<p>Alumother,</p>
<p>Thank you for your anecdotes from long ago that you have repeated many times, but perhaps you would like to update your stereoptypes with input from CURRENT Harvard people:</p>
<p>"If you are bright, hard-working, and confident you won't find many places better than Harvard to go to college."</p>
<p>er, are you saying that bright hard-working and confident people should go to Harvard and there are few better choices?</p>
<p>I know plenty of bright, hardworking and condfident people that don't even consider Harvard, and are looking at PLENTY of wonderful options (see: Top 20 colleges. Heck, see: top 100 colleges).</p>
<p>Although, I think you know that and that's not what you meant. Sorry if I came on strong.</p>
<p>Other than that Coureur, I agree with everything you said. =)</p>
<p>Here's the FM followup, "Fifteen reasons to love Harvard" [url=<a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/browse_by_issue.aspx?issueDate=11/17/2005%5DThe">http://www.thecrimson.com/browse_by_issue.aspx?issueDate=11/17/2005]The</a> Harvard Crimson :: Browse By Issue<a href="under%20Magazine">/url</a>.</p>
<p>I agree with the others who have talked about unrealistic expectations. With the bajillion dollar endowment and the USNews ranking, it seems that Harvard ought to be perfect. But it isn't by any means - if you come here, you'll most likely end up in a class that sucks, get frustrated by a boneheaded decision by the administration, and experience some sort of personal struggle - be it social, academic, or extracurricular.</p>
<p>But as someone who's experienced all of that, I have no reservations I saying I love Harvard, and no regrets when it came to my college choice. A few of my "only at Harvard" moments include:
Crazy celebrity encounters (Jimmy Buffet, Nick Kristof, and Steve Ballmer among others)
Getting to know some ridiculous professors (beers at Dan Gilbert's house, getting to know the Provost Steve Hyman)
Awe-inspiring peers (friends from more countries/cultures than I can name, IMO gold medalists to singers with record deals)
An insane array of summer/postgrad options (jobs, jobs and more jobs, as well as travel grants, money for research, fellowship options, etc)</p>
<p>That's not even including the fun that happens in the classroom (quite a few classes I could gush about) and the extracurricular stuff that almost inevitably ends up taking over your life. That said, I definitely know people who haven't taken advantage of the opportunities that are out there, and as a result aren't as happy. But if you see yourself as the go-getter type, Harvard is a pretty unbelievable place.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>er, are you saying that bright hard-working and confident people should go to Harvard and there are few better choices?<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>I am saying that if you are not bright, hard-working, and confident you probably won't be happy at Harvard. It won't be a good fit for you. I am not suggesting that Harvard is only good place for a bright, hard-working, and confident person to go to college.</p>
<p>Harvard may have the money, but they don't spend, which is why they have it the 1st place. I'm always amazed how poor the facilities are in many places, such as libraries and computings, compared with their peers. Science Center, as the physical host for science educations and researches of this big institution, is generally so crappy, it's depressing to be there for extended stay.</p>
<p>HAHAHAHAHAH!!!! Did you say the Science Center is the physical host for the research at Harvard?!?!?!</p>
<p>Additionally, Harvard spends close to 5% of it's endowment each year, as detailed in the documents released to the Senate. Would you like them to spend MORE than 1.5 billion dollars per year?</p>
<p>^^I LOL'd. hard.</p>
<p>They could of course...but a good portion of the "really big endowment" is restricted...so they couldn't use more than a certain percentage of its money anyway. </p>
<p>Anyway...another happy Harvard student chiming in here.</p>
<p>Science Center currently still hosts the math department that is a top draw for Harvard, used to have some applied science(I believe they moved out), stats dept(are they still there?), etc.</p>
<p>h-bomber: They earn 25% a year on their endowment, which brought in about $6bil. Their spending is less than the earning on the earnings. Enough said.</p>
<p>I don't think there are any SEAS research or labs in the Science Center. All the fancy labs are not located there.</p>
<p>Harvard has some pretty impressive facilities, computer labs, museums, and libraries. I have no idea what 'bostonc' is talking about. He/she must not be a Harvard student.</p>
<p>See, when you spend less than you make that's called prudent financial behavior.</p>
<p>I went to Harvard 30 years ago and didn't find it cutthroat at all - I had way too much fun. But I think more telling is that my son's friends from a class or two above him all did their very best to persuade him to join them at Harvard. They clearly thought it was a great place. I urge anyone with doubts to go visit Harvard and ask some current students how happy they are.</p>
<p>I think the analogy with the Yankees is an apt one. I think it's also the case that while much of the world resents the U.S., those of us who live here have no intention of going anywhere else. Harvard's not a perfect place, and from the vantage point of a parent who's observed it for the past two years, I could give you a list of what I perceive to be its weaknesses. For the record, those weaknesses do NOT have anything to do with snootiness, elitism, ignoring undergraduates, cutthroat culture or inaccessible faculty; I perceive those stereotypes to be totally inaccurate.</p>
<p>You need to realize however, that on the other hand there are the "Only at Harvard" features that take your breath away. My D got funded for a summer study abroad in South America, became passionate about Latin American issues, got to hear and meet the mayor of a notorious Latin American city who is a visionary and reformer, became inspired enough to want to consider an internship there, was offered travel funding and put in contact with the Vice President of that country to arrange the internship . . . this is a sophomore we're talking about. That's not merely buying a prestigious name. There are celebrity faculty who know her by name. There are opportunities to work directly with faculty on their presentations before the United Nations. She's been chosen to teach for two weeks this summer in China. And then there are the classmates, who as a group may be the brightest young people concentrated in a single place anywhere on the planet. On top of that, the extracurricular life is a never-ending source of fun and more unbelievable experiences. I still don't understand why the legendary Harvard Yard is accessorized by PVC pipe with clothesline running through it - that I'd do something about. But the undergrad experience there is far from a mirage.</p>
<p>"And then there are the classmates, who as a group may be the brightest young people concentrated in a single place anywhere on the planet."</p>
<p>What about MIT?</p>
<p>(begin sarcasm)</p>
<p>Everyone knows MIT students are wildly smarter than their fellow Harvard dimwits.</p>
<p>(end sarcasm)</p>
<p>Felt a need to put sarcasm notations there. Had I not, I would have likely gotten flamed =)</p>
<p>
[quote]
I still don't understand why the legendary Harvard Yard is accessorized by PVC pipe with clothesline running through it - that I'd do something about.
[/quote]
Tercentenary Theater only has grass during Commencement. I think Harvard signed some sort of dirty deal with the sod gods :-P</p>
<p>I agree that the analogy with the Yankees is spot on (Duke basketball would be another). Like the Yankees, Harvard is great, but it isn't humble.
When we were at an info session at Harvard recently, they showed a film with a lot of stats about how Harvard has more of everything than every other place...all true, I'm sure, but it had a certain flavor of self-congratulation that is not too hard to find at Harvard.
But none of this is a reason not to go there as a student; indeed, if you go there, you get to join in.</p>