<p>What are some special/unique qualities about Harvard that it offers its undergraduates?</p>
<p>You get to live closer to MIT
(I guess that does not apply if you live at MIT)</p>
<p>Here’s your answer from a previos thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1064589669-post178.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1064589669-post178.html</a></p>
<p>With reference to the hyperlink embedded in #3: (My statements are italicized)</p>
<ol>
<li>Cambridge/Boston – Depends on personal tastes</li>
<li>Prestige – Yes</li>
<li>best for South Asian Studies and Sanskrit (my personal reasons) – If “best” is replaced with “renowned,” then yes</li>
<li>Awesome Ivy League goodness (1st college in America) – Yes</li>
<li>duh, Elle Woods went there – She’s fictional</li>
<li>I look darn good in crimson – Not relevant</li>
<li>You can go to Estonia and people will know what Harvard is. lol but seriously, its true – Yes, (though this should simply be replaced with “international recognition”) </li>
<li>Conan O’Brien – Not exactly a relevant reason to attend </li>
<li>The people. – Largely yes</li>
<li>The exposure/different opportunities. – Yes</li>
<li>The fact that you can do ANYTHING here. Literally. (Providing that you can find time in what is guaranteed to be a rather packed schedule for most people.) – Yes, nearly</li>
<li>Natalie Portman, lol – Similar to #8, this doesn’t exactly accord with the premise of this list</li>
<li>New England attitude…love it! – A large portion of the individuals one’ll encounter aren’t native to the area</li>
<li>PHENOMENAL art museums right on campus. – Yes, but unfortunately very few undergraduates actually visit them when not encumbered by other tasks</li>
<li>Um… because along with all of these, it’s actually a pretty good college? – Yes</li>
<li>The House system – As a freshman, I’ve never experienced the arrangements, but most seem to pleased </li>
<li>Connections – For those who take advantage, yes</li>
<li>Annenberg Hall: – The architecture is fabulous and the food is of sufficient quality</li>
<li>Math 55 – This very much depends on one’s level of quantitative fitness; However, over 99% of students avoid this class like the plague</li>
<li>Living in the same dorm that John Adams and John Quincy Adams did –If one is intrigued by historical relevance, then yes </li>
<li>Roland Fryer (Prof. in Economics Dept) – He has a favorable reputation although I’m uncertain if he teaches undergraduate courses</li>
<li>work hard play hard mentality – Yes</li>
<li>Opportunities for an Edward Gorey experience – If the artwork satisfies ones aesthetic tastes</li>
<li>The Harvard Lampoon – I’ve scanned one issue and for a production with an intended specialty in burlesque rhetoric, the comedic talent isn’t spectacular</li>
<li>For the Money (for the presence and future). – Unsure of what this references</li>
<li>LIBRARIES! BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! OLD BOOKS! ANCIENT BOOKS! – Yes</li>
<li>Sanders Theater – Yes</li>
<li>To actually park your car in Harvard Yard the day you move in – A small convenience to a select minority</li>
<li>The incredible glass flower exhibit:The Fragile Beauty of Harvard’s – Specialized interest</li>
<li>The Hasty Pudding Awards – Specialized interest </li>
<li>>>>>>>>>>>>TO BEAT YALE IN “THE GAME”!!<<<<<<<<<< WOOT – Yale has won more frequently, actually; Seems like a relatively profound social event</li>
<li>Dropping the H-Bomb (except really you “go to a school in Boston”) – The name is recognizable, yes</li>
<li>Adams House – Can’t comment</li>
<li>Prof. Dan Gilbert – His evaluation summaries are very impressive indeed</li>
<li>natalie portman gets a second vote – See #8 and #12</li>
<li>Just to be able to actually write A.B (Harvard) on my resume for real! – Yes</li>
<li>beautiful campus – Generally true</li>
<li>the Crimson – The newspaper or the team name? If the former, it’s quality is on par with what one would expect from a college of this size. If the latter, then yes.</li>
<li>Primal Scream – Very much dependent on one’s personality</li>
<li>The IOP – Yes</li>
<li>the annenberg hall looks like something from a harry potter movie – That’s largely true, but essentially a reiteration of #18</li>
<li>Harvard University Band – No</li>
<li>Great Arabic program, as far as I can tell. – So I’ve heard</li>
<li>The constant flow of amazing and famous guest speakers every week – Yes</li>
<li>Because it’s Harvard! – Stale expression</li>
<li>Prof. Robert Langton – Robert Langdon, actually; He’s fictional, anyhow</li>
<li>The hilarious IgNobel Prize ceremony every year – Yes</li>
