<p>is there a vibrant social scene at harvard? do people go out often, or do they stay indoors studying all day? i know that is a HUGE stereotype, but so far, i have not heard any information supporting the contrary. i am currently stuck between harvard and a few other ivies, so i would really appreciate any information that can convince me harvard is NOT a complete social drag. i might as well ask about a few other things. does the 7 (or 8) blocking group allow you choose during your sophomore year allow you to develop a close bond with your entire house? as am athlete, i definately plan on competing in intramurals. are they a big part of campus life?</p>
<p>There is something for everyone at Harvard. My son does not drink, but he has a great network of friends where they go out and do lot’s of fun things. He does tell us that if you are a drinker, there are parties at H for you as well. The great thing is that no one is harrassed or pressured to do anything they don’t want to do. Academics is important, that’s why it’s Harvard, but the students are normal college students in every way.</p>
<p>Best of luck in choosing the right school for you. Just a piece of advice from a parent, pick a school that will benefit you in the future with your career choice. Don’t just pick a school for a name or the party scene.</p>
<p>Search this board for past threads - there’s a lot here from H students on the social scene. Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version of it: yes, there are great social opportunities and fun people, and most of the stereotypes you think you know about H are myth.</p>
<p>social scene? n/a</p>
<p>I would not say all the stereotypes are false. Of course, drinking/partying exists, but I hear they are hard to find. Fraternities are banned, so there are only finals clubs which will only admit you if you are very wealthy/connected (typically WASPs from the “old boys network”). </p>
<p>But just because Harvard lacks in parties and frats, does not mean there aren’t any fun alternatives. Nowadays, the social scene of a college is defined in terms of drinking/parties. In my opinion, it is not fair to automatically assume a school is no fun if they lack drinking; however, those factors mentioned above are good indicators of the livelihood of a college.</p>
<p>“Of course, drinking/partying exists, but I hear they are hard to find.”
No, they’re not hard to find at all. A student need only look in his or her email inbox for the location of the parties big and small. They range in size from huge (held in dining halls) to small (held in a suite common room). Also, people routinely have “pre-game” gatherings in rooms, where they get together and drink, play beer pong, and so on, before going to a bigger party or out to a club. House Committees also have happy hours at least once a month. </p>
<p>“Fraternities are banned, so there are only finals clubs which will only admit you if you are very wealthy/connected (typically WASPs from the “old boys network”).”</p>
<p>That is just patently untrue. Most of the finals clubs (both male and female) have members from all sorts of different backgrounds and socioeconomic levels. There are only 1 or 2 that remain super-exclusive and WASPy, and since they’re so exclusive you never hear about them, so nobody cares. And as far as getting into the physical buildings, the only people who really have a problem getting into a party at one of the clubs are male freshmen. For pretty much anyone else who’s interested, getting in if you want in doesn’t pose a problem.</p>
<p>And also, fraternities and sororities do exist on campus, they just don’t have houses. So they simply hold their parties and events in the many other social spaces on campus.</p>
<p>carmelkisses06 is right on, with one small exception:
</p>
<p>Two of Harvard’s fraternities actually do have houses now, and throw parties rather frequently. The sororities/female final clubs/etc are still throwing a lot of parties at clubs and bars in Boston.</p>
<p>"I would not say all the stereotypes are false. Of course, drinking/partying exists, but I hear they are hard to find. Fraternities are banned, so there are only finals clubs which will only admit you if you are very wealthy/connected (typically WASPs from the “old boys network”). </p>
<p>But just because Harvard lacks in parties and frats, does not mean there aren’t any fun alternatives. Nowadays, the social scene of a college is defined in terms of drinking/parties. In my opinion, it is not fair to automatically assume a school is no fun if they lack drinking; however, those factors mentioned above are good indicators of the livelihood of a college. "</p>
