By Caroline Rueter, JIF '17
In the summer of 2017, I used my Joyce Ivy
Foundation scholarship to attend the Harvard Pre-College Program. During the
two-week program, I lived on campus (shoutout to Dunster House), attended a
class called “Speaking with Power, Passion, & Purpose” taught by an actual
Harvard professor, explored Cambridge and Boston, and made many amazing friends
who I still keep in touch with. When my dad dropped me off at the beginning of
the program, he told me that those two weeks were going to change my life
forever. I didn’t believe him at the time, but as much as I hate to admit it,
he was right. I loved being at Harvard, and although I’m only a high school
junior, I already know that it is my top choice for college.
That being said, while my experience at
Harvard was amazing, it wasn’t perfect (nothing is). I’ve compiled a list of
what I believe are the most important pros and cons of being at Harvard
University.
PRO: Housing
I wasn’t quite sure how to categorize this
aspect of the Harvard experience, but I think it is ultimately more of a pro
than a con. I resided in Dunster House, and I loved it. I lived in a suite with
three other girls, with two of us in each of the two rooms. Our rooms were
spacious and contained many amenities, which made doing my homework in my room
much more enjoyable. Although none of the houses contain air conditioning, the
heat didn’t stand a chance against the excellent ventilation system, ceiling
fans, and my roommate’s box fan that she brought along.
However, while half of us lived in Dunster
House, the other students in the program were in Mather House, and they had a
much different experience. The dorms in Mather House did not contain ceiling
fans, so residents were constantly dealing with the overwhelming heat. I’m not
really sure what else made Mather House unpleasant, but I do know that everyone
in Mather House wished that they were in Dunster House, and everyone in Dunster
House was glad to be in Dunster House.
So, why the difference? Harvard is currently
undergoing a house renewal project with a budget of $1 billion, but it hasn’t
been completed yet. Some houses, like Dunster, have already been renovated, but
others, like Mather, have not. So, once the project is completed, all of the
houses should be just as nice as Dunster is.
CON: Weather
Considering I’m from Ohio, I’m used to living
in a location where the weather can vary a lot from day to day. However, not
everyone in the program was used to that, so there were many complaints about
the fact that in two weeks, we experienced heavy rains, bright and sunny days,
chilly temperatures (which really weren’t that bad, to be honest), and
blistering heat. If you prefer a more temperate climate, Cambridge might not be
your future home, but personally, I think it’s worth it to deal with the
weather.
PRO:
Diversity
One of the most surprising things about the
program was how diverse it was. There were 49 states and about 60 countries
represented in the program. My 13 classmates came from 6 different countries,
and 2 of my 3 roommates were from Europe, which means my Snapchat map is a lot
more exciting than it used to be! I loved being surrounded by so many people
who were so different than me, which helped me realize how important it is for
me to attend a college with a large international presence and a lot of
racial/ethnic diversity.
CON:
Tourists
It’s not just students who come to Harvard
from all over the world – there are plenty of tourists as well! While I
appreciate that these people came to see Harvard, getting to class was
difficult when I was stuck behind a large, slow-moving group of tourists, and I
can’t even recall exactly how many times people stopped me to ask for
directions. I did get a funny story out of this experience, though: one day,
while my friend and I were walking back from class, a couple asked us where
Harvard was. My friend and I were confused, as they were already on the Harvard
campus, so we asked if they were looking for a specific building. As it turned
out, they were under the mistaken impression that Harvard University is just
one building, so we had to explain that Harvard is actually a large campus
comprised of many buildings, not just one!
PRO:
Community
The best part of my experience, by far, was
making so many new friends. One thing I was worried about before starting the
program was that I would be surrounded by geniuses, and I wouldn’t fit in. It’s
true, I was surrounded by some of the smartest, most talented people I’ve ever
met, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Everyone in the program was there for the
same reason – to experience everything Harvard has to offer. We weren’t competing,
because we knew that we were all in this together, and nobody was trying to
prove that they were better than anyone else. I was surrounded by people that
will go on to be world leaders, CEOs, scientists, and even a guy who plans to
be the future President of the United States (a position I’m confident he will
achieve), but I didn’t feel intimidated – I felt honored to be in the presence
of such wonderful people who will do great things in the world.
PRO: Campus
Harvard’s campus is incredibly beautiful,
from the Charles River, to the architecture, to the amazing Harvard Yard. Yet,
that only scratches the surface of what makes the campus so fantastic. Cambridge
has so much to offer, like bookstores, spirit shops, office supply stores
(which came in handy), and even the world’s only Curious George store (yes, I’m
talking about the animated monkey from the books/cartoons). And of course, I
have to mention the food! Craving ramen noodles? Check out Santouka Ramen, a
restaurant with many, many different types of ramen. Need some ice cream? Try
J.P. Licks, a popular ice cream shop that I visited 4-5 times while I was at
Harvard (don’t judge, it’s really good); or BerryLine, a frozen yogurt shop
that was equally delicious. Want a baked good to wash down that ice cream? Head
on over to Mike’s Pastry, “Home of the Cannoli”; or have warm, freshly-made
cookies delivered to your dorm at midnight from Insomnia Cookies (speaking from
experience, it’s totally worth it). People come to see Harvard’s campus for a
reason, so if you do pay Cambridge a visit, take advantage of it!
CON: Campus
size
I love that Harvard has such a big and
beautiful campus, but getting around isn’t always fun. My classroom was located
in Radcliffe Yard, which was about a 15-minute walk from my dorm. The dining
hall was just as far away as my classroom. The first time I walked to class, I
was miserable, especially since I am VERY out of shape. However, I got used to
it pretty fast, and by the end of the first week, I didn’t really mind the long
walk.
PRO:
Academics
This is probably a bit obvious, but Harvard’s
academic offerings are almost unparalleled. My friends took classes where they
learned about constitutional law, neurobiology, quantum physics, and more, and
Harvard offers thousands of undergraduate and graduate courses. In my public
speaking class, I learned about writing four types of speeches, interviewing,
offering feedback (both positive and constructive), and delivering a
presentation effectively. My public speaking skills improved greatly after just
10 classes, and the class moved at a comfortable pace, despite being a
compacted version of a class that usually takes an entire semester.
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