Junior Taking Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>I've seen a few threads like this before and people seemed to like them so I figured I'd make myself available for anyone who has questions about life at Harvard. I'd ask you please not to ask questions about admissions or qualifications or anything like that, and I'll give the only piece of advice I have on that front right now: make sure your application reads like a narrative, and try to figure out how an admissions officer would sum you up in one sentence or two to another. If you are academically qualified (you probably are), then what is next most important is that admissions officers figure you out, see the threads underlying all of the various bits of your application and can explain that simply to each other. Craft a narrative that underlies your entire application (ideally you won't really have to craft one, it will just come out) that makes sense to an adcom's eyes and comes across in almost all of it. If that seems cryptic I can try to explain more, but its really all I have so please keep chances questions or qualifications questions off the thread... my comparative advantage is definitely student life, academics, extracurriculars, and I LOVE talking about those, so if you have any questions ask away!</p>

2

<p>favorite class? (and why?) and what were you most surprised about when you got to harvard?</p>

3

<p>Favorite class is a tough one. I really enjoyed a freshman seminar I took with an Economics professor (big name guy). It was super-hard to get in to because it was capped at 15 (250 applicants, I got lucky), but an incredible experience with great peers, lots of whom I’m still good friends with years later. The class consisted of reading a different economics-themed book (not textbooks, lol) every week and then discussing as a class, as well as creating economics themed newspaper editorials then debating them. The professor made sure to include a wide diversity of political views, which made for intense discussions, and I love those.</p>

<p>I also really enjoyed my writing tutorial (mandatory for all first years) because I got extremely detailed feedback, improved my writing tremendously (it needed it) and loved my preceptor. </p>

<p>Another favorite was Economics 1011a. It is a ridiculously hard intermediate economics class I had no business being in (Harvard really doesn’t enforce or care about prerequisites, you’re fully allowed to bury yourself if you want), that calls itself “a hard core microeconomics boot camp” on the syllabus, and is basically taught at a graduate level with heavy, heavy math. Lowest grade I’ve gotten here so far (in part because I took it at the same time as CS50, an intro computer science class with 20 hour problem sets due every week… another favorite), but I learned a tremendous amount and the feeling of struggling to follow a lecture surrounded by peers who are also struggling (except for a few superstars) is actually surprisingly addictive. </p>

<p>Right up there is an intro to philosophy course I took, a course on the Bible, and a few others. </p>

<p>However, I would caution that while I enjoyed all of these classes, none of them are the highlights of my experience here or even necessarily the greatest learning experiences. Conversations with classmates outside of class, in dorm rooms or dhalls, and the incredible extracurricular scene here have been far more important to my education and development than classes, and that is true for many, many students</p>

4

<p>Oops, forgot about the surprise! It is actually difficult to think back that far. I think what surprised me most, actually, was how close I got to my roommates. Harvard selects roommates by hand based on lots of information you provide (including an essay) and while the process doesn’t work out well for everyone we hit it off immediately and I’ve probably eaten 70%+ of my meals here with at least one of them… it was surreal how well matched we were for each other and how well we got along.</p>

5

<p>I am an accepted student and SUPER curious about Harvard life. Did you ever get to take the Intro to Econ course (I plan on being an Econ concentrator) with Mankiw by any chance? Also, does Maskin (I believe that’s how you spell the name haha) teach any undergraduate courses in Econ? Does Econ have any study abroad/travel opportunities over the winter session or the summer? I would love to do a semester abroad sometime, but maybe not more than that (I’d like to stay on campus as often as possible). How close can you get with Professors? Is it possible to have chats with them every now and then? It would be nice to make some nice relations- especially for the purpose of Recommendation letters for Grad schools. Sorry for SO MANY questions! I’m just super curious, as I indicated earlier.</p>

6

<p>Hi NewYork,</p>

<pre><code>Yes, I did take Ec10. It was a good course, not anything special per se but a very solid introduction to economics. It is taught by teaching fellows mostly (a rarity here), with about 6 lectures from Professor Mankiw and a few other guest lectures by other members of the economics department. The courses only get better from there… if you are interested in academia as you seemed to imply, the advanced track for Sophomores (1011a and 1011b) is incredible (again, basically graduate level) and you are fully allowed to take graduate level courses (usually after completing the 1011 track, as a Junior).
</code></pre>

