r/Harvard

Incoming grad student here. I’m a big classical music lover and would like to ask if there’s any place other than performance venues that regularly plays it even as ambience music. Old school, I know, but I’m not ashamed to admit it ;) TIA!

Hey all! I’m an incoming law student here and had some questions about the vibes at HLS. For reference, I’m ideologically libertarian, solidly liberal compared to the national average, and conservative compared to most Boston-area college students. In and since undergrad, I was involved with several initiatives to work across the aisle, which meant that I was very involved with a conservative campus group in addition to more liberal groups despite aligning more with the liberal groups. I genuinely enjoy speaking to people I disagree with and seeing how they frame issues. My undergrad school wasn’t very politically involved, so this rarely caused social problems.

Based on what I’ve heard (from limited anecdotal sources), Harvard’s culture is much more politically cliquey. To what extent is this true? I’m interested in getting involved with the Federalist Society, both because I’m curious about how conservative law students think and to see if there’s space for my level of libertarianism. Is this something that students tend to be judgmental or exclusionary about? Even if I don’t hold very right-leaning views, would being affiliated with a more conservative group close social doors? (I’m planning to go into a field of law largely unrelated to partisan politics, so this is truly about the social scene and not networking.)

I’m a new grad student, and it turns out that HIS (Harvard Islamic society) and SAS (society of Arab students) are only for undergraduates.

Are there any events for grad students? How can I reach out to them? Anyone knows anyone I could contact directly? (The insta accounts seem active but they don’t reply to DMs :(

I’ve been seeing so many videos about people writing 15,20, even 30 page papers for classes at Harvard. How hard are writing these essays and why are there so many long ones? The only writing experience I have is taking AP Lang and Lit, which I feel like are different writing styles from what I’ve been seeing online, so I’m afraid I won’t be prepared

Hows dating life at Harvard in 2026? Do people still meet their significant other on campus or date outside of Harvard?

I am an incoming grad student and curious whether the dating scene is active or whether people are just focused on their studies/careers.

A friend of mine who visited Cambridge shared that guys at Harvard aren't dateable/approachable...wonder why.

I’m visiting a friend and will be going from the airport to Harvard at 10pm. Would you all recommend taking a taxi or Uber? I don’t know how safe it’ll be at that time and I’ve never been before. Thanks!

Is the Cabot Science Center open to the public over the summer? Any other study spots that you can access without a HUID?

Has anyone studied abroad during their senior year and missed the commencement date due to the host university's academic calendar? What do you do in that instance?

"dear ghislaine,

many thanks again for your amazing hospitality.

i am so very sorry i caused you so much worry and that i spoilt this day. i am so happy that i did not kill anybody.

my perspective of life has changed somehow...

lots of love

martin"

How is this man not in prison?

I got accepted to the Harvard Graduate School of Education and am beyond happy and grateful that I have the opportunity to attend in the fall. My only question about this department at Harvard is that I am hearing on Reddit forums that HGSE apparently has a bad rep for being a high acceptance rate "cash cow" for the university. US News is reporting a 40% admit rate but that does not seem accurate because Harvard does not publish how many HGSE applications they get and so I don't know where US News is getting that information from.

I will be honest, I am kind of getting imposter syndrome because apparently HGSE is not as competitive or "prestigious" as Harvard Law, Kennedy, or even the Divinity school now. I heard the Divinity School used to have a 50% admit rate until the acceptance rates dropped significantly.

So is HGSE actually respected by the students and faculty at Harvard and is it actually respected like the rest of the schools or is it seen to be some sort of school that isn't as prestigious as the rest of Harvard.

PS: Please don't comment saying "don't just do it for the Harvard name", I have heard it so many times at this point and it won't change my mind. Literally everybody who goes to Harvard goes for the Harvard name.

Today I heard one that was NOT funny:

”My ancestors include someone who graduated from Harvard in 1657.

We finished paying off his student loans last year.”

Are there any funny Harvard jokes? As an alum, I haven‘t heard any.

Not just the content but the professor, the energy, the calibre of discussion, the way it made you feel. The kind of class where you walked in and realized this is what people mean when they talk about the Harvard experience. Could be a massive lecture or a tiny seminar. What's the class that made the whole thing feel real?

I'm a HS Senior admitted to both Harvard and Wharton. I thought Harvard was the obvious choice, but now I'm having second thoughts. I'm 100% sure I want to pursue finance out of college. At Harvard, I'd major in Econ w a secondary in stat. I was looking through course offerings and only saw Capital Markets and Corporate Finance as finance related classes. I'm wondering if anyone has an opinion on which school is best, and if Harvard can offer anything that Wharton can't in terms of finance. I know I can't go wrong with either school, but I'm looking for some extra info I can't find online. In terms of the culture/social scene/campus, I've visited both and they are both amazing.

