Harvard University Top Questions

The housing system is generally really good, although the blocking system could use some refinement -- I've seen a lot of groups fall apart after sophomore year. It is great having everyone live on campus, though, and it creates a strong community. Harvard's size is perfect, because you never know everyone but you always know someone. Dropping the "H Bomb" can be both a satisfying and an awkward experience, but it is really comforting to know that it will be that much easier to get a job when I graduate. Harvard Square has lost some of its character with all of these new chain businesses moving in, but it is hard to beat the location of Harvard right next to Boston. In terms of spirit, Harvard people aren't really crazy fans like at a lot of state schools, although everyone goes nuts for things like the Harvard-Yale Football Game. I guess it seems a little pompous, generally, to go around cheering Harvard.

Harvard is quite simply Harvard, old, bureaucratic, elitist, diverse, one big mix of everything. I feel like I came from another world sometimes, even though I came from a prep school, it wasn't a Northeastern one. It is not necessarily that obvious, but if you have a wide variety of friends it becomes clear that there are divisions according to who's a legacy, who went to which elite prep school, who plays what sports. The most obvious example is the Hasty Pudding Social Club which initiates freshmen based on if they are legacy or were part of an elite secondary school network, or if they are abnormally "cool" (mainly the former two). They are instantly a broad clique, or a network that will maintain wealth and power in America. The rest of the people are either aware of the divide, or do not even notice it. Either way, finding friends is key at Harvard I believe. Whether it be a network of high class kids with the best of facilities or people who enjoy doing science together, its all about the community you build among your peers.

Harvard is really interesting as a school because of how global it is. There are students from all over the country and it is really great to learn from them about their worldly experiences. The campus is gorgeous, minus the awful New England weather. The city of Cambridge is really safe, yet has great things to do in the square. Coming to Harvard really made me appreciate the amazing academics I get to participate in.

The best thing about Harvard is the heterogeneous nature of the student body. A student who wants to learn a lot about the way other people see the world can with ease. One thing I'd change though is the amount of work assigned in classes. Not this much work is needed to assure students grasp the material and may indeed conflict with the goal of learning for the long term since students are so busy cramming reading for the exam/paper.

Thankfully, Harvard is just the kind of college I had envisioned for myself: the size of the school allows for individual expression without compromising the overarching school spirit. The campus is situated in the heart of Cambridge, MA and is easily accessible from almost any direction by public transportation. Even so, students tend to spend much of their time on campus grounds.

Harvard is a place where anything can happen, at least academically speaking. With the most funding and academic resources of any university in the country, Harvard has a lot to offer for anyone interested in academic exploration. Harvard has an interesting relationship with Cambridge, its host city, but this suburb of Boston is full of great restaurants and mildly friendly inhabitants (for the East coast, anyway). Boston itself is also close by, a walkable city full of history and culture. Winters here are hard to get through, but spring is rewarding and fall is beautiful. It's a small enough campus so that it's easy to feel familiar with a lot of people, but big enough so that you can establish your own niche and have elbow-room to follow your own pursuits with your own style. If you're interested, you can make connections with administration - and with anyone else on campus you feel like getting to know. The food is decent (they try), the campus arts scene is absolutely amazing, and the volunteering opportunities at Harvard are actually endless.

Harvard has many opportunities but it is up to the student to take advantage of them. But you get first priority at a lot of things.

the college offers a great network for business opportunities, I would like to have a golf course though

I spend most of my time in my room or the library, but I get distracted by computer games a lot so I don't study that much. I would like to have more school-run outdoor activities because I need sun and wind to thrive.

I can understand skipping meals, but I don't understand skipping breakfast. While the other meals could be lackluster to revolting, HUDS never fails at breakfast. (except for Sunday mornings)