<li>The many a capella singing groups – No</li>
<li>The Head of the Charles – Far too hectic</li>
<li>Its a good back up. – No</li>
<li>Pinnochio’s (best pizza place in New England) – So I’ve heard, but of absolutely no interest to me</li>
<li>When your professor says, “Sorry I have to miss class next week. I’m getting a Nobel Prize in Physics. You guys will have a guest lecturer though.” – I wouldn’t count on the occasion; Even if true, most likely isn’t very relevant to the teaching quality</li>
<li>Larry Summers dancing with Elisa New at the President’s Study Break over reading period. – Trivial</li>
<li>Because you managed to get in! – Receiving admission is difficult, so yes in that sense</li>
<li>The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra – Somewhat</li>
<li>FOP – Of the verbal reviews to which I’ve listened, most have ranged towards the positive end, and certainly more so than Dorm Clean-Up</li>
<li>Because it rhymes with success – It’s never proper to assume that attending Harvard ensures success, in whatever sense that may be defined</li>
<li>awesome commencement guest speakers – Recognizable figures, yes</li>
<li>clam chowder – No, thanks</li>
<li>Cause second best just won’t do – Not a constructive addition to this list </li>
<li>HARVARD SOCCER – This year’s teams were nothing to get adrenalized about</li>
<li>forget that, how about HARVARD FENCING, 1st place last year! =D – If one fences</li>
<li>Cross register courses at MIT. – Yes</li>
<li>All those great restaurants in N. Boston especially Dom’s! – Too distant to be applicable</li>
<li>The Diversity – Many aspects of it can be positive, but a trite sentiment</li>
<li>Knowing that when you go there, you WILL become something, even if you don’t feel it now. – No</li>
<li>Museum of Natural History (Can you say “George Washington’s pet pheasant?!”) – Yes, but very few undergraduates venture there in their free time</li>
<li>Harvard Din & Tonics (<a href=“http://www.dins.com/main/music;[/url]”>http://www.dins.com/main/music;</a> McDonald’s Girl) – No, the music is irritating</li>
<li>Harvard Forest (just think of all the microfauna just <em>begging</em> to be discovered!) – Yes</li>
<li>Cross-registering with MIT (a repeat…I know) – Yes</li>
<li>Who doesn’t want to dress up as a colonial American man for all of the football games?! – Hardly relevant</li>
<li>I can slack off but still maintain a B average thanks to Harvard’s Gentleman’s grades policy! – Depends on the course, its difficulty, and the extent of one’s flaccidity; Nevertheless, a 3.0 average should not be a badge of honor</li>
<li>The Harvard Figure Skating Club!!! – If one is interested in figure skating</li>
<li>Because Rivers Cuomo went there. – See #8, #12, and #35</li>
<li>Being able to cross register with MIT and take a linguistics class with Noam Chomsky. – Possibly; although notable academic names populate both campuses, they aren’t necessarily superb educators (many simply aren’t very adept lecturers and some are plainly inured by academia)</li>
<li>Because you can talk for literally years about the reasons to go to Harvard. – an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper should be sufficient</li>
<li>Because you had to sell your soul just to scrape by admissions – True for many</li>
<li>Because it’s not to far from RI (yay.) – If Rhode Island holds appeal or relevance to oneself</li>
<li>Because I just came up with a killer idea for Primal Scream! – This idea was probably hugely inappropriate </li>
<li>Because of the “3 Things to do before graduation” are awesome. – I thought the commonly circulated list was more extensive than three</li>
<li>Philip Streich class of 2013 – He’s quite accomplished</li>
<li>Lou Dobbs went there – See #8, #12, #35, and #74</li>
<li>The Boston THREE PARTY – Unsure of what this references</li>
<li>Because Obama graduated for Harvard Law School – See #8, #12, #35, #74, and #82</li>
<li>All the conversations you’ll have! – Yes</li>
<li>YO-YO MA! – See #8, #12, #35, #74, #82, and #84 (aside from sporadic performances here)</li>
<li>Because of the reaction you get when you tell people you’re going to Harvard – It does have a recognizable name, though essentially a repeat of #32</li>
<li>Prof. Jeffrey Miron (LIBERTARIAN ECONOMICS FTW) – Perhaps if his political convictions accord with your own</li>
<li>chess club, is it too lame? Lol – If one continues to play chess</li>
<li>because anywhere else, you have to say, “i go to ____…it’s actually a pretty good school.” – Yes</li>
<li>Rivalry with Yale – It’s certainly economically beneficial in a sense, introduces a spirited mentality, largely robust, and entirely practical considering the geographical proximity and historical competition aside from athletic contests</li>
