stick together more than others. For example, a lot of the african american students seem to only associate with other students inside their race. Same goes for some groups of asian americans. A ton of harvard students are from the Mass. New England area.

people are very tolerant here, people from all walks of life and a million campus groups supporting every viewpoint on issues, people are largely politically active and really passionate about their interests, most people are liberal but there is a strong Republican group on campus, it is very socioeconomically diverse especially with the new financial aid initiatives

The most important thing about Harvard is the other students. I have met more unbelievably talented students in my one year here than I thought possible. The quality of students in the math and physics departments is truly astounding--no matter how smart you think you are, there will be many people here to challenge you. On the whole, the people I met were very friendly and interesting, if somewhat driven. It might be a problem for some people to suddenly be in a place where they are no longer the top dog academically, though it seems most students adjust fairly quickly My main negative comments about the other students are that they do tend to be VERY driven (you really almost have to be to even get in) and not openly eccentric. Though in any school with as many smart people as Harvard has there will be some oddballs, most students seem to want to put on a veneer of total control and normality. MIT, where I almost went, does seem to have a more open environment for the truly odd. Also, at least some of the students are very smart, but not intellectual--they do work to get a good resume to get a good job to be rich...They are nice people, but I was hoping for more rampant intellectualism.

I have no experience with any of those groups, no one feels outta place at harvard, maybe the gangsters do, students wear polos and comfy jeans (not too baggy), yes diversity is key, the tables: the blacks, the nerdy smart overachievers (all very very nice and shy), the AAA (All American Asian) table, and the jocks (all races), most Harvard students are rich, students are politically active left, students always talk about pay

Diversity: I have never met a more diverse group of people. I've met people who are from countries I had never even heard of, belong to religious groups I didn't know existed, have strange, and have the most obscure hobbies (e.g. champion bird watchers, world champion DJ, New York Times Crossword Puzzle Developer). Out of Place: Someone who isn't passionate about the world, and doing something important in it. Other than that, Harvard is a pretty accepting place. What people wear: There are people who wear everything. Most commonly, though, is probably just the basic t-shirt and jeans with sneakers or rain/snow boots. During midterms and finals usually sweats. Different types of students interact: Everyone can comfortably interact here. I have never felt like there was any sort of "group" I couldn't talk to. One of the nice things about Harvard is we all live in randomized housing so people can't self select to live in dorms with people who are only athletes or only drama kids, or only musical. Everyone is mixed in together, and find a way to get along. Dining Hall Tables: -Students who are studying quietly -Students who are having dinner with their team -Students who are sitting with resident tutors and getting advice about graduate school and career options -Students sitting and talking and chilling with their friends. Our tables are different because of what people are doing, not because of who they are. One student can fit into all of these categories on different days. Financial backgrounds: The vast majority of Harvard students are on financial aid. Many of my friends have full rides based on their financial situations. Many students are upper-middle class and a few are from very well-off backgrounds. This place is diverse, and every year it is getting more so. The Harvard Financial Aid Office, though, does a great job, and it is not obvious who is on financial aid and who is not unless someone tells you because they don't force students to work a ridiculously long amount of hours or take out huge loans. Political Involvement: There is tons of political activism here on both sides of the political spectrum. We get a vast array of top politicians on campus, and the events are always packed. During campaign seasons, hundreds of students spend their weekends in DC, New Hampshire, RI, and PA canvassing. Earnings: No! Some people might say they would like to be better off than their parents or that they could live on nothing if they had too, but it would be considered in bad taste here to arrogantly brag about how much you might one day earn.

Most students, but not all, come from ruling class backgrounds. Students who would feel out of place are middle class and working class students who don't aspire to make a career out of shitting on their class of origin. The so-called diversity is very superficial. Social groups here largely segregate by race, and all these groups mostly share the same upper class values. Politically, the vast majority of students are liberal Democrats who love gay marriage but are more hesitant to support anything that would benefit the poor. Racism on campus is widespread.