Harvard’s campus and vibe is underwhelming

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone please immediately link the reddit thread

DP but I assume they are referring to this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/s/3aZj9N01pV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The campus has always been underwhelming. I remember the first time I was there a gazillion years ago and thinking that I somehow missed the "real" Harvard. That it was around here somewhere, but clearly I couldn't quite find it. But nope. What you see is what you get. Just follow the tourists.

At least back in the day Harvard Square was somewhat interesting. But with gentrification, even that's gone. That whole area of Cambridge has become rather charmless. Not sure what the plan is. A striver, grinder school surrounded by chain stores seems to be the vibe of Harvard today. It doesn't seem like a fun place. But the better parties were always at MIT anyway, so nothing new there.

Harvard has a campus that never really came together in the way some others did (for instance Oxbridge). But Harvard is still Harvard. I love architecture and beautiful spaces, but I would have had a hard time turning them down if I would have been admitted. I didn't apply, but that was only because I know I would not have been admitted. . .

[Anonymous]

My legacy kid didn't like it enough to even apply (and she really disliked Penn)----preferred Yale and Brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone please immediately link the reddit thread

DP but I assume they are referring to this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/s/3aZj9N01pV

Interesting. These students seem miserable. My kid wanted the flagship vibe and got his wish at UVA. His two friends who went Ivy were sharing a similar sentiment to the Reddit thread this summer as they were going into senior year (Penn/Yale). The one from Penn came down to UVA last spring for the playoff game and joked about not going back because they had so much fun.

[Anonymous]

As another perspective, our son is at Harvard and has found a terrific group of friends and a strong, supportive community. Temperamentally, he has never been much impacted by any frenzy or competitiveness of those around him unless he is directly impacted, so that might make a difference. I don’t doubt anyone’s experience as a big place, but Our sons experience doesn’t seem to reflect the earlier posters’ experiences.

[Anonymous]

A personal observation based on my own experience at two T10 schools for undergrad and grad. Kids who have successful social lives in high school will generally have successful social lives in college. Kids that have trouble connecting with others in high school will generally have the same problem in college. Wherever you go, there you are. The colleges themself have very little to do with it, there just happens to be more high achieving kids with poor social skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard yard’s grass is terribly maintained considering the resources available.

The buildings are copy and paste Georgian brick and not done well.

Cambridge is nicer than New Haven or Providence but Yale and brown have way better campuses

As for the vibes and kids — a lot of convergence with MIT

I don’t remember the difference between Harvard kids vibes/look being this different from BC kids 20 years ago but in 2024 they seem to be starkly different

Brown has a nice campus.

Yale's isn't too far from the hood.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure that I believe the Reddit poster really plans to leave H, they seem like they are just venting.
Yes H has an ugly campus.
Princeton has the most beautiful campus in the suburbs, if that is your thing.
Yale is in a city with all the misgivings of a big city in a small town. The buildings are ugly because the stone is not the best choice. Have you seen the architecture building there, wow, eyesore brutalist.
Brown has a pretty campus in the middle of a town similar to Yale, but not nearly as bad.
U Penn is terrible.
Columbia has a beautiful campus in a great city. Just don't go north of campus or down into Morningside Park.
Dartmouth is pretty but out in the middle of nowhere.
Cornell is pretty, but also not in the best location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone please immediately link the reddit thread

DP but I assume they are referring to this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/s/3aZj9N01pV

Interesting. These students seem miserable. My kid wanted the flagship vibe and got his wish at UVA. His two friends who went Ivy were sharing a similar sentiment to the Reddit thread this summer as they were going into senior year (Penn/Yale). The one from Penn came down to UVA last spring for the playoff game and joked about not going back because they had so much fun.

