Harvard University

Harvard University Introduction

Tour guides leading visitors around the Harvard campus are quick to mention that Harvard, founded in 1636, is the oldest college in the United States. In historic Harvard Yard, tour guides explain that Hollis Hall, a red brick structure built in 1763, housed Washington’s troops during the Revolutionary War. In front of Widener Library, tourists learn that Harvard’s library system is the largest university system in the world, containing more than ninety libraries, more than fourteen million volumes, and some 100,000 periodicals.

Harvard’s age and outstanding physical resources are among the college’s most distinctive features. Yet, few Harvard alumni will say that the best part of their Harvard experience was the fact that the college is the oldest in the country. It is more likely that they will mention the environment of daily life as the distinguishing aspect of their experience, an environment characterized by the cities of Cambridge and Boston, a unique residential life system, and the people who make Harvard tick.

Harvard has called Cambridge, Massachusetts, home for all of its 360-plus years. Cambridge, located along the Charles River a few miles from downtown Boston, boasts beautiful tree-lined streets as well as numerous shops, cinemas, restaurants, music stores, coffeehouses, bars, theaters, and bookstores.

In addition, the city of Boston is only a $1.25 trip away on the subway. The Boston area is home to more that forty colleges and universities and some 200,000 college students, five professional athletic teams, and all of the resources of a large city in a historic, scenic, and pedestrian-friendly package.

Boston was a considerable factor in my search for a college. Throughout high school, I’d said that I want to go to college in Boston because there are just so many colleges there. I really like Harvard’s location because, while there are many opportunities and resources on campus, the entire Boston area is also still available. Public transportation makes it so easy to get to practically anywhere, and it’s safe and inexpensive. Harvard Square in Cambridge is great for coffee, food, shopping, and even street entertainment; there just never seems to be a dull moment. I really like Boston for the cultural events that are there: I saw four musicals and one ballet last year in Boston. I’m from a large city, and I wanted to attend college in a place that would provide all the opportunities and experiences to which I was accustomed. I have yet to be disappointed.

Harvard students also enjoy the world beyond metropolitan Boston. The mountains of New Hampshire and the Maine seacoast are each a short drive away to the north; the beaches of Cape Cod are a short drive south of Boston.

Harvard students are amazing in the diversity of their backgrounds, interests, and perspectives. Students come from all fifty of the United States as well as more than seventy foreign countries, and nearly seventy percent of them come from public high schools. The college is entirelycoeducational and has been since 1977, when Harvard and Radcliffe joined forces in a unique partnership. (Radcliffe was completely assimilated by Harvard in 1999.) Students hail from many different religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is impossible not to feel energized by the presence of so many different people and ideas.

I think the best thing about student life at Harvard is that, in a typical discussion, the topics of conversation could be anything from Kant’s philosophy on morals to the thorough pummeling the New England Patriots received at the hands of the Green Bay Packers in last week’s football game. It is really gratifying to be able to engage in a serious intellectual conversation whenever and with whomever one pleases. Also, because the Harvard community is saturated with such amazing talent, the atmosphere of high achievement and hard work around campus tends to motivate each of us to strive to be our very best.

Harvard’s location, its residential system, and its many human resources create a unique environment for the college years. Regardless of your interests or goals, daily life in this environment is challenging, inspiring, and, in Boston-speak, “wicked fun.”

When you think of Harvard, think of its many resources, both human and physical. Think of Cambridge and Boston and New England. Think of the vibrant extracurricular life. Think of the special benefits of the residential system.

At the same time, Harvard isn’t the ideal school for everyone. For one thing, Harvard is urban and it might not be a good place for those looking for a small, quiet, college town. Cambridge has a lot of trees and lawns and a beautiful river, but it also has traffic and a lot of general activity. Harvard might not be great for those who want a small college environment. Although the college is considered medium-sized, you probably won’t be able to learn everyone’s name. Moreover, although you will work closely with an advisor, Harvard is more suited to those who are excited about taking some of the responsibility and initiative to make their education a success. Finally, Harvard might not be a good choice for you if you have a clear idea of what field you want to pursue in college and want to pursue a strictly professional program. Having said that, come visit Harvard. It’s worth seeing as an historic site even if you never decide to apply.