<p>In terms of access to the faculty, its incredible, with a twist. They all hold office hours for their classes, so on week one of Ec10 you can just walk into Greg Mankiw’s office and strike up a conversation with him. There are also lots of opportunities to meet other faculty members (open houses, etc.). Something like 7 of the top 20 economistsl in the world teach here, and if you play your cards right you can be on a first name basis with all of them by the time you graduate, and know a few of them really well.
Here’s the catch, of sorts: most students do not take advantage of this resource at all (myself included). I’m a junior and I’ve gone to office hours 6-8 times total, all included. Professor Mankiw (I took a seminar with him so I know him pretty well), often sits alone reading during his Ec10 office hours (600+ students in the course, mind you), and at most has half a dozen students (except for maybe the first one). Why? Well, truth be told many students find faculty interaction isn’t all it is cracked up to be. If you need someone to explain your homework to you, your roommate or a friend probably can with ease, and truth be told it feels a little wrong somehow to ask Professor Mankiw for help with the basic level problems you’ll be doing in Ec10. Of course, he’s more than happy to help, but it just feels weird. Talking about current events and other advanced topics is where its at, then, but again you’ll be getting lots of this from friends and classmates, so its more marginal. In practice, then, office hours are often sparsely attended.
NOW, there’s a flip side to this as well… if you want to attend office hours, you’re in heaven. World class economists, philosophers, etc, all waiting eager to talk to you. It just so happens that many Harvard students don’t avail themselves of this, which is why the opportunity is so big. There are also TONS of opportunities for research in economics, you’re virtually guaranteed to be working on some if you want to and put a bit of effort in.</p>

<pre><code>In general, this speaks to an aspect of Harvard that I think is important to understand. It is exactly what you make it, and your flexibility is endless. Want to meet professors weekly, invite them out to lunch, coffee, etc and do advanced research with a few? You can make it happen with a few emails or office visits. Want to slack off, party hard, take the easiest classes possible and coast? No one will stop you. The key thing is that you are free to do you what you want and have amazing resources at your disposal, but nothing is forced on you. In a sense, I think, part of this is by design: it is more similar to real life than it would be if things were mandated. I hope this makes sense, and that it comes across as positively as I view it… its really quite amazing.
</code></pre>

<p>As far as going abroad, truth be told I don’t know too much about it as I got VERY involved extracurricularly and haven’t gone abroad myself, but I do know that there are TONS of opportunities. There are Rockefeller grants that will fund anyone’s first semester abroad with virtually no limitations on what they do (people use it to travel, take courses, etc.), and Harvard has strong relationships with lots of institutions abroad. Again, same as above: if you are proactive, you can make it happen and Harvard will almost certainly fund at least some of it.</p>

<p>I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!</p>

7

<p>No, this really helped! Especially about the office hours! I would love to chat about Mankiw’s time as chair of the Economic Council actually! I am SO happy to know that there are good opportunities to get to know these guys on a first name basis!</p>

8

<p>Whats the weather like in Cambridge throughout all four seasons? And also, how’s the prarty scene?</p>

9

<p>The weather in Cambridge is pretty nice! I actually come from a much colder, snowier place, though, so my perception is probably skewed. In general, summer, early fall and late spring are very nice/temperate, with occasional heat waves (mid 90s) but usually mid 70s-low 90s. It does get significantly colder during the winter months (though we miss the worst of it since Harvard has a five week winter break), but it varies and is rarely bitterly cold. My first winter, we got dumped on, huge piles of snow everywhere (and snowball fights in the yard), storm after storm. Last year, virtually no snow, and by late February things were starting to bloom a bit. </p>

<p>I’m not the most qualified to talk about the party scene, but in general aside from the rare grumble everyone seems pretty satisfied. Women have access to the final club scene which pretty much guarantees a place to go every Friday/Saturday night, and the houses (Harvard’s 12 major dorms for upperclassmen) usually have a party per night as well though this varies house to house. House parties are typically open to just about everyone. Various other student groups throw parties, and the college is quite lax about dorm parties, though much stricter for first-years ( aka no alcohol in the yard). Most houses also throw fancy formal dances 2-3 times per year, which are lots of fun.</p>

10

<p>I also just got accepted, so I’ve got this question. How competitive are some of the more well-known ECs? I would LOVE to join The Crimson, but I’m worried because I have absolutely no school newspaper experience (but I am a great/enthusiastic writer!). </p>

<p>Also, so freshmen guys are basically out of luck with the party scene?</p>

11

<p>Hey HarvardEA,</p>

<p>I can’t talk to The Crimson specifically, but here’s my general sense. Most major ECs that are major efforts (finance clubs, the Crimson, HSA, etc.) are pretty easy to get involved in at a basic level. They’ll have “comps” where you will spend a semester or two learning/doing things to gain entrance for the club. For the Crimson, that entails writing articles and selling some ads I think. For a finance club, that usually means taking a semester long course offered by the club as an intro to finance. No sweat, anyone can do it, all you need to do is follow through and you’re in. Now, the top layers of these clubs can be SUPER competitive. Bear in mind that most everyone accepted to Harvard is a leader in their high school, which means almost anyone in a given club is gunning for the top couple of spots. Anything beyond the top few positions, though, is something you can generally work up to if you put time into the activity. Again, this is all highly variable and situation dependent of course, but hopefully that gives you a sense of what to expect.</p>

<p>Regarding partying, you’re right to intuit that there really isn’t a natural place for unaffiliated first year men to spend their weekend nights. There ARE parties in the Yard sometimes (depends on how strict your proctor is), but they are usually pretty quiet and unless you or one of your close friends is throwing you’ll probably never realize they’re happening. That said, most guys figure things out just fine. Joining a club, for example, will give you upperclassmen friends and access to that club’s social events. By midway through the spring you will be in a house and have opportunities there, etc. Let’s put it this way: I have plenty of friends who go out often, and I never remember them moping on a Saturday night with nowhere to go, even in the early days. The demand is strong enough that everything works itself out.</p>

