<p>caramelkisses06,</p>
<p>Your posts have been so helpful - thank you! :D</p>
<p>I was wondering:</p>
<p>I’m sure there are many opportunities and options available for students during Summer (travelling abroad etc) - however, are the places usually quite limited, and/or is funding difficult to get?</p>
<p>Lirazel - People don’t shy away from intellectual subjects outside classes, and if material from a class is interesting and relevant it can certainly come up in regular conversation. In addition, a lot of student group meetings are just really big discussions and frequently deal with subjects that could be considered political or intellectual.</p>
<p>Harvard students also spent lots of time talking about normal college kid stuff too though, including movies, TV, parties, gossip, sex, and the like. And sometimes those regular college topics can end up being discussed with an intellectual bent, at which point I’ve seen people laugh and say something like “ugh, this is such a Harvard conversation guys” and continue, or move on. </p>
<p>Conversation there isn’t really different from anywhere else, I’d imagine. People aren’t likely to rudely interrupt you and call you boring if you bring up an intellectual topic, but most people probably don’t want to have that kind of discussion all the time to the complete exclusion of more light topics. People are pretty balanced.</p>
<p>theskylitup,
People can go to a wide range of places during that summer, and from all I’ve ever heard, they hand out study abroad funding like candy for both the summer and the academic year. Spending time in another country is really encouraged, and it’s an opportunity a lot of people take advantage of. Friends of mine spent time in Paris, Spain, and Brazil during our college years, and I know of other folks who went to different places as well. Check out the website of the Office of International Programs for more information: [Office</a> of International Programs, FAS, Harvard University](<a href=“http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~oip/]Office”>http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~oip/)</p>
<p>what are the parties like?</p>
<p>natim1,
There’s no single answer to what parties are like at Harvard. Whatever kind of party you’re looking for though, you can probably find it. If you want low-key hanging out in a dorm room chatting and drinking wine, it’s there. If you want a huge, mostly innocent and good-natured sober dance party in a dining hall, it’s there. If you want a hot, sweaty, dark grindfest in someone’s room or a House basement, you got it. If you’d like to get falling-down drunk and stumble around a finals club or go play beer bong, or make out with someone in on the dance floor, you can do that too. If you’re into drugs, they’re around. </p>
<p>Pretty much any and every kind of party exists at Harvard, there is no one “social scene” that can be succinctly described. It all depends on what crowd you’re with or what you feel like doing on a given night. It’s safe to say that most undergraduates probably end up doing all of the above at least once at some point during their years at Harvard.</p>
<p>Lirazel - I think you’ll fit in incredibly well at Harvard! I had many nights freshman year where I’d sit up until 3 a.m. with my roommates debating some ridiculous political idea, or teaching each other some random thing we learned in one of our classes. I loved that we could get incredibly nerdy at times, but also have a solid social life as well. </p>
<p>theskylitup - The number of summer grants/jobs/fellowships/research opportunities you have available to you at Harvard is just mind boggling. If you’d like to get a taste of what people do, check out [OCS</a> Summer Blogs 2008](<a href=“http://ocssummerblogs.blogspot.com/]OCS”>http://ocssummerblogs.blogspot.com/) and [OCS-Students:</a> Jobs / Harvard Summer Programs and Resources](<a href=“http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/jobs/harvard-summer.htm]OCS-Students:”>http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/jobs/harvard-summer.htm)</p>
<p>theskylitup - I agree with just<em>forget</em>me. You will have access to a breathtaking array of summer opportunities. I myself am studying abroad through the Summer School in Oxford, and there are many sources of funding. There are OIP grants and Rockefeller grants for programs lasting 8+ weeks.</p>
<p>Thank you guys!</p>
<p>It’s just that as someone on very substantial financial aid, I’m sort of worried I could miss out on this or the other due to money issues. I’ll definitely ask the OIP and the financial aid office when I come to Harvard for its admitted student days! :)</p>
<p>The majority of Harvard undergrads are on financial aid. Everybody has a job. It’s no big deal.</p>
<p>I’m a potential transfer student and noticed that one of the H grads talked about AP results.</p>
<p>“seventytwo - no aps are accepted for course credit, and the only way they count here is if you choose to do advanced standing, in which case having over a certain number qualifies you”</p>
