Quality of education is incomparable

The prestige of the college will remain with you for a life time

There is a lot of competition and pressure

New England winters can be brutal

This is the university that all other educational institutes are measured against. You will receive an education that rivals any other university.

Yes

Access to opportunities and mentors, inspiring peers, amazing residential housing system and generally caring house administrators and faculty.

Enormous institutional bureaucracy, somewhat resistant to change and taking ownership of certain school wide issues (sexual assault, access to social spaces), inclusivity across class divisions difficult.

Overall, it was an incredible experience and given the opportunity I would choose and do it all over again. Be prepared to be challenged academically and personally. Harvard still has many issues surrounding inclusivity across axes of race, gender, and class so if you're from a "non traditional" background, be prepared to be confronted with these tough issues and seek out support systems early!

Yes

Powerful worldwide network in every industry; diverse course offering and lots of mentorship.

WASPY and not always the healthiest social scene - some elitism and exclusivity at social events.

If you want the typical rowdy residential college experience, Harvard may be a bit formal and serious. That said, it was still the best 4 years of my life. I am more introverted and don't need to party 4 nights a week. So for me it was a good balance. I loved my peers and professors, had multiple grants to work and volunteer abroad, and have benefited from the Harvard brand ever since.

Yes

Easy enough to say, Harvard is the number 1 college in the world

Full of spoiled rich kids who came in through parents

Be born really lucky or a complete genius. Otherwise no chance

Yes

Rigorous academics, great social life, networking opportunities, proximity to Boston

Lack of greater support for international students, inadequate dining food quality

I would suggest all potential students to take a challenging courseload before coming here.

Yes

Resources - while at times difficult to navigate, University has an unrivaled breadth of resources available for students.

Difficult to navigate at times - a lot of bureaucracy and redundancies.

It is one of the best -- if not the best university in the world. It will challenge you, it will motivate you, it will at times crush you - but depending on how you choose to handle each challenge thrown your way: you can walk away with one of the best educations and experiences available.It's what you make of it.

Yes

The extremely engaged and active student body. The number of student organizations and dedicated students is dizzying. The number of weekend parties in the dorms and on campus means there is always something to do. The requirement that everyone eat in the dining halls creates a sense of community and comraderie.

The access to the politically connected fits the school's reputation.

The weather. The amount of time people spend studying and worrying can be intense.

If you are passionate about learning, and enjoy meeting others that feel the same way, there is no better place to be. People are truly nice and cooperative. I did not study alone for a single class, despite having an initial aversion to study groups. There is truly a sense that everyone is in it together.

Yes