<p>I'm currently a senior at Harvard, so I think I can offer some input on the things you're hearing. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Harvard kids are unhappy.
There are unhappy students here and there are happy students here. From what I can gather, most of us are happy. My friends and I certainly are. Everyone has their little gripes about different things here, sure, but I think that whenever a Harvard student expresses anything other than the sentiment that the college is perfect, it gets blown entirely out of proportion by people who are pretty much looking for a way to tear Harvard down. I sincerely doubt you'll find more unhappy people here than you will anywhere else. For me personally, I've been happier during my four years here than at any other point in my life, and wouldn't have traded this experience for anything in the wide world. Another caveat: Don't look at the assorted Crimson articles and editorials as evidence that the student body as a whole is miserable - I'm on the editorial board myself and I know that the people at the newspaper are some of the most opinionated and nitpicky on campus ... that's why they're there. But they and their (our...) opinions certainly don't represent the full spectrum of people's feelings about the Harvard experience. No one would read the paper if all it talked about was how great Harvard is.</p></li>
<li><p>Harvard kids don't know how to have fun.
Completely untrue. People here have fun in so many different ways, at so many different times and in so many different settings that it's pretty much impossible for anyone to be unable to find themselves a good time SOMEWHERE on campus. There are plenty of parties, plays, fashion shows, sports events, and likely a whole host of things I'm forgetting to name because they're not my scene. But trust, whatever you want to do, you can do it here and have a blast. </p></li>
<li><p>Harvard kids aren't allowed to drink.
Don't be fooled by the new rules the administration has implemented. If you want to drink here, you'll find no shortage of opportunities, underage or not. These opportunities may not always be sponsored by the College, but they're definitely around, from parties, pregames to parties, beer pong in a friend's room, to happy hours put on by the house committees. If someone is living the dry life here, it's because they want to be. </p></li>
<li><p>Harvard kids stay on campus 24/7
I personally don't leave campus that much (why would I? I like it here!), but I know plenty of others who do. There are parties on other campuses, museums to visit, shows to see, movies to catch, etc. People do actually do these things quite frequently. Also, our campus isn't isolated, it's completely integrated into Cambridge. So you technically leave campus when you leave a Harvard building or the Yard. </p></li>
<li><p>Harvard kids work significantly more than kids at other top tier schools.
I won't lie, you'll definitely find some go-hards here who'll stay in all the time and work work work. But this is not AT ALL the norm. People work when they have to, and don't work when they don't have to ... or want to, in the case of much of the senior class ;). It varies some by concentration and more by personality type. But think about it - most of the people here didn't get accepted by locking themselves away in a library for all of high school. We were out, pursuing extracurriculars and other things. Why would that stop once we arrived?</p></li>
<li><p>Harvard kids are constantly and insanely stressed out.
There are stressful times during the semester (midterms, reading/finals period) but beyond that, people are not running around tearing their hair out all the time. There's no reason to. </p></li>
<li><p>Harvard kids are cut throat.
Completely untrue. People here help each other SO MUCH, from older students giving class and career advice to younger ones, to study guides for classes and exams, collaboration on problem sets and more. No one here is out to get each other, people are generally just not that insecure. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hope that's helpful. Harvard really is an amazing place, so if you want to come here, please don't be deterred by the same old myths that have been circulating in the rumor mill since time immemorial. Enroll and find out what it's like for yourself - I can almost promise you won't regret it. :)</p>