For people that do go to Harvard and want to go to Wall Street, how do they go about learning the actual skills needed on the job? All advice is welcome.

Hi Everyone, apologies in advance for the question that's been asked numerous times.

I am an incoming freshman this fall, and as a current high school senior, I still have some time (1-2 weeks) to cancel for AP exams.

I understand that since Harvard did away with Advanced Standing in 2022, I cannot gain any credit for the courses. Instead, the scores can be used as pre-requisites for Harvard classes, with the Calc BC exam (5) enabling to place out of the introductory math class and a foreign language exam (5) enabling to pass the foreign language requirement.

My question is about other classes, and whether or not they would be worth it. I believe that it would be better to take the exams and have them then not, but I just wanted to know if certain ones would be completely inapplicable for me.

I'll be an Economics / Social Studies concentration next year with a minor in CS, and the exams I have already taken and have 5s on are:

AP Statistics, AP Euro, AP Lang, and AP US

The exams I can take this year (bold for confirmed) are:

AP Physics Mechanics, AP Physics E&M, AP Calc BC, AP Lit, AP World, and AP Biology.

Would it be worth for me to take any of these other tests? I believe I can get a 5 on them if I study, but I would rather not give myself extra stress. Thank you!

Hi, I’m currently a senior and I’m trying to decide which school I should attend next year. I’ve been lucky enough to have been accepted to several of my top choices for college, and I’ve narrowed my decision down to three schools. I plan on majoring in political science and economics at whichever school I go to, and after college I plan on serving in the military (parents won’t let me do rotc so I’m enlisting after) and going to law school before entering state politics. I don’t want to work in consulting or corporate law after college, however, so I won’t be rich post-graduation and the Harvard/Yale name brand might be somewhat wasted.

Harvard

Pros:

Political opportunities are unmatched (IOP, internships, harvard dems, etc.)

I love the Boston area

Chances to cross register with Harvard Kennedy school, law school, etc

The Harvard name is just unbeatable

It’s been my dream since I was a kid

I love the intellectual conversations and culture

Cons:

It’s 95k a year, which is really hard for my family to afford. My parents are promising to fully pay for it so I’ll have no loans, but they might delay retirement.

I’ve never really been in a competitive school, and I’m scared the culture will be too cutthroat

I don’t like how pre-professional it seems

Yale

Pros:

Plenty of intellectual opportunities

Seems more fun and down to earth than Harvard

Students seem happier and more community-oriented (very important to me)

I really like the New Haven area too

I love the intellectual conversations and culture

Cons:

It’s 98k a year

It doesn’t have as robust a political scene as Harvard

I prefer Harvard’s housing system to the residential college model

State school (USA Top 200)

Pros:

Very cheap to where I can pay almost all of it with scholarships and personal savings (13k/year)

Good political job placement

Less competitive and arrogant then Harvard/Yale

Can graduate in 2 years and continue hometown political work during college

Cons:

Not as many resources as Harvard or Yale

Poor name recognition outside of my state

I would always think “what if I went to..”

Too close to home

I’m incredibly grateful to have this decision and I’m really torn. I’ve already done everything I can with financial aid (appealed, applied to scholarships, bargained) so this is the final price for all the schools. Any advice or guidance on where I should choose would be appreciated!!

I am very confused by their website and would appreciate guidance.

For Harvard's medical and dental programs they need us to fill in a medical immunization form: https://huhs.harvard.edu/patients-and-visitors/medical-records-and-immunizations/immunization-compliance/clinical-healthcare-programs/

On this, it says Tuberculosis Screening Since 4/1/2026 :

1. If IGRA blood test, a copy of the laboratory report must be attached.
2. No new tuberculosis screening required if: Prior skin test consistent with latent TB OR Prior positive IGRA blood test OR History of childhood BCG vaccination

I have received the BCG vaccination, so I thought i do not need to get myself tested for TB.

Yet, later down on the website it says: "The preferred tuberculosis screening is an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) such as Quantiferon Gold Plus or T-Spot. If an IGRA is not possible, you will need 2-part tuberculin skin testing (PPDs) unless latent tuberculosis has previously been diagnosed. The 2nd PPD must be at least 7 days after the 1st. If you have a positive IGRA or a PPD interpreted as consistent with latent tuberculosis, you are required to submit a radiologist’s report of a chest X-ray."

The IGRA test is very expensive in my country. I emailed Harvard to confirm I don't need to do it because i have the BCG vaccine, but they said I still need to, even after I screenshotted the form.

Can I ask if anyone else in clinical programs was able to exempt themselves from the IGRA test/other TB screening on the basis of having had the BCG vaccine?

I think subconsciously I felt it would solve all my problems. but I graduated a year ago and have no idea what I'm doing in life. not complaining, I'm grateful for the opportunity. but what the fuck am I supposed to do with it now?

it feels super fake that I ever went there at all.