Questions about Harvard

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

Hi! I have a few questions about Harvard. I would appreciate it if someone could answer all of them. All of my research about colleges is done through such forums or university websites, so if something is wrong, I would be happy if someone corrected it.

  1. Can students take classes at HBS? On a related note, how accessible are grad level classes?
  2. How often does one cross register at MIT? Would you say that it is normal for someone (not everyone) to take 1 or 2 classes at MIT each year?
  3. I have heard that TAs and TFs lead most of the classes at Harvard. Are the professors easily accessible? How often do TAs and TFs teach?
  4. How difficult is it to walk on to the Harvard men's soccer team?
  5. I would love to hear more about life at Harvard from a student's perspective. I would also appreciate it if someone told me more about the campus and everything nearby since everything that I have collected information about till now is second hand information. I would love to hear more from a student directly about it.

I have a few more questions, but I guess that I’ll ask them once the following questions get answered. Thanks in advance!

2

I don’t know the answers to all of these questions, but I can speak to number one. When I went to the Harvard info session the admissions officer said that Harvard undergrads can take classes at any of the grad schools EXCEPT the business school. So no, undergrads can’t take classes at the business school.

3

The men’s soccer team is very good. Like all D1 programs, it would be very difficult to walk on.

4

@CDOESenior2k16 answered the first part of your question. With regards to graduate level classes. I imagine most undergraduate student’s do not take one grad level course during their 4 years of college. That’s because between Harvard’s General Education requirements (http://www.generaleducation.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do), foreign language requirements, expository writing requirement and concentration requirements, there just isn’t enough time to schedule those grad level courses, that require undergrads to have taken all the prerequisites for those courses. For example, a 400 level grade course is going to require a student to have taken the 100 level intro course and two additional level course at the 200 and 300 level before being allowed to take the next level course,

My guess is that it’s not normal, that the majority of Harvard students do not cross register for even one class at MIT during their 4 years of college. One reason is scheduling. College classes are often scheduled in blocks of time with 10 minutes between meeting times. However, it often takes about 20-30 minutes to get to MIT from Harvard and another 20-30 minutes to return. So, taking a class at MIT involves extra commuting time making it impossible to take back-to-back classes. And in the winter, it’s a long hard slog to MIT from Harvard yard.

Classes at Harvard usually have several components. A lecture, which is always taught by a Harvard professor and a section, which is basically a review of the material presented in the lecture, which is taught/lead by a TA/TF who in most cases is a graduate student. In addition to the lecture and section, science courses have lab’s that are also taught by TF/TA’s.

All Harvard professors are required to have office hours, so student’s can drop in and ask questions. A professor isn’t going to seek out a student and force them to attend office hours, but if a student makes the effort and reaches out to a professor, that professor is accessible and willing to help.

Student’s interested in walking on to a sport first need to complete the NCCA Eligibity Center registration: http://web3.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp. Then, they need to be good enough to compete at a D1 level.

FWIW: I don’t know anyone who has walked-on to Harvard’s soccer team, but I know a student’s who walked-on to Harvard’s baseball team. I imagine it’s the same deal with soccer. Harvard’s coaches are more committed to their recruited players than their walk-ons because the recruited students could have gone elsewhere to play ball . . . and may do so if not given the playing time they were promised. Consequently, while a walk-on practices with the team, they spend most of their time on the bench, and get to play in a few games where the score doesn’t matter.

5

In addition, Harvard and MIT have different academic calendars. So, as an example, Spring break differs at each university.

6

@CDOESenior2k16 Thank you for clearing that out.

@jackrabbit14 Would playing for a club be equally difficult? I’m not trying to get recruited, but I want to continue playing in college. I’ll definitely try to walk on though.

@gibby Thank you for the elaborate answer. So should I fill out the form now or wait to get accepted and then get the coach to give me a try out? I’m not familiar with this stuff, so forgive me if some questions are silly :-p

@skieurope I did not know that. Thanks for clearing that out.

7

@Saladass: You should registered now at the NCAA edibility center, as it takes 6 months, sometimes longer, for the NCAA to process student transcripts and eligibility. And your NCAA eligibility clearance is good for any D1, D2 or D3 school.

If you don’t plan on applying as a recruited athlete, it doesn’t makes sense to contact the Harvard coaches now about being a walk-on until you’ve been accepted. However, if you want to try being a recruited athlete, then yes fill out the form – and you have to be proactive. In addition to filling out the form, you have to telephone the coach – don’t email – and speak with him. Be prepared to send them edited “highlight” footage of you playing scorer. You probably need less than 5 minutes of tape on your self.

8

“In addition to filling out the form, you have to telephone the coach – don’t email – and speak with him.”

Excellent advice!

9

I’m all but certain my daughter took a class at HBS. At least that was where her class physically met which is quite a hike for undergrads if it wasn’t an HBS class.

10

@gibby Thank you for the wonderful advice. I’ll proceed accordingly.

11

“there just isn’t enough time to schedule those grad level courses”

I don’t agree with this. It’s not unusual for students to take a grad course or two in their own field. Most seniors are in the position to take grad courses in the major if they want to. Most don’t choose to, but they could.