Harvard Social Scene

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>So I'm trying to decide between applying early to Harvard or to Yale and I'm having a lot of trouble deciding. I've heard some bad things about Harvard's social scene, and the cohesiveness of the student body, etc..., and I'm wondering if what I've heard is true. Is there a social scene amongst the freshmen? Do the students develop closeknit relationships? Is everyone constantly stressed out because of their workload? Any responses would help me. Thanks!</p>

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<p>Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . variations on these questions seem to have been discussed so often by so many on this board that it's hard to imagine that there's anything new to be said.</p>

<p>Have you looked through the existing threads?</p>

<p>Judging from the evidence (that is, what's been said in the past), the short answer to your questions seems to be this: </p>

<p>Yes, everything you have heard about Harvard - good, bad, whatever - is true.</p>

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<p>
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Yes, everything you have heard about Harvard - good, bad, whatever - is true.

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</p>

<p>Except this. =)</p>

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<p>Harvard's Social Scene: Yale's Social Scene
Bingo Night at the Nursing Home:: New Year's Eve 1999 at the Playboy Mansion</p>

<p>... Or what some sophists would have you believe?</p>

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<p>ha! if you think Harvard's social scene is bingo night, you were definitely at the wrong parties...</p>

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<p>as a Princeton student, i'd say Yale's parties kick Harvard's parties' asses. Harvard simply doesn't have the unity and party scene of it's Y and P rivals. If you think you'll be into the whole party-drinking scene, go to Y or P. If your idea of a saturday night is going out to see a show at the theatre or exploring an art museum, then go to Harvard.</p>

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<p>
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f you think you'll be into the whole party-drinking scene, go to Y or P.

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<p>Leave it to someone at Princeton to imply that good parties have to involve a lot of drinking. No surprises there. But in the first place, H is the place to go if you want decent beer and good hard alcohol; Y and P are the places to go if you want beer that's practically water.</p>

<p>I've been to parties at Y and P. They got old, fast. Didn't really experience that at Harvard, however.</p>

<p>PS -- the comment about Harvard students "going to see a show at the theatre or exploring an art museum" really only illuminates one thing: there ain't anything to do in Princeton, and there damn sure isn't anything to do in New Haven.</p>

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<p>you obviously only know the stereotypes of new haven</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/10/national/main1699378.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/10/national/main1699378.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.yale.edu/opa/download/newsYale/BusinessWeek%2006-26-2006.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yale.edu/opa/download/newsYale/BusinessWeek%2006-26-2006.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9C05E0DC1639F93BA25755C0A9629C8B63%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9C05E0DC1639F93BA25755C0A9629C8B63&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>
[quote]
Harvard simply doesn't have the unity and party scene of it's Y and P rivals.

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<p>This may just be the old fogey in me talking (I'm a parent of a soon-to-be sophomore, not a student), but if you're going to base your decision on where to go to college on "unity" (whatever that means) and "party scene," there may well be lots of places that would be a better fit than Harvard.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
you obviously only know the stereotypes of new haven</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006...C-SearchStories%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006...C-SearchStories&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.yale.edu/opa/download/ne...006-26-2006.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yale.edu/opa/download/ne...006-26-2006.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpa...755C0A9629C8B63%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpa...755C0A9629C8B63&lt;/a>

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<p>You're right. </p>

<p>Very comparable to a major city like Boston, or New York. Or not.</p>

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<p>"there damn sure isn't anything to do in New Haven"</p>

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<p>Harvard's social scene doesnt compare to those at Princeton and Yale.</p>

<p>There's been countless reasons proving this. Look through old threads, check up the COFHE reports, or read the Crimson (official Harvard paper) articles.</p>

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<p>Yeah.. New Haven may be getting much better (I'm sure it is) but it will never be a major city like LA, NY, Boston, SF, Miami, etcccccc. I live in a metropolis more densely populated than New York, and to me it is clear that though Boston is a great city, a metropolis it is not. When you put it that way, New Haven can't measure up. However, some people DO prefer the environment of New Haven and similarly smaller cities. It comes down to personal preference.. every place has its pros and cons. Living in a metropolis is amazing because there is so much to do and so many people, but the pollution, lack of grass, and traffic obviously suck.</p>

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<p>i'm not sure how much "social scene" i can absorb at one time. having more stuff going on around you doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have a more satisfying social life.</p>

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<p>Maybe parties are better at Yale and Princeton because there isn't anything else to do there.</p>

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<p>Or maybe parties are better at Yale and Princeton because they're all still so upset about not getting into Harvard that they have to drink their problems away.</p>

<p>It's okay guys. Not everyone can go to the best school in the country. Drinking won't solve anything. :)</p>

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<p>Taja-I'm going to avoid the (Y + P) vs. H bickering. If you have the money for plane tickets, or the will to drive, take a couple Fridays off from school (senior year, you deserve it) and spend a weekend at Harvard + Yale. The admissions office can set you up with a host, and it's never too hard to find a party or two (PM me if you're at Harvard). One weekend won't "prove" one school to be better than the other, but it should give you a feel for what things are <em>really</em> like.</p>

<p>Social scene quality is subjective; no one has the same idea of a good time. I had a ton of fun at Harvard my freshman year, but I'm sure I had some classmates who didn't.</p>

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<p>all4thesport, i feel bad for you.... </p>

<p>you have to go ONLINE to make arrogant comments in order to feel better about yourself.</p>

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<p>though probably true, though... the best joke I heard when visiting Harvard was:</p>

<p>"What's the similarity between a Harvard student and a Yale student?"
"Both got into Harvard" lol... I really liked that one... problem is that admissions records would prove that to be largely true... and would demonstrate that those who do get into both school by and large choose to attend Harvard. However, I'd be curious to see if any of the harvard students who transfer out end up going to yale or princeton</p>

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<p>i can tell you that none end up at princeton, since the university doesn't accept transfers (cue byerly's enduring outrage over the admission of one football player from another university, who was required to begin as a freshman, without <em>transfer</em> of credits).</p>