What is so great about Harvard? More important than the prestige (though perhaps because of it), it is the resources and opportunities that Harvard places within your reach that shrink your four years into fleeting moments. What you have at Harvard is an unmatched opportunity to discover and rediscover, in and outside class, who you are and what motivates you.

Harvard University Academics

Students at Harvard enjoy a great variety of academic offerings and resources. Pursuing their A.B. or S.B., undergraduate students choose from about 3,500 classes every year and over forty fields of concentration (or majors). Throughout the course of eight semesters, students are required to take and pass thirty-two semester-long courses to graduate. The concentration accounts for roughly half of the course load over the four years. Students major in such fields as engineering, folklore and mythology, computer science, linguistics, economics, history and literature, and biological sciences, to name just a few. Some students design their own concentrations or pursue joint concentrations in two different disciplines.

The Core Curriculum

The remaining half of the curriculum is divided between electives and the core curriculum. Through the core, students are able to explore seven semester-long courses that have nothing or very little to do with their concentration. With the help of your advisor, you decide when to take the core courses and which ones to take. Many students end up taking more classes in the core curriculum than they are required to take for their diploma. The core courses are lively and interesting; they provide an opportunity to explore areas outside of your concentration.

Electives

The last part of the curriculum is composed of electives, which allow students to explore any other interests they might have. For example, some students concentrate in a nonscience discipline and use their electives to complete the premedical requirements. Others become fluent in a foreign language or take studio art classes as electives. Many students use their electives to take classes that will be fun and that will provide them with a different academic experience.

The curriculum offers students a great deal of choice and flexibility, and it includes special opportunities such as cross-registration at M.I.T. and study abroad. In a recent year, Harvard students studied in thirty-five different countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Physical resources, such as the world’s largest university library system, enhance the curriculum by providing students with world-class facilities. Yet it is the human resources, namely the faculty and students at Harvard, that have the largest influence on the academic experience at the college.

Examples of Core Classes

• Caribbean Societies: Socioeconomic Change and Cultural Adaptations
• Individual, Community, and Nation in Vietnam
• Medicine and Society in America
• The Warren Court and the Pursuit of Justice
• Tragic Drama and Human Conflict
• The Modern Jewish Experience in Literature
• Majesty and Mythology in African Art
• The Hero of Irish Myth and Saga
• Ethics and International Relations
• Matter in the Universe
• The Biology of Trees and Forests
• Children and Their Social Worlds

Harvard University Admissions

Getting into Harvard is extremely competitive. Only ten to twelve percent of the applicants in the past few years were admitted, yet more than eighty-five percent of the applicants were academically qualified. Harvard attracts some of the best students in the world: most admitted students rank in the top ten to fifteen percent of their high school graduating classes, with over 2,500 applicants for the class of 2010 being valedictorians of their high school classes.Statistics like these can be intimidating, but remember that a little over 2,000 people received good news from Harvard last year. It’s hard to get in, but it’s not impossible.

If you decide to apply, do your best to present yourself to the Admissions Committee with a complete, concise application. Keep this in mind if you are thinking of applying:

• Harvard accepts only the common application, and does not even have its own institutional form. The common application is fairly straightforward: send a transcript, write an essay on a topic of your choice, fill in some biographical information, provide a summary of your extracurricular life, and ask two teachers and a counselor to fill out recommendations. An alumnus interview is also a required component of the application.After you send in your application, a volunteer from your local area will contact you to arrange the interview. Harvard requires students to submit either the SAT or ACT and any three of the SAT Subject Tests. Finally, a Secondary School Report and Mid-Year School Report must be filled out by your college advisor or school counselor.
• Harvard College no longer offers an Early Action program, as of fall 2007. The Regular Action deadline is January 1; decisions are mailed in early April.
• In making its decisions, the Admissions Committee considers all aspects of a person’s candidacy. You will be evaluated on your academic performance and potential, your extracurricular talents, and your personal strengths. First and foremost, the committee wants to be confident that you can handle the Harvard coursework. Your high school transcript is important here; take the toughest classes your school offers and that you can do well in. Once it has been determined that you could swing it in Harvard’s classrooms, the committee will look for what distinguishes you from the thousands of other qualified candidates. Some applicants set themselves apart from the rest of the pool based on their extraordinary academic promise. Others are distinguished because of their well-roundedness or their specific talents beyond the classroom. Personal qualities are important in every decision.

