火爆社区

Harvard College is a highly selective school for a reason: those who earn their way into this Ivy enter a 鈥渄ynamic universe鈥� that is 鈥渁cademically alive鈥� and teeming with possibility, as well as top-tier internship and employment opportunities, a strong alumni network, and a crimson pedigree for your r茅sum茅. Perhaps this is why one undergrad refers to his experience as 鈥渞ewarding beyond anything else I鈥檝e ever done.鈥� Academically, the breadth of courses astounds, with everything from the rise of machines and implications of AI to the relationship of Taylor Swift鈥檚 lyrics to Romantic-era poets. Even better, at least once you鈥檙e through some of the larger, less personable lectures of your underclass years (or you 鈥済o to office hours to get to know your big lecture class professors on a personal level鈥�), you鈥檒l find them to be taught by some of 鈥渢he brightest minds in the world.鈥� Indeed, 鈥渢he level of achievement [of the faculty] is unbelievable.鈥� Even when students butt heads with a 鈥渞eticent to change鈥� administration, they acknowledge that the school 鈥渄oes a good job of watching over its freshmen through extensive advising programs,鈥� and students trust that their best interests are being kept in mind. The only thing that鈥檚 impossible here, apparently, is the idea of 鈥済etting the most out of Harvard鈥濃�攁nd that鈥檚 鈥渂ecause Harvard offers so much.鈥�

People find ways to make everything (especially clubs and even partying) competitive. Harvard students are, after all, high achievers oozing with talent and ambition. But this isn鈥檛 a negative, and 鈥淓veryone is great for one reason or another.鈥� Certainly, most students are not afraid of a challenge and look to milk every opportunity presented to them. This sentiment is supported by another undergrad who notes that the average Harvard student 鈥渨orks really hard, doesn鈥檛 sleep, [and is] involved in a million extracurriculars.鈥� Underneath this impressive drive, you鈥檙e also likely to find compassionate individuals who enjoy interacting with and learning from their diverse peers. One undergrad elaborates, insisting that 鈥渢here is a lot of tolerance and acceptance at Harvard for individuals of all races, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, lifestyles, etc.鈥� And given that 156 nationalities are represented among the student body, it鈥檚 fairly easy to interact with people across a spectrum of ideologies, religions, and backgrounds.

Simply put, 鈥渂oredom does not exist鈥� at Harvard. The school maintains 鈥渁 vibrant social atmosphere,鈥� one that provides 鈥渆ndless opportunities鈥� and plenty of 鈥減assionate people to [pursue] them with.鈥� As one undergrad explains, 鈥淏asically, if you want to do it, Harvard either has it or has the money to give to you so you can start it.鈥� Of course, with more than 450 student organizations already in existence, it鈥檚 almost a given you鈥檒l find something that excites you. Undergrads also love partaking in Harvard traditions like Yardfest, a spring music festival and attending 鈥淭he Game,鈥� the annual football match with Ivy rival Yale. By and large, drinking does not seem to dominate the social scene. 鈥淧artying in a more traditional setting is available at Harvard, but is not a prevalent aspect of the school鈥檚 social life. There is a pub on campus that provides an excellent venue to hang out and play a game of pool or have a reasonably priced drink.鈥� And, of course, a handful of parties happen on weekends at Harvard鈥檚 finals clubs. However, there鈥檚 no real pressure for students to partake if they鈥檙e not interested, and with Cambridge and Boston right there, it鈥檚 no surprise that you can always find students hitting the city to 鈥済o see a play, a concert...go to the movies, or dine out.鈥�

As befits a school known for graduating presidents, CEOs, and literary legends, Harvard鈥檚 Office of Career Services is tireless in working to educate, connect, and advise students about their options and opportunities. At its three locations, OCS offers specialized resources for finding internships, jobs, global opportunities, research and funding opportunities, or just getting your foot in the door of the field of your choice. Crimson Careers lists jobs and internships tailored for Harvard students only, including listings posted by alumni, and an impressive career fair and expo lineup ensures students always have access to hiring companies. Students can take advantage of the office鈥檚 Firsthand Advisers platform to link up with alumni for "flash mentoring,鈥� a resume review, or a one-on-one discussion with an alum in your field of interest. At OCS, students are encouraged to drop in for a quick 鈥渁sk me anything鈥� advising session throughout the week. Alumni who visited PayScale.com report a median starting salary of $88,700, and 56 percent believe their work makes the world a better place.