<p>My D would like to attend pre-frosh weekend, but has a committment that weekend that she feels she shouldn't miss. How important to current H students find pre-frosh weekend to be? Is it essential, or really memorable? She has already spend a weekend on campus, and it would be fairly expensive for her to attend.</p>
<p>Personally, I think the pre-frosh events (at all schools, not just Harvard) are over-rated in that they are special, highly-structured events that do not give a true picture of the every day life that a student leads. If your daughter can arrange it, an overnight stay with a student on regular school days would be much more valuable, IMO.</p>
<p>I agree that it is critical to visit overnight, but not critical to be there that particular weekend if there's a conflict.</p>
<p>The pre-frosh weekend seems excellent, in terms of events and offerings. Personally, however, I am trying to schedule a visit the weekend before hand. Open houses, though extremely informative, seem to gloss over anything that would dissuade a students satisfaction...I think visiting at another time would provide a more complete picture. Of course, one hopes that there exists nothing that needs to be glossed over, but I know that the pre-frosh weekend will come with super enthusiastic admissions reps and student ambassadors =)</p>
<p>If I plan to visit overnight, would you guys recommend over weeknight or weekend?</p>
<p>Pre-frosh weekend is so much fun. I enjoyed it when I went, and then I even hung around the pre-frosh last year when I was a freshman too because it is so much fun. People make friends there that they still have. It is particularly useful if you're deciding between Harvard and other schools.</p>
<p>If you can visit on Thursday/Friday, you can take in some classes (introduce yourself to the prof; most are very happy to have visitors). You could stay on for part of the weekend. Do ask the Admissions Office to set you up with some students with whom you can stay overnight.</p>
<p>My son cannot attend on the pre-frosh weekend. We did just returned home from a short trip to Cambridge (we are from Cali). He loved the campus and the people seemed very nice. The tour was informative and we did visit with some of the kids on campus and everyone was very warm and friendly. I do have one last question... How safe is the school and the area (Cambridge)? We noticed lots of kids walking around and it seemed safe, but I want to make sure.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Very safe. Never had a problem (and certainly better than Yale, Penn, or Columbia).</p>
<p>Thanks h-bomber. Like I mentioned in my previous post. We had dinner at Border Cafe on Sunday night and there were lots of students having dinner and just being social. Many many young people walking the area enjoying ice cream etc. Anyway, it seemed quite safe, but I just want to make sure. We live in a very quiet suburb in OC california and we may have a skewed view of reality.</p>
<p>The area is generally safe, but there are occasional muggings. It is best not to walk alone late at night. There is a Harvard shuttle that operates in the evenings for students who want transportation within a one mile radius of campus.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think it's safe generally before midnight, but when I was enrolled in Harvard extension school I occasionally got safety alert emails about muggings that always happened in the early hours in the morning when somebody was walking alone in Harvard square. Just, be smart about things, and it's perfectly fine. Especially during the day - really no problem there.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, the 'late at night' thing is around 3am. You probably shouldn't be walking around alone at 3am anywhere...</p>
<p>Hey guitars101 I wonder if you saw my son at Borders Cafe. He eats there sometimes. Can you tell I miss him?</p>
<p>Anyway, as a parent I had a great time at Pre-frosh. I thought that the combination of programs available to parents and students was valuable and interesting. Mostly, because you could put faces to names in so many areas of the college. And I thought I got a clearer picture of what Harvard College as an institution hopes to offer its undergrads.</p>
<p>We hardly saw our son except for one night from afar we caught sight of him walking with a group of other incoming frosh going from one event (hmm, party?) to another.</p>
<p>We had some of our younger children with us so we did the Peabody, Annenberg, the Fogg (or was it Sackler?) some libraries, some dorms (that was fun; random students showed us their rooms) Old Boston, Harvard Square, the Charles River. Stuff like that. Oh, and we raided The Coop.</p>
<p>The seminars covered topics like campus safety, health and medical facilities, study abroad, the advising system, etc. The EC clubs had lots going on... I remember IOP was handing out invitations, Catholic students, Hillel, SE Asian Students had a dinner event, ROTC, the Harvard pep band was highly visible and entertaining, A Capella Jam (I heard that was great.)</p>
<p>Thanks Shiloh. I wish we were able to be there that weekend, but we had to make our trip this last weekend. We did get all of our questions answered. I feel very comfortable with my son leaving, but of course I'm still a mom and I worry about him leaving home for the first time. I'm really only concerned with the safety aspect of the area and the school. </p>
<p>p.s. Shiloh, maybe I did see you son at Border Cafe. The place was packed with students. They all seemed to be having a great time. They were all very well behaved</p>
<p>I felt that pre-frosh weekend was an okay, completely optional experience. I had never visited Harvard before, so I found it nice familiarizing myself with the place. I met a lot of people there, but I don't think most of us have kept up communication ever since. The acquaintances you make at freshman orientation (dorm crew, especially) however last throughout your first year. </p>
<p>Pre-frosh is mostly a self-driven experience. They give you a packet with things to do. You go to the neat concerts, dances, etc. You go to the department open houses, chat with the professors, they'll give you their cards, they have amazing memories, so nice first impressions won't hurt. </p>
<p>I knew my host beforehand, and he didn't have any other hostees, so I kind of figured out everything on my own. I didn't find any pre-frosh that lived near me. Nights were entertaining. My hosts got drunk and had a lot of funny moments. I also got the futon for the weekend. I believe they tend to sign up two students per host these days. And I looked forward to hosting for the first time this April.</p>
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I had never visited Harvard before, so I found it nice familiarizing myself with the place. I met a lot of people there, but I don't think most of us have kept up communication ever since.
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<p>Funny - I feel like a ton of my friends now (as a junior) are people I hung out with during prefrosh weekend. But I think that's a bit unusual. In any case, it can be a ton of fun, depending on who you meet + what you do, but definitely not a necessary thing.</p>
<p>"A Capella Jam (I heard that was great.)"</p>
<p>Don't miss it! :)</p>
<p>Yeah, I can't wait for the A Capella Jam!!!!</p>