<li>Freezing Boston weather – Actually, the winter weather is likely a bit more pleasant than that of other cities within similar latitudes</li>
<li>Within a short vicinity of MIT – Yes, but a triplication (see #63 and #70, and to some extent #75)</li>
<li>Au Bon Pain – So I’ve heard</li>
<li>The Co-Op – The Dudley Co-Op or the bookstore? If the latter, then no, the textbooks are almost uniformly grossly overpriced</li>
<li>Harvard Forensics Tournament – Yes</li>
<li>Quincy Market – Yes, but too distant to be applicable</li>
<li>Peeing on John Harvard – Idiotic practice</li>
<li>The atmosphere – Yes</li>
<li>Saying “Hahvahd Yahd” – Non-students are fully capable of saying that</li>
<li>Inspirational alumni like George W, the Unabomber and Patrick Bateman. – No to the first for personal political reasons, no to the second for his criminality, and no to the third for his fictionality</li>
<li>To surround yourself with greatness and hope it rubs off – Possibly, but not everyone here can be classified as a role model</li>
<li>To escape all those dumb jerks you had to go to high school with, a hundred of whom will go to the local univ. you could have attended instead. – Yes</li>
<li>To win a Nobel Prize – Exceedingly meager likelihood, even for the very best academics in the relevant fields</li>
<li>AMAZING Biomedical research facilities – Yes</li>
<li>Woodberry Poetry Reading Room – Yes</li>
<li>WIGGLESWORTH BABY!!! – *Only for those pleasurably situated in Wigglesworth *</li>
<li>Science Center 24/7 pretzel parties – No</li>
<li>To take contracts with that son of a ***** Kingsfield – Fictional character (see #5, #46 and the latter part of #101)</li>
<li>OBAMA WENT TO HARVARD!!! – Already stated (See #8, #12, #35, #74, #82, #84 and #86)</li>
<li>You can say **** YOU to all the people who made fun of you in high school – Yes, but a reiteration of #103 (and metaphorical I should hope)</li>
<li>Coz i wanted to lol at 111. – Not a constructive addition to this list</li>
<li>The spring balls at the houses. – For those interested</li>
<li>The walk down garden street in springtime. – Never had the experience but I could imagine this being pleasant</li>
<li>The dining halls. – Largely depends on the dining hall</li>
<li>The walk along the Charles River. – Never been there</li>
<li>Harvard Square never sleeps. – Not necessarily a positive element</li>
<li>The chess master in front of Au Bon Pain. – When he’s present and if one plays chess</li>
<li>The Harvard-Yenching Library. – Yes</li>
<li>Commencement. – For those graduating, yes</li>
<li>Reunions forever! – Yes</li>
<li>Legacy status for your kids. – If legacy admissions boosts remain present </li>
<li>Gets you away from your HS’s 2.0 GPA idiots who think they’re smart as hell. – See #103 and #111</li>
<li>B.c you KNOW that you are getting the #1 education in the entire US – Subjective and not necessarily true in ways that may actually be quantified</li>
<li>Because you worked your ass of to get there, so you better love the #1 school in america!!! – Yes</li>
<li>Because I just read this list. – And I am sufficiently bored to comment on it</li>
<li>Because I want to find a place where almost everyone I meet inspires me to push myself farther – Not everyone, but mostly a valid sentiment</li>
</ol>
<p>I Googled #83, the one of which I was uncertain with regard to its reference, and the “Boston Three Party” apparently references the Celtics’ trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. However, very few students, being non-native to the area, actually support the Celtics.</p>
<p>^^ Wins 10char</p>
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<p>But for some reason a lot of them get behind the Red Sox though. When the Red Sox won in all in 2004 there were huge celebrations at Harvard that included many students non-native to the area.</p>
<p>I don’t even go to Harvard and I found mifune’s comments comical (in a good way) and helpful. Well done!</p>
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<p>I could imagine that being the case given the 86-year drought, although I certainly wouldn’t have been part of that as an extremely biased Giants fan.</p>
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<p>Thanks. As should be apparent, I was exceptionally bored when I posted that.</p>
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<p>It wasn’t the drought, because the Harvard kids went nuts all over again when the Red Sox won the series again in 2007. Three years since the last championship doesn’t seem like much of a “drought.”</p>