<p>I wish people who obviously don’t go to harvard would NOT respond to questions that arenot directed towards them and give completely incorrect information in the process. Fraternities are not banned. There are 3 fraternities on campus and I have partied at two of them. Finals clubs admit almost ALL girls who want to go, I’m neither a WASP nor rich nor connected and I’ve never been turned away from a finals club party. Harvard does not lack drinking either. It’s extremely easy to find alcohol on campus.</p>
<p>The party scene at harvard is definitely not as pervasive as at other schools. Except for weekends, the campus will not be buzzing with parties. You can find a party or a place to get drunk every night of the week if you so desire. I think overall Yale may have a better party scene in the traditional sense. Most upperclassmen houses are very close knit and many students have more house spirit than harvard spirit. I can’t say much about intramurals since I don’t participate in them… certain houses are very into them and some are not as much …</p>
<p>i’m a pretty social person, so i want to find a school that fits both my academic AND social needs. the sense i’m getting here is that there is a decent party scene at harvard for those who actively seek it. i hear the yale residential colleges develop into really tightknit communties, and i was worried harvard’s house system wouldn’t compare. it’s very reassuring to learn that a sense of community DOES exist at harvard. i’m still curious about one thing: if you’re a girl NOT in a finals (or final, whichever it is) club, are your options limited in the same way as a guy who is not a member of a club?</p>
<p>“If you’re a girl NOT in a finals (or final, whichever it is) club, are your options limited in the same way as a guy who is not a member of a club?” </p>
<p>Could you clarify this question? What options do you mean, and limited in what way?</p>
<p>“And as far as getting into the physical buildings, the only people who really have a problem getting into a party at one of the clubs are male freshmen.”</p>
<p>My son, who will be choosing between HYP, will not be happy to read this. Why can freshman females get in but not freshmen males? And can someone please fully explain finals clubs? How and when do students get in and what do they do besides have parties that freshmen males can’t attend?</p>
<p>desiw,
Finals clubs are social organizations. They throw parties, provide an opportunity to network with other students and alumni, have social events for their members, and some are involved in community service. There are both male and female clubs - all of the male clubs have houses on campus (not <em>officially</em> on campus though, because the administration doesn’t recognize them). Maybe 2 or 3 of the roughly 5 female clubs have houses as well. </p>
<p>You get into a club during your sophomore year (or occasionally as a junior). The process of getting into the club is called “punching.” A club (or several clubs) expresses interest in you by inviting you to a “punch event” via an invitation clandestinely slipped under your suite door. At the events, you basically go mix and mingle with the members and other “punches”. After each event, there is a round of cuts. Those people who make it through all of the cuts are accepted into the club, and then go through an initiation process similar to that of a fraternity or sorority. </p>
<p>Freshmen girls can get into the parties because upperclassmen typically want them around. Freshmen boys generally can’t get in because the men in the club have no incentive to let them in - they’ll get their chance to be in the mix next year and the year after. The “no freshmen boys allowed” thing isn’t a hard and fast rule though - some clubs are more lax about it, and it can also vary from event to event. If it’s a “list party” then no one who’s not on the list can get in, regardless of age or gender. If it’s a more open thing, then most people will be let in (provided they know someone in the club, or are with someone who knows someone, or just come along at the right time, etc.), even freshmen males. But if they’re seen in there, it may be held against them the next year during the punch process. Open parties are more common than “list parties” so getting in isn’t a problem for people who want in - freshmen boys just enter at their own risk. </p>
<p>I’m sure none of that sounds very nice to you, but finals clubs don’t dominate the campus social scene. If a student doesn’t want to have anything to do with them, that’s very possible. There are abundant other social opportunities - parties, happy hours, plays, etc. - to be found on campus. And despite how it may sound from my description, I went through the punch process myself and I can attest that it’s actually a lot of fun. There is of course some anxiety if you have your heart set on getting into the club, but the members are just students themselves, and the process isn’t designed to be cruel. It’s just an opportunity for them to get to know you.</p>
<p>So if I were your son, I wouldn’t let finals clubs factor too heavily into my decision one way or the other.</p>
