<p>I’m going to throw in my own answers:</p>
<p>1) I loved the idea of the “houses,” but what are freshman dorms and the individual dorms in the houses like?</p>
<p>The freshmans dorms are pretty and generally luxurious (though accommodations vary by dorm). They do have much, much less group spirit than the upperclass Houses do (which is natural!) It’s fairly common for Harvard alumni, even those who graduated decades ago, to identify at least a little with their upperclass house.</p>
<p>2) What is the library like? Are there any comfortable, plush places to study and “chill” there? Any coffee, food, in them?</p>
<p>This has been well answered, but the library you want to go to, if you want food and coffee, is definitely Lamont (which is 24 hours and has the aforementioned cafe).</p>
<p>3) The school felt HUGE. Does the ways of breaking it down, such as the freshman dining hall, really make a difference, and how much is the balance of focus on graduate students’ side?</p>
<p>The size of Harvard’s grad schools almost NEVER negatively impact undergraduate life. It’s not as though your professors wander off in the middle of their lectures to teach graduate classes, or as if graduate students show up in your dining hall. Harvard builds extraordinary small communities- Houses, classes, blocking groups- and that’s what your life tends to focus around. The fact that over 20,000 are affiliated with “Harvard University” doesn’t alter your everyday life.</p>
<p>Having said that there are immense POSITIVE benefits to attending a school with a large graduate program, especially if you are in the sciences. Finding top-notch research labs could not be easier.</p>
<p>4) Is the bustle of Cambridge sometimes too much. I’m coming from NYC and I feel like I want a somewhat quiet college town…</p>
<p>I’m from Manhattan myself (though I grew up in an NYC suburb), and guarantee that Cambridge will FEEL like a quiet college town in comparison :)</p>
<p>In all seriousness, I admit I get tired of walking through fairly busy intersections just to get to a morning class, but it is very easy to consign yourself to a tranquil library or courtyard if you’re tired of the bustle. Furthermore, the downside is nothing compared to the upside of having everything you need in such short range.</p>
<p>5) The general education requirements sound quite stringent. Are they? Can it be annoying/hard to fulfill them? Is foreign language a requirement? (I have taken AP Spanish at my school)</p>
<p>Good question. They are not unusually stringent- many of my friends at other universities had more serious requirements- and while they are very far from my favorite part of my academic experience, they are not that difficult to fulfill. </p>
<p>While just<em>forget</em>me and I were under the Core Curriculum, you’ll be under Gen Ed, so the relevant site is here:</p>
<p>[Program</a> in General Education](<a href=“http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/gened.html]Program”>http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/gened.html)</p>
<p>If you have questions about a particular category (Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding, Culture and Belief), let us know!</p>
<p>Language requirement: </p>
<p>6) Is all the teaching by TAs good? Do you ever get taught by real professors?</p>
<p>A common misconception is that most of Harvard’s teaching is done by TAs, which could not be more untrue. Almost all of the teaching is done by real professors, who teach every lecture in a class. These are, as just<em>forget</em>me syas, supplemented by sections taught by TFs, where students are in smaller groups and are encouraged towards discussion and problem-solving (which is almost impossible in a lecture hall that might have 100+ people). All professors are also required to provide office hours, where students can come to them and discuss the course.</p>
<p>Rare exceptions include a number of courses in the math department, where the students are divided into groups and taught entirely by TFs. This makes sense as a teaching model, since it is very difficult to lecture on calculus and linear algebra to a class of a few hundred people- it is better if people can ask questions. A very few classes are taught by lecturers rather than professors, who are permanent teaching positions that usually require a doctorate but do not involve research.</p>
<p>To give an idea of this distribution- of the 32 classes I took as an undergraduate, 27 were taught by a professor (including all lectures), 2 were taught by lecturers, 2 (Math 21a and 21b) were divided up and taught by TFs, and 1, Ec 10, was lectured partly by a professor and then partly divided into individually taught sections. So it’s a complete myth that professors are distant aliens who never show up in undergraduate life.</p>
<p>7) Does it ever take an inordinate amount of time to walk from one side of the huge campus to another? </p>
<p>The three houses in the Quad: Cabot, Currier, and Pforzheimer, are a significant distance (about a 10 minute walk) away from the rest of the campus. I was lucky enough not to end up in the Quad :), but as I work in the Biolabs, which is the opposite extreme of the campus from my dorm, Kirkland, I regularly take 15-20 minute walks across campus. I would certainly not consider that distance “inordinate,” but it is up to your judgment!</p>
<p>Prefrosh weekend is coming up- if anyone has more questions and is interested in arranging a quick meeting or coffee on Friday, let me know!</p>