Harvard

Its Harvard.  What else is there to say.  Its perhaps the most sought after acceptance in the country (9%), among the most intellectually competitive and arguably one of the strongest universities in the country.  Compared to other Ivy League schools,  Harvard might be characterized as an all-american bastion of our countries best and brightest.  It also attracts the most accomplished faculty and the most lavish donors of any school in the country.  Some departments may be smaller than others but all are comprised of leaders in their field.

Something unique about Harvard and not widely known is its unique approach to housing.  All freshmen live in Harvard yard which is comprised of 17 dorms, all of which have a common room.  All freshmen eat together in Annenberg.   At the end of freshman year, students form block groups of seven students.  Each group is then assigned a house where they will live for the remainder of their college experience.   Every house has own dining hall, computer lab, gym, and lounge area.  In addition, each has something unique  (pottery studio, climbing wall, photography studio...)  Each house serves 300-500 students.

In addition to the physical make-up being somewhat unique so is the social and cultural aspect of housing. Every house has masters who serve as parents.  They entertain students, invite them for food, etc.  Tutors (grad students) also live in each house.  Different tutors have different specialties (pre-med, pre-law...) These tutors provide guidance on classes, summer internships and more.  These houses are  mini-communities within the larger Harvard community. Each house has a house committee to create activities and make improvements.  Different houses have different personalities. Every week each house has academic speakers and weekly life lesson seminars. 98% of students live on campus all 4 years because the houses are the center of social life and they are cheaper.  97% think their house is the best.

On a final note, if applying to Harvard, remember it’s Harvard with a 9% acceptance rate. They are interested  in interesting people. They look for involved engaged 

students with strong academics.  Some say they go for lopsided people  ie people with an exceptional strength in a particular area.  They do no disagree.  However, when considering the thousands of gifted and accomplished students who apply, remember  when reviewing candidates they are splitting hairs and basing their decisions on complimenting the people who they have already accepted.  Many students qualified and gifted enough for Harvard don’t get in because there simply isn’t enough spaces.