<p>i understand that as a freshman girl, i will be able to get into guy’s final club parties. but if i do not join a girl’s final club, will i be ostracized from the final club scene as a sophomore, junior, and senior female?</p>
<p>Definitely not, what we said about finals clubs’ policies towards girls is true for girls of all years. Freshmen girls don’t really have an advantage over sophomore, junior, or senior girls when it comes to getting into finals clubs. I know a lot of upperclassmen girls who love one particular finals club so much, and are there so much to party, that they’re practically in them.</p>
<p>caramelkisses06, just read your previous post, and things make a lot more sense. i feared that not being part of a final club would limit my options, but that is not the case. i feel much more reassured that there are other social outlets available</p>
<p>bluesteel,
Not at all. Finals clubs are not difficult to get into at all, they’re typically pretty open. And further, depending on who you end up socializing with, you’ll probably be friends with people who are in finals clubs. (They don’t cloister off and only hang out with each other. They’re just normal students, male and female, who simply have an additional branch to their social network.) And if you’re friends with the people, consider that an added guarantee that you won’t be ostracized from the finals club scene. The only people ostracized from the scene are people who choose to be. Finals clubs aren’t shoved down anyone’s throat at Harvard, but they aren’t kept way up on an unreachable pedestal either. The choice is always yours.</p>
<p>I’ll compare this to my son’s experience at Tufts. When he was a freshman there were the same type of policies that you are talking about when going to frat parties. Upperclassman males usually want the freshman females for obvious reasons. My son got to go in because he arrived at the parties with a bunch of his female dormmates. He was kind of the designated walker. He was a very cautious drinker and had a serious non-Tufts girlfriend (almost 4 years later they are still together). He came with freshmen girls and then made sure that they got back to the dorm ok. Ultimately, he concluded he did not fit in with the frat scene. But basically, I remember his saying that the only freshman guys that got inside came with freshman girls.</p>
<p>I think smoda is right, and it’s not limited to social organizations, either. For instance, girls will find it a lot easier than guys to get into grad school house parties hosted by people they don’t know.</p>
<p>Bluesteel, no one checks at the door to see what class a girl is in. I went to my first final club party when I was a law student. Unless you have gray hair, they’ll let you in.</p>
<p>I agree with all the posts from Harvard students that Harvard does have an active social scene, and it’s not hard to find parties at all. Heck, there’s a party in the same senior suite in my house every Saturday. And there’s a happy hour (hosted by the house committee) about every other week in my house, too. So that’s access to a good time without even walking outside. And of course, if I do want to venture out, there are big parties across campus at various times and lots of small parties all over as well. Facebook’s a great way to keep up with what’s going on. I rarely go to finals clubs, and I’ve never felt that my party quota is lacking. :p</p>
<p>And if you can’t find a party you like, you can throw your own! :)</p>
<p>First of all, it’s final club, not finals club. Just fyi.</p>
<p>The final club scene is the same as the Greek scene here–if you want to be a part of it, you can make your entire social life revolve around it. If you have no interest in frats/sororities or final clubs or both, you could still have a very active social life and literally not even know they exist because it wouldn’t affect your partying. It’s definitely not hard to find parties–students here are normal college age people…they want to go out and have fun and party and have active social lives (obviously there are exceptions; but aren’t there exceptions at every other school in the country!?). </p>
<p>Harvard’s social scene fits my desires perfectly–I know I wouldn’t be happy somewhere like a state school, where there are parties every day of the week and pressure to go out every day. People here go out a lot on Fridays and Saturdays–and most of the people I know go out Thursdays too. During the week, people tend to be more focused on work or extracurriculars than going to parties, which is what I like. If you don’t have work/don’t feel like working on weekdays, there are definitely always people who just want to chill in someone’s room and like watch a movie or just hang out or something. It’s not like people hole up in their rooms during the week and social lives cease to exist.</p>