<p>Assuming this is true, does this mean that I should not sumbit/report my AP scores on my transfer application (personally, I think they might hurt me)?</p>
<p>Also, how is life for transfer students? Is it hard to find a group of friends to regularly hang out with, join clubs, or really experience Harvard?</p>
<p>Thanks and I apologize in advance if someone already asked these questions somewhere in the forum.</p>
<p>Edit: Forgot to ask: Can you explain the concentration deal. I think of it as majors except it’s a different word. Can someone give me some details with personal experience? (i.e. How would someone majoring in A and B and minoring in C go about “concentrating” at Harvard?)</p>
<p>Hey, I have a question about food / dining at Harvard (I know several have already been asked before). I’m a gluten-free vegan & really picky about food (it’s kind of crazy, I know). I’m also sort of obsessed with anything organic. Harvard students, does Harvard dining have a lot of fresh fruit & vegetables? Do they tend to accommodate people with special diets (to some extent)?</p>
<p>Are there any sports at Harvard that a total newcomer can join?</p>
<p>I know that there are intramural sports, but is there intramural horseback riding and/or dancing? Those are the two sports that I really want to participate in, but I only have swimming experience 
</p>
<p>Also, does Harvard have a polo team?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help</p>
<p>I’m a pre-med student looking for a hospital to volunteer at in Boston for my four years at college. Does anyone have any suggestions for which hospitals are good with maintaining relationships with long term volunteers, such as providing letters of recommendation for medical school, or for example allowing students to develop relationship with the doctors/nurses they see all the time during their shifts? I know some hospitals volunteer programs are rather disorganized and don’t get to see what work students are doing, making it hard to get to know them. any suggestions are helpful, thanks in advance!</p>
<p>@againstallodds
There are definitely some organic (and lots of local) options in the dhall. The dining hall staff (especially in upper class houses, but also in Annenberg, the frosh dining hall, to a lesser extent) are really great about working with individual students and their dietary needs. You’ll definitely have a veggie option every day (and a pretty solid salad bar). I haven’t seen a lot of explicitly gluten-free options, but I remember many of the veggie dishes to be without gluten. You might also be interested in joining the Dudley coop - lots of folks there who are pretty into the significance of their diets.</p>
<p>@swimHYPM - I can’t answer most of your questions - but I can tell you that Harvard does have a polo team! Tommy Lee Jones is pretty involved as a sponsor + I think they’re pretty competitive.</p>
<p>@lexi343 - I spent some time volunteering at Brigham + Woman’s Hospital. It’s a pretty big system, so you have to earn your stripes to some degree - spending time shuttling patients/blood/etc before you can get into a specific department. That said, if you’re willing to devote a couple of years, it’s a great time!</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses!</p>
<p>Another question- will I be at a disadvantage if I do not take Chem or Bio in my senior year? They are both HL double block classes, but I chose to do HL Physics instead, which is only one period, so that I could do an independent study at the university that I am passionate about- African Politics. Would I be at a disadvantage in the admission/collegiate process? Because I know how almost every high schooler has taken either Bio or Chem.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>what is the crowd like at harvard? </p>
<p>are there alot of hipsters, preppy people, etc.</p>
<p>do harvard students’ look down upon kids that wear tight pants?</p>
<p>Lots of hipsters in skinny jeans at the Advocate (the literary magazine).</p>
<p>The Advocate is scary. They also ALL smoke. (<learned from visiting Harvard this fall. God, that was not a pleasant visit.)</p>
<p>Are there white students in the East and South Asian dance troupes?</p>
<p>Yes, there are. Not too many, but I do know a couple personally and they love doing it.</p>
<p>soo i’m in high school and have wanted to go to harvard since i was maybe four years old. i now realize how hard it is to get in so i’m wondering what factors of the application process are the most important, like grades, ec’s, rigor of classes, essay, recommendations, etc. and how much does the interview count toward admissions?
my grades are good but not amazing and my schedule’s pretty tough, my ec’s are whatever but i’m in love with history and literature and planning on demonstrating it in my essay and interview. don’t know if anybody can help me but if you could i would really appreciate ittt :)</p>