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The Facts

Harvard is arguably the most prestigious school in the country. Its alumni include former presidents such as John F. Kennedy, Nobel Prize winners such as Ralph Bunche, and well-known authors such as Lauren Slater. It is also known for its highly competitive and stress-ridden atmosphere, with the cream of the crop competing for the top grades and favor of professors. Most of the students admitted have SAT scores ranging from 600 to 800 on each section of both the SAT I’s and SAT II subject tests. Over 90% of the Class of 2004 graduated in the top 10% of their high school class, so competition among over 19,000 applicants for 2,000 lusted-after spots is undeniably fierce.

Harvard is known for favoring applicants with a legacy, or parents that have attended. The dean of admissions personally reads through every legacy application, so a lot of extremely qualified students with straight A’s and perfect test scores get turned down.

Harvard is a decentralized school, with ten different colleges offering 40 different majors or concentrations. A unique feature of the university is that it allows students to combine major fields of study or devise their own special concentrations. They are world-renowned for their political science program, which draws many elite politicians as guest lecturers, and even as faculty. Some of the most popular majors at Harvard are within the areas of psychology, economics, political science and government, English language and literature, and biology.

Harvard is set in the renowned college town Cambridge, which lies just on the edge of Boston proper. The center of Boston is easily and quickly accessible; it is just a few minutes ride on the inexpensive “T” (train) system.

Student Life

Harvard's campus is beautiful and is kept in top shape due to its large endowment. Most freshmen are all housed together in a building that circles the Harvard Yard, and in a city as expensive as Boston, many students are relieved that housing is guaranteed all four years. Non-freshmen live in one of the several different “houses,” each with its own unique qualities. Each “house” holds around 400 students, and contains its own dining room and library.

Many students agree that Cambridge is the ideal college town, and rarely venture into Boston, as there is no need. Cambridge is quite expensive; however, it is filled with great bookshops, restaurants, bars and cafes. The campus itself is wooded and charming; everything is within reasonable walking distance.

Despite the obvious perks, many students complain that the social life is pretty tame. The biggest events of the year tend to be right before exams, when the hard studying comes briefly to a halt for students to drink a bit, strip down to their necessaries, and streak through the quad. Most students opt to go to the theater or to the movies instead of wild parties, although drinking does, inevitably occur. One of the reasons for the light socializing might be the fact that there are no fraternities or sororities, due to school policy of gender inclusion. There are, however, over 300 student organizations to choose from, including The Finals Club and the Glee Club. Even though sports might not be the first thing to come to mind at the mention of “Harvard,” it does boast the largest Division I athletic program in the country.

The guys and girls tend to all be geeks, but when they come together, nothing but love abounds, and there are the occasional smart and hot ones… an added bonus.

What’s Good

You can say the name Harvard with pride. Pretty much everyone in the world will recognize the name as prestigious, and for good reasons.”

“There is a genuinely intellectual atmosphere here, one that inspires great leaders and thinkers to change the world when they graduate, and even before then.”

“The campus is the most beautiful I’ve seen. You feel like living history when you walk down the paths.”

What’s Bad

“It’s really a sink or swim atmosphere. Even the best of the best have to really struggle to stay afloat.”

“It’s impossible to get into any decent classes unless you are a senior or if you have a personal relationship with a professor.”

“Arrogance and elitism abound. Most people here think they are just God’s gift to the world. Sometimes, they’re almost right, but mostly, they’re just way off the mark.”

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