Harvard University Top Questions

My advice is simple: don't sell yourself short, either financially or personally. Parents, don't assume that all private colleges are too expensive -- the really good ones usually have financial resources to help anyone who's qualified attend. Students, don't be afraid to shoot for the stars. Apply to many colleges, including a bunch of "reach" schools. These four years are often hailed as "the best years of your life" because of the freedom and fun of college, but they are also some of our most important formative years -- personally, academically, socially, culturally, religously, politically.... During this time you will rise to academic challenges, be exposed to a diversity of viewpoints, give back to your community and develop a sense of self that will carry you forward into the future. When I left my tiny town for Harvard, I came face-to-face with people from all over the globe and learned more than I had ever dreamed possible -- and my life will never be the same for it. Don't be afraid to put yourself on the line in the application process. Don't sell yourself short. You never know where you might wind up.

Don't necessarily choose the Harvards or the Yales for the name. Go where you would fit in best - that may be at a smaller college with less so-called "prestige" but where you may enjoy yourself more and learn more

You probably don't know at this point what you want to do when you "grow up" because you're still in high school. That's perfectly alright. If you do, then great?choose a college that has a strong program in that field. But for most of you, the best thing to do, I think, is to choose a college that offers as many opportunities as possible. That's probably a liberal arts school. And it's OK to study what you like, regardless of what "real world" applications it may have. Plenty of people study English and go on to do things other than teach English, write, or edit. In many respects, the point of college is to gain skills and the ability to think critically and analytically, not to learn a trade.

Look beyond the name. Visit colleges before you apply and preferably spend a day or two at the school and see for yourself whether you like the environment and the people.

Follow your heart.

The best advice I can give to anyone looking into colleges is that they find a place that will meet their financial as well as educational needs. Big name schools are great, but they only get you so far. It is much better to find a school whose administration is willing to work with you and make it possible to avoid being in insumountable debt than to go to a school that is very well-known and grants no financial aid. If you do well in the college you choose to attend, you can go on to a bigger named graduate school which is what most people look at anyway.

You are about to embark on a journey, a journey down your own yellow-brick road. And in the words of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, "there's no place like home." College is one of the most important times in any individual's life. College is the place where one makes life long friends. College is the place where one prepares themselves for the world that lies ahead. College is the end and the beginning: end to the old, and beginning to the new. Do you prefer a small school or a big school? Do you prefer cold weather or warm weather? Is your social life more important than academics? To discuss every factor that could affect one's decision in choosing a college is impossible. I could spend days delineating the factors that guided my decision, but that would be of little help or consequence. My advice is simple: find your home, and be yourself. If you follow that advice, I guarantee you will have the time of your life. College is about finding a place to call home, and building a family that will last a lifetime.

Go to any bookstore around October or November and you'll see a literal plethora of college-oriented how-to books littering the shelves. Most of them offer trite bits of advice, urging students to "follow their dreams" or "do what feels right." My advice (as a rising junior at Harvard)? Sit down and actually think about what you want in a school, instead of abiding by some clich?. Many students at Harvard College, often considered the most prestigious school in the United States, express discontent when asked about their academic workload or their advising situation. Despite its world-renowned teaching staff and an endowment that is larger than the entire economies of some developing countries, Harvard struggles to provide access to real professors at the undergraduate level. While some of my courses have been taught by brilliant professors, my math course freshman year was led by a graduate student who really could care less about univariate calculus. Given this situation, it's important that both prospective college students and their parents really consider what they're getting themselves into. After all, there's nothing worse than being stuck in a terrible class with no way out.

It really depends on what kind of student a person is in order to find the right college for them. I am a shy very funny sociable guy and my school Harvard Extension School does not fit me in regards to that. However it is the best academic choice but having a social life especially at 22 and being good looking as me is important to me. So I would guess if a student is a shy kid that needs to live a little send him or her to a school that will help them do that unless the student is already a party animal that is easily distracted than clearly a less social oriented school is warranted. Unless the student is accepted into a ivy league school than I say forget their preference and tough it out.

There is no way to know if you will fit in at a school until you visit it and spend a day (or more) attending classes and meeting people. The best way to make the most out of one's college experience is to meet as many students, professors, mentors, alumni, etc. as soon as possible. Learn about their stories and begin immediately at developing your own.