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<blockquote> <p>I don't know why Harvard students are unhappy. My S, who has audited a number of courses at Harvard has not felt the competitive atmosphere--that could be because he is not really part of the student community and has never cared about other people's grades. He HAS had a lot of support from other students and was welcomed into their study groups.<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>My D is finishing up her freshman year at Harvard and IS a part of the student community, and this quote accurately reflects her experience too - a lot more support and cooperation than competition among the students. A lot of work? Yes. Competitive pressure cooker? No.</p>
<p>In general, she is very happy at Harvard as are the large majority of her friends. Yale is a great school too. I won't say a bad word about it (New Haven is another matter - much of it looked pretty crummy when we visited), but most of the criticisms leveled at Harvard just haven't proven true for my D.</p>