12

<p>How easy is it for someone to be involved in multiple ECs?</p>

13

<p>Very easy, and actually it is the norm. A common criticism of Harvard from Harvard students is that there is almost too much pressure to do multiple ECs; if you ask someone what they’re involved in outside of class and they don’t say anything, that is viewed as strange. Even just one EC is an abnormally low… that vast, vast majority are involved in multiple things, often several. One except I will make to this is that some of the more involved ECs (varsity athletics, for example) do take up an enormous amount of time and sport-specific schedules can make fully participating in other ECs difficult at times, but even then the vast majority of athletes are involved in other activities as well. Its difficult to underestimate the extent to which ECs dominate life here. I’m not exaggerating at all when I say that last semester I spent more time on ECs than classes, in fact I don’t think it was close and may have been 2:1. Not everyone is like that, I’m not unusual in any way.</p>

14

<p>I’m glad to hear that! Thanks. :)</p>

15

<p>Thanks for the response 10jarsle! Much appreciated</p>

16

<p>Happy to help! Just let me know if there’s anything else!</p>

17

<p>Hi 10jarsle! I’m also going to be a freshman in the fall. Would you say that those who are on some kind of pre-professional track are missing out on some aspects of Harvard? Meaning, do those who are planning on going to medical school, for example, seem to you not exactly “in the moment”, too narrowly focused and not and open to new experiences at the school? I’m a little afraid of this stereotype and I don’t want to sacrifice what could be an amazing college experience because of my career choice. Thanks so much for your time!</p>

18

<p>Hey Karenoona,</p>

<pre><code>This is tricky to answer. On one hand, I’m loathe to generalize to a whole group of students. Pre-professional is a nebulous concept, usually on campus people take it to mean “heading to banking or consulting” rather than pre-med as your message seems to get at. On the other hand, yes, it is my opinion that some students (particularly but not exclusively pre-med students) do seem to have a laser-like focus on the future (in both academics and extracurriculars) that prevents them from getting what some might call the “full experience.” These students typically obsess over their grades, spend long hours in the library and choose ECs based largely on how they will look on med school applications. If I was setting out to choose a class that would have a friendly grade curve I would steer well clear of anything that might appeal to pre-med students.
</code></pre>

<p>Why does this happen and is it really a bad thing? Frankly, many of these people have probably been this way forever, as the same traits that make someone an attractive med school applicant also work well for applications to Harvard. There is another thing at play, though, which I think is perhaps more harmful. When students here talk about “med school” they often mean “top ten med school,” so a statement like “I’ll never get in to med school” really uses that definition. Now, this fear is very real: there are only so many spots at top med schools, and Harvard applicants are very much competing against other Harvard applicants, who they also happen to be taking most of the same classes with (Orgo, LS1B, etc.). So, if your goal is truly to go to one of these top med schools, acting “pre-med” (Harvard slang for basically exactly what you described) can be very rational. It’s unfortunate that it is that way, but there’s no way around it.</p>

<p>Now, again, there are TONS of pre medical students who do not have this mentality, and some of them do get accepted to top schools. Will you be stereotyped for being pre-med? Definitely not. Something like 50% of Harvard students come in pre-med, and somewhere around 15% graduate that way. Meaning, tons of pre-meds are exploring other things and choosing them over their original plan… more than half do! My advice (again, just the advice of someone who came into Harvard planning on going into finance and thus hasn’t gone through this at all) is that you are thinking exactly right: unless you NEED to get into a tippy top med school for some reason, you’re much better off having an amazing, diverse college experience. So long as you work at your classes a reasonable amount and don’t slack off, you’ll get into a med school (likely a very good one) and you’ll enjoy yourself and learn a wider variety of things in the process. You may even find a different passion.</p>

<p>I hope that answers your question! The fact that you’re thinking this way already tells me you will probably avoid the stereotype you’re talking about. Good luck with the rest of senior year and let me know if there’s anything else I can help with!</p>

19

<p>Thank you so much, 10jarsle!! That’s pretty much what I was thinking. So you’re saying (of course, I understand that this is difficult to generalize) that from your observations of friends, those who are planning on going to medical school but aren’t obsessed with going to a top 10 school can still get through typical pre-med classes and have a great college experience? Of course, getting into an amazing school that one loves would be great, but I just don’t think struggling to secure that for absolute certain (which is probably impossible) is worth giving up a richer Harvard experience. Thank you again for your help! I hope I indeed avoid the stereotype as you predict :)</p>

20

<p>Yes! You said it better than I can myself. If you are pre-med and not trying to make a top med school a certainty, you will be able to experience everything Harvard has to offer, and you will still have a shot at top med schools. In other words, there are decreasing marginal returns to preparing for med school in all of the various ways people do (Ec major here lol). You can maximize your odds at the expense of lots of effort and missing lots of other opportunities, or you can accept a slightly lower chance of getting accepted and enjoy a richer, more fulfilling experience. You’re completely on the right track here, I’m sure you’ll do great and have a wonderful time!</p>