<p>I would never put a decal on my car, and my daughter doesn't have a car. However, after a while I decided to quite being sheepish when asked where my daughter goes to college (and parents ask each other this question all the time) and just answer in a straightforward way. Not in a bragging way or proud-sounding, but just in the same normal, confident tone in which someone would say "UCLA" or some other good school.</p>
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I don't think that'll happen as often as you'd like. At least, it hasn't happened to me. When people ask, just tell them. If they happen to "doubt you," don't tell them and let them find out somewhere along the line, at which point they'll think back and be like "****."</p>
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Haha well you've got one on my mother, who promptly announced I was accepted at her monthly board meeting.</p>
<p>Wearing H-gear is considered pretentious whether you like it or not. A kid wore a U-Chicago sweater after being accepted, and my friends talked about him negatively behind his back. And that was U of Chicago!</p>
<p>Northstarmom, that is exactly right. My friend, a junior at Harvard, was asked where he went to school. "Massachusetts," he replied. Where in Massachusetts? "Cambridge area." So, which school? "....harvard.."</p>
<p>It's funny, because many people desire to go to Harvard so they can be able to say they attend the best and most prestigious university in the world. In essence, however, they just want the fact to be known without having to directly say it.</p>
<p>Wearing Harvard gear is pretentious. Not wearing Harvard gear due to fear of pretentiousness is pretentious in itself due to the assumption. O the tragedy.</p>
<p>I wonder why part of your name is duality :)</p>
<p>A tastefully displayed decal is not pretentious.
Pretentious is 1.Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified. 2.Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious.</p>
<p>I would not consider a 4" x 4" decal in the window that says Veritas and Harvard and Extravigant outward show. Nor would it be an unjustified claim if in fact you or your child were attending.</p>
<p>Pretentious are those who will undoubtedly go out and buy a new Steelers or Seahawks Jacket because "Their team won the superbowl"</p>
<p>well i see harvard decals all the time...doesnt really affect me.</p>
<p>I considered a decal as a way of explaining why I was driving a rusty '92 corolla, but decided against it. ;)</p>
<p>Hmmm well for me personally, if a person asks me where I'm attending school next year, I have no problem telling them I'll be at Harvard, but it's when the topic isn't being discussed and someone mentions, "oh and he's going to Harvard..." that I get a little embarrassed.</p>
<p>but I don't find it pretentious to wear H gear around here (i only have like... one hoodie and one long sleeve tee anyway), and generally people have been really supportive of me for it. I used to get asked, "am I going to start seeing you in H sweatshirts all the time, now?" and actually, two friends of mine knitted me a matching crimson beanie and scarf to go with my hoodie, and it was about the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me (though I haven't worn them yet).</p>
<p>so it can't be all bad :)</p>
<p>Does Harvard really enclose bumper stickers/decals in their acceptance letters? If yes, does this apply to international students, as well?</p>
<p>If no, where would I be able to get a bumper-sticker like that online? :-)</p>
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<blockquote> <p>Does Harvard really enclose bumper stickers/decals in their acceptance letters?<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>No. Or at least they didn't two years ago. You can order on-line all the Harvard gear you could possibly want through The Coop.</p>
<p>Nor last year.</p>
<p>They just sent out another big envelope to all the accepted students a couple of days ago. Inside it was a letter, information on Prefrosh Weekend, information on student organizations, a letter from the coop, and a free window decal, courtesy of the coop.</p>
<p>SO YES they did give us a decal, just a couple months after the acceptance letter. </p>
<p>I got a Harvard sweatshirt and long sleeve t shirt for Christmas...I haven't worn them since. It's not that I would feel pretentious wearing it, its just that I don't want people to make Harvard comments all day.</p>
<p>And yes, the Harvard comments can get a little old. Everytime I do something stupid or goof around, people will say, "And this kid's going to harvard." Haha its gets annoying sometimes, but other times its funny.</p>
<p>is it peculiar if one does not recieve this decal? :(</p>
<p>It's regular mail, and you're in Texas. Wait a day or two more and see what happens.</p>
<p>Ha, I should mention that though I am just a junior who has no chance at harvard, i wear a harvard shirt. My parents went to boston, and brought me one they got for 5$. i just tell people its a tourist shirt and nothing more and they lose interest. Still, maybe subconciously i wear it like its a good luck charm or something.</p>
<p>i wear my sweatshirt because it's warm and i'm... cold. it does seem pretentious, but at the same time i sort of don't want a $50 sweatshirt to go to waste because i'm trying to be modest. anyhow, i haven't gotten in, so it really doesnt/shouldnt mean much, except, "this is comfortable."</p>
<p>dualityim: "Not wearing Harvard gear due to fear of pretentiousness is pretentious in itself due to the assumption."</p>
<p>fatherofthe: "A tastefully displayed decal is not pretentious.
Pretentious is 1.Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified. 2.Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious."</p>
<p>I am saying that wearing H gear is CONSIDERED ostentatious by others. I never said it is actually pretentious. And I don't fear being pretentious; I would just rather not wear something and come off as pretentious.</p>
<p>So, you may ask, why should you care what people think if you know you are merely wearing the gear of the school you'll be attending? Well, I don't know...</p>
<p>The Harvard comments get rediculously old. I just tell people I meet for the first time and probably will never see again that I'm going to Ithaca College. It keeps the dialogue from getting focused on something I don't want to spend every waking minute talking about. When you say "I'm going to IC," people say "Oh, cool," and the conversation goes on. If you say "I'm going to Harvard," people won't shut up about it for the next five minutes. I'd rather be known as something other than the kid who's going to Harvard.</p>
<p>My friends aren't that smart (they'll be the first to admit it), so that doesn't help either. Out of my best friends, two are going to community college, one's going to Allegheny College, one to SUNY Plattsburgh, and one to UNLV. They're not that bad schools, but it doesn't help to compare them to Harvard.</p>
<p>So yeah, my window decal is staying in the pile of stuff Harvard's sent me, and it's not leaving.</p>