There is no formula through which one is admitted to Harvard. The committee reads every application with great care and strives to identify and admit those students who will make an impact during their college years and beyond. Be yourself on the application and in the interview and let your strengths, talents, and accomplishments speak for you. You certainly can’t get in if you don’t apply.

Harvard University Financial Aid

Harvard is committed to a need-blind admissions process. This means that an applicant’s candidacy for admission will be evaluated without regard for the family’s ability to pay. So, let’s say you’ve been admitted; now, how to foot the bill? College is expensive, and Harvard is certainly no exception. Fortunately, Harvard is also generous in its use of funds to support students.

Once you have been admitted, Harvard will meet your family’s demonstrated need to make it possible for you to matriculate. All of the financial aid is based solely on need. Harvard believes that all of its students make valuable contributions to the college; therefore, the college offers no merit-based scholarships. In addition, as part of the Ivy League, Harvard offers no athletic scholarships.

Approximately seventy percent of Harvard students receive some form of financial assistance. In recent years, the average scholarship was $32,000; the average financial aid package, including a grant, a loan, and a campus job, totaled over $36,000. In 2007–2008, Harvard will distribute more than $135 million in financial aid, including over $100 million in direct need-based scholarships to undergraduates.

Applying for Financial Aid

Logistically, it’s important to have your act together and to submit all of the forms required for a financial aid application on time (by February 1 of your senior year).

• You will need to fill out the CSS Profile, a form that you actually file directly with the College Scholarship Service. Don’t forget to designate Harvard as one of the schools to which you are applying.
• You need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a form that is available in your school guidance office.
• You are also required to submit your own and your parents’ federal income tax returns.
• Students applying from countries other than the United States should fill out Harvard’s own Financial Statement for Students from Foreign Countries instead of the CSS Profile. This is the only difference for international students in the financial aid process.

The financial aid officers are some of the most helpful people at Harvard. They want to work with you and your family to make it possible for you to come to Harvard once you have been admitted. Stay organized so that you always give the Financial Aid Office the most accurate, up-to-date information. It’s also a good idea to photocopy all of the forms you submit as part of your financial aid application.

Harvard University Students

Residences

The exciting atmosphere of the area surrounding Harvard’s campus complements the college’s unique residential system. Students are guaranteed on-campus housing for each of their four years at the college, and about ninety-eight percent of them choose to live on campus. First-year students live in Harvard Yard, the historical, academic, and administrative center of the campus. This first year is fun, and living with all of your own classmates in the heart of the campus is a great way to create class unity and to adjust to college life in a friendly, supportive environment.

The housing system is an enormous part of my life here. I have forged some of the most wonderful friendships with the people from my freshman year entryway. The house masters and tutors really create a family atmosphere. It’s a good feeling to be able to go to the dining hall and know among all those eating there—there is certainly not a dearth of friends.

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors reside in one of the twelve residential houses, which are large dorms accommodating 350 to 500 students. Each House has its own dining hall, library, computer lab, weight room, music practice rooms, and other facilities. Faculty members are in residence as well as a team of advisors or tutors. House spirit is strong, as students represent their houses on intramural sports teams and spend hours socializing in the house dining halls and common areas. In sum, while students at Harvard College enjoy all of the resources of a university, the residential system provides the feeling of a smaller college. The communities of the Yard and of the houses give students access to one another, and to the educational benefits of the college’s diverse population.

I have absolutely loved the way [freshman] housing is done. Because so much effort went into arranging first-year rooming groups, I got along really well with my suitemates (I had four). My entryway—the people who lived near me in the same dorm—was really close, and we often went to meals and to Boston together. My proctor always had his door open, and he made the transition into college life a lot easier. I also really felt that I was able to get to know people in my class who were not in my dorm or classes because all freshmen live and eat together. I doubt that I would have had as much class pride if it weren’t for this factor.

