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Kicking off the Fall in Cambridge

September 12, 2011 by Office of Admissions | 2 comments

Greetings from the Harvard College Admissions Office!  Here on Brattle Street, we had a great summer and are gearing up for a new admissions cycle.  You may be wondering, what have we been up to over the past few months?  What does the life of an Admissions Officer entail when applications aren’t coming in?  Believe it, or not, we’ve been hard at work for months preparing for the Class of 2016 application cycle, and we have a few exciting updates to report for prospective students and families as we kick off another year.

  • Check out the brand-new Application Tips section of our website.  The section features a compilation of words of wisdom from officers across the Admissions Office, designed to help you navigate the Common Application and get a sense of how our careful evaluation process works.  The tips provided can help as you begin thinking about your college applications—to Harvard and elsewhere.
  • While you’re at it, visit the new Net Price Calculator on the Financial Aid Office’s website.  The Financial Aid Office did an amazing job designing this new tool to help students and families get a sense of what a Harvard education may cost.  We’re extremely proud of our generous Financial Aid program.  Check out the calculator, and see how affordable a Harvard education can be.
  • As of this week, many of our Admissions Officers are hitting the road to visit students, families, and guidance counselors across the country through our biannual Exploring College Options Tour with Duke, Georgetown, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford.  Check out the Harvard in Your Hometown section of our website for info about upcoming presentations near you!
  • We’re in the process of recruiting and hiring new student bloggers for this year… stay tuned for posts from new faces and updates from a few familiar folks.  For current undergraduates interested in writing for us, email Eggart at fas as soon as possible for an application.  We’ll also continue to feature Guest Bloggers throughout the fall, so if there’s something you’d like to hear about, let us know in the comments below, and we’ll track down a writer for you!
  • And last but not least, the Harvard Admissions team just won the Championship for our summer kickball league!  A few photos of the office in action below…

A few of the Admissions Office crew and friends, celebrating after the championship game

We even convinced Dean Fitzsimmons to join the team... what a kick!

That’s all for now– we look forward to seeing your applications this year in the Single Choice Early Action and Regular Decision processes!

Guest Blog: Summer- A Key to the Puzzle

August 11, 2011 by Office of Admissions | 7 comments

Meg Zolner, History and Science Concentrator in Kirkland House, Class of 2012

As a prospective student, I remember wondering what life would look like for a Harvard student – What time do they wake up? What are lectures like?  What do they do for fun?  One thought that never occurred to me, though, was what summers meant for Harvard students.

For Harvard students, summers offer a fabulous opportunity to explore new regions of the world, learn about the workings of local government from a state representative, or enjoy some well-deserved relaxation time at home.  The previous bloggers showcase the true diversity of interests amongst the student body, which is, to me, one of the most distinctive aspects of a Harvard experience.  These interests become even more apparent during the summers.

For three three-month long summers, we can try on different hats.  As Harvard students, we can always try out new things on campus – take that new history class about pyramids, sign up for ballroom dancing lessons, or (attempt to) win the intramural ping-pong tournament.  But, summers are special.  We have the opportunity to learn through real work experience, and most students take advantage – I’ve definitely been no exception!

I’ve worked on campus – I gave historical tours through Harvard’s Events and Information Center and counseled prospective students as an Admissions Counselor in the College’s Admissions Office.  I was able to meet students – like you! – and families, some visiting for the first time, who were eager to fully immerse themselves in Harvard’s history, traditions, and newest initiatives.

I’ve traveled to Cambridge, England to study as part of an eight-week interdisciplinary program – actually with Rachel, the most recent guest blogger!  Now, our passports look incredibly exciting, and we’ve officially incorporated “cheers” into our vocabularies.  More importantly, though, I was able to take three classes that introduced me to new cultures and schools of thought.  Classes about the history of British sport, the cycles of conquest in medieval England, and the study and practice of traditional art were all unique to my particular program, as they were able to point to and incorporate the very real pieces of history that then surrounded us.

 

Rachel and Me at King's College, Cambridge

And this summer, I’m working at a nonprofit in the Boston area as part of a nonprofit consulting fellowship.  With this position, which I was introduced to through one of the many career fairs on campus, I’m able to gain operational experience working within the Development Office of a nonprofit, while also being trained as a consultant; I’m getting hands on experience by conducting prospect research and writing copy for fundraising campaigns, while also working on a more theoretical level to answer questions of growth, specialization, and strategy within real businesses.

