I decided to attend Harvard because I saw it as an opportunity for a new experience. I wanted to go abroad, and I wanted to attend a university with some renown and where I was sure I would be supported. Harvard does not require that you apply to a specific major: they let you in based on potential and then you choose what you want to do in your second year, and that appealed to me.
Course Curriculum :
Harvard is a textbook "liberal arts" school, so its focus is on allowing people the freedom to learn what they like. Different people can be in the same program but end up pursuing totally different things. It is also very common to switch majors at Harvard, sometimes as late as in the third year. Because it is flexible, it allows students to get experience if they want to take time off, but Harvard doesn't set people up with co-ops. It does allow for a lot of research opportunities, however, and there is a large amount of funding available for student initiatives. Different majors had different amounts of rigor and flexibility. For example, mechanical engineering was one of the least flexible majors, and electrical engineering allowed its students significantly more choices. Government, applied math, and earth and planetary sciences are good examples of majors that had a good balance. Generally, at Harvard, the best majors are the oldest ones, or at least that was my experience.
Exams :
I used the Common Application (a service to apply for American universities). The common app has one shared essay, and then Harvard required one supplemental essay. I wrote about where I grew up, my work as a swim instructor, and the sports I played. I also had an interview with an alumnus in Toronto, and we chatted about things that weren't necessarily on my resume: he wanted to get a sense of what kind of person I was, and whether or not I would fit the culture of the school. I really focused on my appreciation of general education and being a well-rounded individual. The application included my resume, the extracurricular activities I did, and references from teachers. I had an interview with an alumnus from Harvard who was living in Toronto. He wanted to get a sense of who I was, so we didn't talk about what was on my resume but rather what I liked and why. I told him about my interests in the intersection of many different subjects, and he was excited to tell me about the "general education" program required of Harvard students. They want people who are simultaneously exceptional and well-rounded. Being passionate about your experiences is very helpful.
Placement :
There are many career fairs and generally, Harvard grads are very employable, mainly from the university's name recognition. Engineering is a good field for jobs generally, although not many people are aware Harvard has an engineering program. Many people end up in finance and consulting, although a large portion often goes on to academia or technical jobs. The alumni network is expansive, and connections made at Harvard will help you get into the industry if you know the right people.
Internship :
I did research at a Harvard lab.
Events :
Clubs are extremely important on campus, and most have boards that are in charge of their direction. After your first year in a club, it is generally not too hard to get on the board if you are interested. The club fair at the beginning of the year showcases hundreds of clubs run by students. There is also a lot of funding to create clubs: I created three while in my first 2 years of undergrad. IMs are run by the residential houses, and they are a good opportunity to try new sports as the different houses compete in different events go get the trophy at the end of the year.
Fees :
Roughly 52,000 USD.
Scholarship :
I did not get a scholarship to Harvard, they base scholarships off of financial need or athletic ability.
Faculty :
There was a lot of faculty contact in my program. Harvard mech eng is small so the class size was only about 30 people. The research was easy to do and encouraged, professors were always eager to talk and nobody had to fight for positions as the school offered lots of funding for students interested in working with professors. This was the case for all the majors I came into contact with.
Hostel :
Everyone lives on campus for all four years. The first year is random and you are placed in a freshman dorm. After the first year, you choose who you want to "block" with (live with or nearby in one of the upperclassmen Houses) and then you submit your blocking group, and the whole group will be randomly placed in a House. Housing day is a massive event on campus when upperclassmen students arrive in the room where the blocking groups indicated they would be, bang on the door, and surprise them with their house decision, often while wearing the colors and merchandise of the house and the house mascot. (For example, Currier House has the tree, Winthrop house has a lion). Room and board are about 20,000; and it is room and board as all houses have dining halls, though not all have kitchens available to students.