Everyone in my blocking group this year was from my entryway last year. Now that I am in a house, I am still with wonderful people, plus there are the benefits of having numerous tutors, an extremely helpful house staff, and a library right in the house.

Harvard Square

The second tier of social life, after the houses, is Harvard Square and Cambridge. On the weekends, students flood the Square, taking full advantage of this unique urban atmosphere. Even during the week, the Square offers a refreshing break from the books; a study break might include a movie, a cup of coffee with a friend, or an hour of listening to Cambridge’s fantastic street musicians.

The City of Boston

The final tier of the social life at Harvard is the city of Boston, where students might attend the theater, go to museums or concerts, visit other local colleges, or walk and shop in the city’s historic neighborhoods. While the Harvard campus itself provides all students with social options, many do like to explore the surrounding environment in their free time.

Student Organizations

Harvard students like socializing and relaxing, but they also tend to be busy, as most are involved in two or three extracurricular activities. All told, there are more than 300 official student organizations on campus, including five orchestras, two jazz bands, a marching band, a gospel choir, a glee club, over ten a cappellagroups, a daily newspaper and dozens of other political and literary publications, more than eighty theater productions per year, and student government, debate teams, religious groups, and minority public service organizations.

I’d like to say I chose Harvard because I thought it was the best fit for me in terms of size, location, student-professor ratio, etc. I have to honestly admit, however, that I came here mostly because of Harvard’s reputation. I knew my academic needs would be met here but was actually worried I wouldn’t be musically stimulated. My worries were unfounded, however, because Harvard gave me musical opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have found at another institution. Not only was I able to sing a lead in an opera, but was able to sing solos with full orchestras and tour around the world. Only at Harvard are undergraduates given this much opportunity at such a young age.

Libraries at Harvard

• Harvard’s Widener and Pusey Libraries contain millions of volumes on more than 57 miles of bookshelves.
• Harvard’s libraries contain more than just books: a set of Harry Houdini’s handcuffs; Charles Dickens’s walking stick and paper knife; T.S. Eliot’s panama hat; a set of George Washington’s pistols.

Harvard University Athletics

Harvard boasts forty-one varsity athletic teams, more than any other college or university in the country. If you don’t think of Harvard as a jock school, think again. In recent years, Harvard athletes have won Ivy League championships in men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s tennis, baseball, football, men’s and women’s squash, and men’s and women’s crew. Harvard athletes have earned NCAA Division I championships in women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s hockey, crew, and squash. In addition, intramural, club, and recreation-level sports are extremely popular; about two-thirds of undergraduates are involved in some sort of athletic endeavor. You can take aerobics, learn a martial art, row novice crew, or play soccer for your house or dorm intramural team. Even if you are a non-athlete, you’ll probably enjoy the Ivy League rivalries and the school spirit they inspire. The Harvard-Yale football game continues to be one of the highlights of the school year.

The example of athletics demonstrates the scope of extracurricular life at Harvard; it is astounding if not sometimes overwhelming. You will probably never be able to take part in as many activities or groups as you would like; however, you can rest assured that the opportunities for involvement will be numerous regardless of your level of ability.

The energy of Harvard’s campus is one of its most distinctive features. That energy originates from the wide range of extracurricular and cocurricular activities and from the committed, enthusiastic students who keep them going. Some people perceive all Harvard students to be “grinds,” interested only in their academic pursuits. This is one of the biggest myths about Harvard. Daily life is full of occasions for involvement, and it’s hard, if not impossible, to find a Harvard student who isn’t passionate about something beyond school work.

My problem is trying to narrow down what I really want to do extracurricularly because there are so many groups and programs that interest me. I am currently involved in varsity cheerleading, the Black Students Association, undergraduate recruiting, and the Undergraduate Admissions Council. I have also been involved in the Harvard Entrepreneurs Club and tutoring elementary school students. I find that I need to be involved in activities; it’s just an important aspect of who I am.

