Harvard College

Statistics

Rankings & Lists

Students Say - Academics
Those who are lucky enough to attend this legendarily "beautiful, fun, historic and academically alive place" in Cambridge, Massachusetts, find a "dynamic universe" that has the ability to both inspire and intimidate, and to open up a portal to an "amazing irresistible hell," plus about a billion opportunities beyond that. Needless to say, it's "very difficult, academically," but the school "does a good job of watching over its freshmen through extensive advising programs." Those that are not willing to go after what they want-classes, positions in extracurriculars, jobs, etc.,-do not gain access to the vast resources of the university. With such a definitive grouping of intelligent people, there does tend to be "latent competition." Nobody is cut-throat in classes, but "people find ways to make everything (especially clubs and even par- tying) competitive." Still, this is a good thing, and one student claims his experience to be "rewarding beyond anything else I've ever done." "It is impossible to 'get the most out of Harvard' because Harvard offers so much," says another. As at any school, "some professors are better than others," but for the most part, the "the brightest minds in the world" here are "incredible" and "every so often, fantastic," and "the level of achievement is unbelievable." says a student. Harvard employs a lot of Teaching Fellows (TFs) for the larger lecture classes, so "you do have to go to office hours to get to know your big lecture class professors on a personal level," but "this is not a deterrent." The administration can be "waaaaay out of touch with students" and "reticent to change," and there are more than a few claims of bureaucracy, but many agree it has the students' best interests at heart.

Students Say - Campus Life
Most students have resolved their study habits by the time they get to Harvard, so "studying becomes routine, and there is a vibrant social atmosphere on campus and between students and the local community." In Cambridge and Boston, there's always something to do, whether it's "go see a play, a concert, hit up a party, go to the movies, or dine out." The new pub on campus is an excellent place to hang out and see people, "especially if you want to play a game of pool or have a reasonably priced drink," drinking also occurs on weekends at parties or at Harvard's finals clubs, though it is by no means a prevalent part of social life here. In addition to school-sponsored events such as panels and film screenings, the number of student organizations is staggering. "Basically, if you want to do it, Harvard either has it or has the money to give to you so you can start it," says a student. "Boredom does not exist here. There are endless opportunities and endless passionate people to do them with." During freshman year, the school organizes a lot of holiday/special event parties for people to get to know one another, and conversations are rarely surface-level and "often incorporate some sort of debate or interesting/important topic."

Students Say - Student Body
Everyone is here to achieve, and this makes for a very common, and broad mold of a typical student. As one junior computer science major succinctly puts it: "Works really hard. Doesn't sleep. Involved in a million extracurriculars." People here have nothing but the highest opinion of their fellow students, and when it comes to finding the lowest common denominator, it's that "everyone is great for one reason or another." However, all of these virtuosos are down-to-earth, and there are also a lot of well-rounded kids "who aren't geniuses but are pretty good at most things." Admitting the best of the best makes for quite a diverse campus, and "there is a lot of tolerance and acceptance at Harvard for individuals of all races, religions, socio-economic backgrounds, life styles, etc."

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