Boston's Statehouse, a stop on this summer's work scavenger hunt

And, Harvard has been with me when I’ve tried on each of these hats.   Harvard’s Student Employment Office, Office of International Programs, and Nonprofit Career Fair have connected me with each of these opportunities.  They make the sometimes abstract and intimidating summer search fully manageable, steering students in the right directions.

For some, summer positions turn into fulltime job offers after college, a definite perk of any summer internship.  For others, summers are especially valuable in refining career interests or even figuring out those areas that actually may not be the best choices for you.

As a rising senior at the College, real life is just around the corner, and while that isn’t exactly comforting for many of my friends – we don’t want to leave! – I appreciate that I won’t be alone in choosing my next hat.  Advice is everywhere to be had, and clues can come in the form of an information session with a company representative, an email to a career counselor in the Office of Career Services, or even just a conversation with a peer about a career of interest.

For any incoming or prospective students, don’t worry about real life just yet!  You have four terrific school years of fun exploration ahead of you, but, as a Harvard senior who has had fabulous experiences over the past three years, taking full advantage of those three months off campus each year has led me to many surprisingly valuable insights.

 

P.S. Please let any of us know if you have questions about these blog entries or the Harvard student experience more generally!

 

Guest Blog: A New (Window!) View of Harvard

August 2, 2011 by Office of Admissions | 5 comments

Rachel Brown, Psychology Concentrator in Adams House, Class of 2012

Sitting in my summer office in the Holyoke Center and overlooking Harvard Square, I can’t help but observe the energetic activity of all of the people outside. I think about what the Square looks like during different parts of the year—in the fall when the students cross Mass Ave in their commutes from the River Houses to the classrooms just a few minutes before (or after) the hour, in the winter when the density of people significantly decreases, mirroring the decrease in temperature, and in the spring when all-too-eager students wear shorts on sunny days despite the not-quite-warm enough weather. However, I will have to wait to see that again because it is summer now, and Harvard Square is packed with summer school students, tourists, and the year round residents, all seeming to share two common affinities: the new two-storied Starbucks and the new Pink Berry—both perfect for warm summer days.  During the summer, I have found the atmosphere at Harvard to be entirely different than that of the school year, and so I have decided to reflect on two of those differences.

First Day of Work for my Harvard Internship

The first and most noticeable difference is the change in my lifestyle as I exchange my textbooks for business casual pumps and shift gears from Harvard student to Harvard employee. I am working at the Advising Programs Office which oversees programs geared toward advising sophomores and incoming freshmen. During the summer, we are preparing for the arrival of the freshmen by assembling course suggestion guides, coordinating the faculty advisers and matching freshmen with upperclassmen peer advisers. During the school year, 5:00 pm usually marks the half way point in my day as I am finishing up softball practice, eating dinner and settling in for a night of school work, but 5:00 pm during the summer means the end of the work day and the start of a relaxing and fun evening. From September-May, most weekends are filled with school related events including attending athletic events, competing for my softball team and doing homework, but during the summer, I’ve found very different ways to stay busy. So far, I have visited my roommate’s house in Maine, seen the Chihuly exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, shopped at the Haymarket Farmer’s Market, visited Revere Beach for the Annual Sand Sculpting Competition and seen several other parts of Boston. So yes, weekends still fly by way too fast, but I’ve traded in my football foam finger for a Charlie card to explore the city.

 

Weekend Trip to Maine with Friends

Another significant difference involves my athletic commitments. In addition to working Monday through Friday from 9:00-5:00 in the APO, I am also training for the Varsity Softball team to prepare for my senior season. Four mornings a week, I join the “Summer Dawgs” group in the Palmer Dixon Strength and Conditioning Center for agility training, conditioning and lifting. The group contains athletes from various teams, all committed to excelling on our respective fields/courts/rinks/etc. It is hard not being in the physical presence of my teammates not only for some weight room enthusiasm but also for the camaraderie that naturally builds up during the year, but our e-mail chains help to keep us motivated and connected despite our temporary separation. For the summer, I turn to this new group of Harvard athletes to inspire me to work hard, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that I, a softball pitcher, will never beat a women’s hockey player in a race.

Trip to Boston Public Gardens with my Roommates

Harvard Square is different during the summer—it is missing most of the student population that resides here for 9 months of the year, but it hasn’t lost its energy. For those that are still here during the summer, we get to experience Harvard in a new way, perhaps in professional settings or perhaps by transitioning away from our typical student lifestyle and enjoying different adventures that Cambridge and Boston have to offer. I am looking forward to carrying these new experiences and my new outlook into my senior year, but until then I will try to survive the heat and humidity as I anxiously await the return of the upperclassmen and the arrival of the bright-eyed freshmen, eager to start the next phase of their lives.

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