Harvard University Alumni

The commencement ceremony is Harvard’s most spectacular annual event. I remember every detail of that day vividly—the beautiful crimson, black, and white flags and banners in Harvard Yard, the music, the smiling graduates draped in caps and gowns, my own friends and family sharing in my excitement. This extraordinary celebration of the university community was the perfect way to end the college experience.

Students leave Harvard well prepared to head off in many different directions. Many of my own close friends went into graduate programs; some went right to work. They pursued work in investment banking, consulting, advertising, and teaching. Now that we have been out of college for a few years, many of my close friends are starting to make changes, such as going back to school for an M.B.A. or graduating from medical school and beginning their residencies. It is exciting to see all the different opportunities my classmates are pursuing.

Harvard’s liberal arts curriculum provides students with a base on which to build their futures. Students graduate from Harvard with a comprehensive understanding of their concentrations, and with an appreciation for other disciplines. In recent years, the most popular concentrations have been economics, government, and biology. This may reflect many students’ interest in business, law, and medicine, respectively. But many graduates who were government concentrators are not aspiring lawyers; they are pursuing various career paths. The message here is that it is impossible to generalize about Harvard students and graduates.

Students receive excellent career counseling from the Office of Career Services, where they are encouraged to explore possible career paths. More than 300 companies recruited on campus in a recent year. These facts illuminate the degree to which students are exposed to different possibilities before they leave Harvard.

Prominent Grads

• John Adams, President of the United States
• John Quincy Adams, President of the United States
• Leonard Bernstein, Composer, Conductor
• e. e. cummings, Poet
• W.E.B. DuBois, Educator, Writer
• T. S. Eliot, Poet
• Ralph Waldo Emerson, Writer, Philosopher
• Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States
• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jurist
• Henry James, Author
• Tommy Lee Jones, Actor
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President of the United States
• John Lithgow, Actor
• Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United States
• Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States
• George Santayana, Author
• Henry David Thoreau, Writer
• Paul Wylie, Skater

Harvard University Faculty

The student body benefits from a great human resource—the faculty. For the most part, the professors are kind, approachable people, as well as remarkable scholars. They make themselves available to students through office hours, by leading students in research, and by chatting informally before or after class or in the Yard during the school day. The enthusiasm of the professors is a perfect complement to that of the students they teach.

My favorite professor is Peter Burgard, who is also the Head Tutor for my concentration (German Cultural Studies). As a freshman, I took one class each semester with Professor Burgard. He really seemed to care about what we thought of the class by periodically asking the students for feedback. Professor Burgard encouraged us to see him during office hours, which I frequently did. He was always very helpful in answering my questions, and he helped me to think about which classes would be most beneficial for my interests, in addition to providing information on study abroad programs.

The Harvard professors are terrific scholars, but they also prove to be caring and devoted teachers. Ninety-eight percent of the faculty teach undergraduates, and the average class size is smaller than you might imagine (about sixteen or seventeen students, according to a recent survey). Students take advantage of the small class sizes provided by numerous seminars and tutorials. Many students are involved in research at some point during their college years, which might include one-on-one work with a professor. A senior thesis project is an option for most concentrations, although a few of the departments do require a thesis.

Freshman Seminars

Freshman Seminars bring together faculty members and small groups of freshmen to investigate specialized topics. About a quarter of the entering class takes advantage of this early opportunity to work closely with professors in an area of mutual interest. Some recent Freshman Seminars:

• Childhood and Its Literary Cu
• The Genome and Society
• Bob Dylan
• African Musical Tradition
• Nationalism in Modern Western Europe
• Wrongdoing in Russian Literature
• AIDs in the Caribbean

Academically, the experience at Harvard depends to a certain degree on what you decide you want to do with your time in Cambridge. Small classes, accessible, friendly professors, helpful advisors, and top-notch physical resources are yours to enjoy; ultimately, it’s up to you to take full advantage of the opportunities.

Carnegie Foundation Classification

Research Universities (very high research activity)

General Characteristics

Highest offering	Doctoral degree
Calendar System	Semester
Years of college work required	N/A
Variable Tuition

Special Learning Opportunities

Distance Learning
ROTC — Army / Navy / Air Force	— / /
Study Abroad
Weekend College
Teacher Certification