Can you, Harvard students, please tell me what are the things one can find only in Harbard? What makes Harvard unique? It can be anything, a course, a professor, or even something like the Columbia mandatory swim test. Thank you so much.
There is very little that is unique to Harvard that you couldn’t also find at Yale, Princeton, Stanford, UChicago or dozens of other colleges. To quote Jeffrey Brenzel, recently retired dean of Yale Admissions: http://admissions.yale.edu/after-colleges-accept-you
If you’re trying to find something unique about Harvard that no other college offers – something to write about for your Harvard supplemental essay for example – there’s housing day, primal scream, final clubs, Hasty Pudding Club (each of those has there own pluses and minuses depending upon which student you ask, so I wouldn’t necessarily mention any of them in an essay).
The thing most unique about Harvard is the degree to which it is mythologized in popular culture.
(This is going to be similar to gibby’s, so if you don’t like being lectured to, you can stop reading now.)
I think there are four (or so) things unique about Harvard, only one of which has any bearing on the experience of an individual undergraduate student (mostly negative).
First: It’s the oldest college in the United States, having been founded in 1636 and operating continuously at an elite level (if not always at the highest quality level since then. So what? It’s about 80 years younger than the Real y Pontifical Universidad de Mejico,the oldest university in North America, and you’re not clamoring to attend that. But if you are talking unique-unique, this is the one thing that clearly distinguishes Harvard from anybody else. The College of William and Mary was founded about 60 years later, and Yale 65 . . . and they’re pretty darn old, too.
Second: It also uniquely has the largest endowment any university has ever had. In the history of the world, only two nongovernmental institutions have ever been wealthier: the Catholic Church and the Gates Foundation. And both of them are far more diffuse in their operations and client base than Harvard. Of course this affects students positively, but less than you might imagine, because lots of the endowment is restricted for one purpose or another, often in one of the professional schools, and also because if you are a legitimate candidate for admission to Harvard most of your other choices have significant endowments as well. At least enough to fund the same sort of goodies for undergraduates that Harvard does.
Third, the main reason why it is usually seen as the strongest university in the Western Hemisphere, if not the world, is its unmatched average faculty strength across multiple academic departments and professional schools. It’s not the best in everything; in fact, there may be only a few things in which it is clearly the best in the world. But there are probably more areas in which Harvard’s faculty is top-10 worldwide than any other university, and only a handful even bear discussing as competitors. It also is uniquely decentralized, with individual departments and schools having more autonomy than at most peer universities, something that helps attract faculty. But no individual college student can really get far enough into more than one or two areas (if that) to appreciate the high quality of what’s available at Harvard, and the difference between the #1 and the #10 department in ANY field is such that only one in a hundred undergraduates would notice any difference (and that difference would be minuscule).
Fourth, it’s uniquely famous worldwide, recognizable as a brand, which means legions of tourists, foreign and domestic, descend on the campus every day. They gawk at the students as if the students were especially precious and adorable baby monkeys in the zoo. That’s kind of a bummer.
Probably the most unique thing about Harvard is that it’s the oldest college in Murica. I’d also put down the fact that they have a statue that has been peed on throughout the last couple of centuries, but I don’t know if that’s the charming fact you’re looking for.
Interesting fact: applicants mining discussion boards for essay fodder about Harvard on Dec 28 usually equals a poor outcome…
It’s HARVARD!!! B-) 
math 55
^^ What gphi777 said. There is nothing like Math 55 anywhere in the US (or maybe the world), and there is nothing like the scary-bright kids who survive Math 55 anywhere else. Bill Gates, by the way, is a Math 55-er.
CS 125 (Algorithms) with Mitzenmacher may become a unique Harvard experience as well. The course is a turbo-charged version of the already very fast CS 124 (Algorithms) in part with Math 55 students in mind.
The Harvard Keats Collection. Best in the world. And I understand Helen Vendler is teaching poetry next semester. Chance of a lifetime, really.
CS 50
The hordes of foreign tourists with their selfie sticks.
Many have answered the question, “What’s so unique about Harvard?” Here are a few things I haven’t seen mentioned. I am sure I will think of others as soon as I post.
@WasatchWriter mentioned Harvard’s Keats collection. This is the tip of the Widener iceberg. Harvard has the largest university library collection in the world (second only to the Library of Congress), and it is noteworthy for hundreds of collections and items including Emily Dickinson’s original “fascicles,” a Gutenberg Bible, and the Schlesinger cookbook collection.
Studies show that Harvard’s brand and name recognition is unparalleled. Because of this brand, Harvard receives applications from literally everywhere in the world to its programs. “Diversity” may seem like a tired cliche, but it is true and crucial to the mission of the university. This is particularly important in the college, where a class of fewer than 1700 allows students to interact with peers from very different backgrounds. Brand is also important because Harvard is able to hire and (usually) to retain top-notch faculty, some of whom live in the same houses as the students. Googling “University Professors at Harvard” will give you a short list of some of these influential intellectuals.
Harvard has the largest university endowment in the world. Many alumni have donated to programs that they did not attend and that have the potential to make a large impact on students and on the world; for example, Chan’s recent donation to the Harvard School of Public Health. Harvard alumni also donate to undergraduate financial aid, and Harvard’s need-blind admissions and financial aid program is one of if not the most generous financial aid program in the world. Financial aid is given to international as well as domestic students.
While there are a few other colleges that have strong alumni programs, Harvard’s alumni services and groups are uniquely vibrant and far-reaching. The Harvard Alumni Association connects its members by affiliation and class, by geographic location, and by shared interest groups.
Finally, as someone said, Harvard is Harvard. Here’s an oxymoron to describe Harvard: there is a down-to-earth headiness about the place that is unique, exciting, motivating, and irreplicable.
How much money it has hoarded
I should have added that like every institution, Harvard is not perfect. It may, however, be unique in its ability to attract meanspirited and/or jealous detractors, who actually seem to know very little about it, like @ClarinetDad16.
John Harvards foot
@EastGrad - there is only one ranking where Harvard is unequivocally #1 and that is endowment.
Does that upset you?
Neither you nor your posts upset me, @ClarinetDad16, though I do wonder whence the source of your animus towards Harvard.
Besides endowment, @ClarinetDad16, I can think of four things off the top of my head without researching or googling, where Harvard is “unequivocally #1,” to use your phrase. I am sure there are others.
It is the oldest college in America.
It maintains the highest yield of students enrolling after being accepted to the college.
It has the largest university library collection in the world (which you would know had you read my earlier post).
It has the highest brand recognition in the world (ditto).
This is not to say that there are not many other fine institutions in America and the world, universities that offer wonderful opportunities to their students equivalent or even better than than those at Harvard. It is not to say that students might not find a better match at a different university or college. It is not to say that everyone should aspire to attend Harvard. Of course, there are many “best and brightest” students at other universities and colleges. More power to them.
- Penn is the first university in the US
- Curtis Institue of Music has the highest yield of US colleges
- Libraries are old school and not indicative of anything but owning a lot of books
- Where is this brand recognition ranking you speak of?
So far your claims that could hold are most books… And FYI U Illinois has more books than Yale.
But definitely mine is unequivocal- most money,
We will have to agree to disagree, @ClarinetDad16.
Since you asked, here is link to the study of the most powerful university brands: