Hey guys, I was thinking of giving it a shot and applying to the Ivies, but my brother (graduated Harvard last year) said that the top universities have a very toxic environment. According to him, everyone is super competitive at Harvard and friends want each other to fail so that they themselves can do better. He also says many people are snobbish, rude, and think they’re better than everybody else, especially if they’re rich. Of course, there are some exceptional and amazing people at Harvard as well, but can anyone else weigh in? Preferably if you attend an Ivy or a top college or have experience in them. His comments are making me consider the “nicer” universities… Maybe Tufts?
Thanks in advance!
Ivy leagues schools have one thing in common: they all play in the same athletic league. Beyond that, each ivy league school is very different. To wit: Brown’s open curriculum versus Columbia’s common core. My son, who attended Yale, did not have the same experience as your brother at Harvard. And I’m sure there are students at Harvard that did not feel the same way as your brother. May I suggest your do your due diligence and explore other colleges to see which ones feel like a good “fit” for you.
@gibby Thank you for the reply! I actually love the Harvard campus and their environmental science program, and would qualify for their accelerated degree program, but it obviously wouldn’t be a good fit if a large chunk of the student population is mean. So is it just safe to say that experiences differ from person to person??
^^ Yes!
Yes.
I would concur with both those statements, although people can be snobbish without being rich. There are 7000 undergraduates, and the student body is not homogeneous - one will find all types of people.
Some of the finals club kids will be insufferable and some Adams House kids will be cool. And vice versa.
Since most posters aren’t recent grads of Harvard I would put a lot of faith in what your brother says. Top schools can br VERY competitive/cutthroat.
@CU123 : Nothing has changed in the last 40 years. There were always snobs and jerks; it was always possible for someone to have a bad experience and someone else to have a good one. Or, are you trying to suggest that the current generation of college students is worse than their forebears?
Yes
Final club. No “s.” OK, I’m insufferable. 
I don’t think the majority of Harvard students are mean or cutthroat at all. I am sorry your brother had a bad experience but it is not typical. Some at the accepted students day brag about all the top schools they are choosing between, but many others say “I don’t know why they admitted me.”
Don’t forget that 70% of Harvard students receive some kind of aid, and the financial aid policies make it possible for low income students, who qualify, to attend for free.
Wherever you land, you will find your people. But no matter what the school it should not be painted with such a broad brush.
I know many Harvard graduates and wouldn’t say they are mean. However, I do find them to be pretentious. Have you considered Williams College?
That is a huge generalization. Our daughter is a Senior at Harvard. (How is that even possible) Because of the prestige/cache of Harvard there are definitely kids there that come from significant wealth and privilege. That doesn’t mean that those kids are not nice kids. Most are, some aren’t. Not that different than society at large meaning that kindness and decency is not unique to a particular socioeconomic class.
You choose your friends and there are plenty of great kids who come from all different socioeconomic backgrounds at Harvard. I know without question that our daughter would say that after the education she has received that the friendships she has established at Harvard are what she values most.