<p>It's always been my dream to go to Harvard. Along with this dream, I get tons and tons of comments from my family, friends and teachers(b.c they are worried that I might work so hard, and get my heart broken):
"It's going to be hard!"
"you'll have to work your butt off!!!"
"you could have the grades, the SATS and the extra curriculars AND STILL not get in!"
"Don't get your hopes up honey!"
***None of those bother me as much as this one comment that I have been getting a lot of lately:
"HARVARD IS A MALE BASED AND DOMINATED SCHOOL. THERE ARE NOT SO MANY GIRLS THERE, AND THEY ARE NOT AS WELCOMED AS BOYS."
what are your thoughts on the above comment?
Do you think its true?
For those of you who actually attend Harvard, do you find the above comment to be accurate?
thank you for your time!
xoxo
Dee1000</p>
<p>I’ve never heard that before. Probably because I’m male. If it helps, there’s a 1:1 male/female ratio.</p>
<p>But the other comments are true: you can have everything going for you and still get rejected. Happened to me at Yale and Princeton. Luckily I’m currently on H waitlist. Not that I expect to get off it or anything.</p>
<p>No. Not at all.</p>
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</p>
<p>My thought is that it’s the first of many Harvard stereotypes that you’ll find to be outdated. Women now outnumber men at Harvard.</p>
<p>Hey, </p>
<p>I’m a junior here and I don’t think think it’s true, though I am male and thus perhaps not qualified to speak for a girl’s perspective. Girls outnumber guys at the university, and there are an incredible number of opportunities for women. For example, Harvard’s Women in Business is an amazing organization for the advancement of (you guessed it) women in business, boasting a huge membership and more power than I’ve seen in many undergrad organizations. </p>
<p>Of course, like many colleges, Harvard has its all-male organizations, but these are joined by all-female counterparts (though many all-female groups are younger and as a result less “institutionalized”). All in all, I don’t think that is an issue you need to worry about.</p>
<p>Study hard, find something you love and do it well, and find contentment in simply living the best life you can. You’ll find that the last bit there will always sustain you whether or not you end up here. 
Good luck!</p>
<p>What is the gender distribution in the student government? How many girls are in organization leadership positions (approximately/anecdotally)?</p>
<p>^^^ I’m not sure, but I know what the gender distribution is in the Office of the President. :)</p>
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</p>
<p>Take a look at the picture:</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> Undergraduate Council: Meet Your Reps](<a href=“http://uc.fas.harvard.edu/index.php?page=roster]Harvard”>http://uc.fas.harvard.edu/index.php?page=roster)</p>
<p>Last year’s UC president + VP were both female. This year, they’re both male.</p>
<p>Mr. Diatom-</p>
<p>As a Yale grad I am not exactly predisposed to lavish praise on the folks in Cambridge but your response </p>
<p>“Study hard, find something you love and do it well, and find contentment in simply living the best life you can. You’ll find that the last bit there will always sustain you whether or not you end up here.”</p>
<p>touched me as representing a degree of wisdom far beyond someone in their junior year of college. You have mastered the secret of life already and, frankly, hanging around paying another year of tuition might possibly be a waste of money.</p>
<p>Best of luck my friend!</p>
<p>I have been watching Michael Sandel’s course “Justice” on i-Tunes U (Harvard) and you can see how equitably he treats both M and F students. My daughter is a freshman in the hard sciences at Harvard and she has no complaints at all about how women are treated. </p>
<p>Btw, for those who cannot travel to schools they may be interested in, checking out classes on i-Tunes can give you a feel for introductory level classes.</p>
<p>Life also has opportunity and luck in there that you will miss and receive. Working your butt off does not guarantee a good life.</p>