<p>^ As I’ve said on some post on some thread, my daughter will always have final say. As for examining the course selection, I am a little more paranoid w/ kid #2. For my son, I stayed out of the decisions and trusted that the advisor would lead him appropriately. Instead on that first semester the assistant dean forced her beliefs on my son without understand his goals. He accepted and did not discover until halfway through the semester what the consequences would be. It took until his junior year to get back on track. I am hoping this time with my daughter to have a vague idea of what that advisor and she should be selecting.</p>
<p>That makes a lot of sense. Does your son go to Harvard too?</p>
<p>warped, There are 4 on the past pages that might help. Just<em>forget</em>me is ahead of you but I think white rabbit is a rising sophomore. I don’t recall w/ synth or admiral.</p>
<p>Son went to Tufts. He majored in computer science in the school of engineering (@ Tufts CS can be in either engineering or A&S) and though he has graduated and doing well, I got the impression that freshman year that there is some friction between engineering and computer science. The engineering assistant dean applied the engineering prerequisites to the CS major w/o regard to the fact that the CS classes are serial and some are not offered both fall and spring. What she chose what not fully wrong and in some ways my son was glad of her suggestions at the time but I think that if a full discussion were carried out that there was probably a blend of the engineering and CS philosophies that would have worked out better.</p>
<p>Are there any international students in this thread, Canadian to be specific. I am considering Harvard or MIT, I have many relatives who went there, but they were in the Boston and thus were part of the feeder schools. I REALIZE THAT I MUST REALLY STAND OUT TO BE ACCEPTED. I have my high school years ahead of me and am willing to do whatever it takes to get into an Ivy, I have already been accepted into IB, which is the most challenging curriculum available to me. </p>
<p>Any suggestions for a Canadian?</p>
<p>^ your posts on the other two threads are better locations for your questions about admissions and canada.</p>
<p>@warpedklown</p>
<p>Can’t offer too much advice, other than a recommendation for Religion 70 over FC46 for foreign cultures (it’s a spring class though). I don’t know anyone who’s taken any of the other classes you mentioned, except for Magic of Numbers. I’ve heard that it’s good, but if you’re a Math/Stat major, I think it’s a terrible idea to take it. You’ll **** off everyone else in the class, cause your future employers/grad schools to question your transcript + just earn bad karma. If you’re looking for an easy A, I’d find a relaxed professor who will let you do research for a letter grade. If there’s nothing appealing in Math/Stats, I’m sure there are Psych/Sociology/Biology/etc professors who would love someone with a strong stats background to crunch data for them.</p>
<p>@just forget me - Further info on the math classes? See post #257</p>
<p>@smoda - You’re correct on both counts. 19a has the same prereqs as 21a + an AP AB 5 usually –> 1b.</p>
<p>Sorry I am being dense, so AP AB 5 -> 1b -> 19a -> 19b</p>
<p>I have one question: Do have to have a perfect high school record to get into Harvard? Is it ok to get one or two B’s and be a well rounded person?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yep. That = Me.</p>
<p>I would avoid a special concentration unless it is something you really need to do. Most of the departments seem pretty flexible. I think this is especially true in smaller departments. They go out of their way to help you build a 3 year program that fits your goals. At least that’s my impression from upper class friends.</p>
<p>Thanks for your amazingly helpful answers! Here are a few more questions… </p>
<p>What are the main reasons you don’t recommend a special concentration - is it too isolating? too hard to find an advisor? </p>
<p>What are the main advantages of being part of a department versus a “free agent”?</p>
<p>Can someone give a general description of what the dorms contain? Do you have to rent a fridge? Is there a microwave in the common room or are you allowed to bring one? Do most dorms have bunks or are there standard twin? Basically, what does a “bare” dorm look like?</p>
<p>All Harvard dorms contain the following (per person):
1 bed (twin XL) + mattress
1 desk
1 bookshelf
1 dresser
1 closet</p>
<p>If you have a bathroom in your sink, it will have a toilet, a shower, and a sink.</p>
<p>Everything else is up to you.</p>
<p>All beds should be “bunkable” - but most rooms don’t require you bunk.</p>
<p>^^^ and one floor lamp.</p>
<p>Well I think to begin with, there just isn’t often a need for a special concentration. I know alot of people who looked through the catalogue and realized that Harvard doesn’t offer an IR concentration. So they decided that they wanted to do a special concentration in IR. But the Government concentration has a whole IR track, so it isn’t needed.</p>
<p>But yes, I imagine there are a number of disadvantages to doing a special concentration, though they certainly work for some people. I think one is that you make it harder on yourself in terms of getting specific classes. For instance, someone doing A special in IR might want to take one of the really cool seminars in Social Studies. But they are limited in size, and of course social studies majors are going to get first pick. Also, doing your won concentration could make it harder to get the senior thesis advisor you want. I know that even social studies concentrations have issues with that because they aren’t in a department, only a sitting committee. So they often want to work with top professors from the government, econ, philosophy departments. But those professors often can only manage one or two thesis and usually will work with students in their own department first. And yes, I imagine it could be isolating because you aren’t within a specific academic community as you progress. But again, people do pick special concentrations.</p>
<p>I would think that there would also be implications for departmental scholarships for research grants and prizes. Plus, I would think it would exclude you from gaining Summa Cum Laude as a result of your thesis quality and overall scholarship and limit you to GPA qualification. Though I certainly could be wrong on that.</p>
<p>On freshman move-in day are there programs/activities for the parents? Is there a convocation of some sort, a dorm meeting with parents in attendance, a dinner with the provost or president?</p>
<p>^^^ From ** last year**; here are some activities for parents:</p>
<p>** Sep 6 (Sa): the first day **
- 9 –1:45 Parents Assoc. @Annenberg; *
Parents get to pick up their Pin that says “class of 20…”</p>
<p>* 9-4 First Yr computer fair@ SC Atrium; *
In case you want to check out what other PCs/Macs other students are getting; or
pick up nice Harvard FAS IT mementos (they gave away this really cool paper weight)</p>
<p>* 2-3:15 Family Discussion @Sanders Theater; *</p>
<p>* 4-5 Faculty presntn. @Sanders Theater; *
my mom caught a few winks in this one I think</p>
<p>* 4:30-7:15 Dinner @Annenberg; *
awesome experience especially if your parents have not been here;
all the more awesome since unlike you they do not have to keep
comingback here once the experience has jaded; its just a hall
but so grand!</p>
<p>** Sep 7 (Su): the second day **
- 9 –10:30 HUHS Q&A @Fong Aud. Boylston hall;*
suggested for parents who want to know more about the health services</p>
<p>* 11,1,5 Crimson Key practical tour @JH Statue; *
all around campus </p>
<p>* 3 Opening Exercises @Sanders Theater; *
where parents say goodbye 
(DGF will be there with Dean Hammond etc.)</p>
<p>I am not sure if the Widener, museum trips etc were during this
time or during the freshman parents weekend which is somewhat
later in Fall.</p>