If you read the comments you'll see many kids say the same about their schools. These kids are still kids, they need validation. I went to Brown and I felt the same when I was 18. Now I realize it was my own "chip on my shoulder". However, I do think there is a certain ease for kids coming from privates. My kid is at Harvard now (complete surprise because we had no hook), and she loves it. She is not trying for the exclusive (she calls them "stupid") clubs and is comfortable with who she is. She has made many friends, spends a ton of time in the library and loves it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure that I believe the Reddit poster really plans to leave H, they seem like they are just venting.
Yes H has an ugly campus.
Princeton has the most beautiful campus in the suburbs, if that is your thing.
Yale is in a city with all the misgivings of a big city in a small town. The buildings are ugly because the stone is not the best choice. Have you seen the architecture building there, wow, eyesore brutalist.
Brown has a pretty campus in the middle of a town similar to Yale, but not nearly as bad.
U Penn is terrible.
Columbia has a beautiful campus in a great city. Just don't go north of campus or down into Morningside Park.
Dartmouth is pretty but out in the middle of nowhere.
Cornell is pretty, but also not in the best location.

Yale buildings are overall the nicest in the Ivy league.

Brown is OK, but a bit underwhelming compared to Yale. But Providence is an interesting though small city.

Penn is nice for a space-constained urban university.

Some people prefer the rural settings of Dartmouth and Cornell.

Really, I've no idea why you posted.

[Anonymous]

The Harvard undergraduate experience is also underwhelming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure that I believe the Reddit poster really plans to leave H, they seem like they are just venting.
Yes H has an ugly campus.
Princeton has the most beautiful campus in the suburbs, if that is your thing.
Yale is in a city with all the misgivings of a big city in a small town. The buildings are ugly because the stone is not the best choice. Have you seen the architecture building there, wow, eyesore brutalist.
Brown has a pretty campus in the middle of a town similar to Yale, but not nearly as bad.
U Penn is terrible.
Columbia has a beautiful campus in a great city. Just don't go north of campus or down into Morningside Park.
Dartmouth is pretty but out in the middle of nowhere.
Cornell is pretty, but also not in the best location.

Having difficulty believing you’ve ever seen Yale’s campus. Not at all what you describe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure that I believe the Reddit poster really plans to leave H, they seem like they are just venting.
Yes H has an ugly campus.
Princeton has the most beautiful campus in the suburbs, if that is your thing.
Yale is in a city with all the misgivings of a big city in a small town. The buildings are ugly because the stone is not the best choice. Have you seen the architecture building there, wow, eyesore brutalist.
Brown has a pretty campus in the middle of a town similar to Yale, but not nearly as bad.
U Penn is terrible.
Columbia has a beautiful campus in a great city. Just don't go north of campus or down into Morningside Park.
Dartmouth is pretty but out in the middle of nowhere.
Cornell is pretty, but also not in the best location.

Having difficulty believing you’ve ever seen Yale’s campus. Not at all what you describe

It depends on if you’re obsessed with gothic architecture. I find it very ugly too and misplaced; additionally, the non-immediate surround area of New Haven is pretty shady an crumbling in parts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure that I believe the Reddit poster really plans to leave H, they seem like they are just venting.
Yes H has an ugly campus.
Princeton has the most beautiful campus in the suburbs, if that is your thing.
Yale is in a city with all the misgivings of a big city in a small town. The buildings are ugly because the stone is not the best choice. Have you seen the architecture building there, wow, eyesore brutalist.
Brown has a pretty campus in the middle of a town similar to Yale, but not nearly as bad.
U Penn is terrible.
Columbia has a beautiful campus in a great city. Just don't go north of campus or down into Morningside Park.
Dartmouth is pretty but out in the middle of nowhere.
Cornell is pretty, but also not in the best location.

Having difficulty believing you’ve ever seen Yale’s campus. Not at all what you describe

It depends on if you’re obsessed with gothic architecture. I find it very ugly too and misplaced; additionally, the non-immediate surround area of New Haven is pretty shady an crumbling in parts.

You people display all the maturity of the posters who were complaining a few weeks ago that T20 dorms weren't the best. You try to sound sophisticated but just end up coming across as obtuse and snide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure that I believe the Reddit poster really plans to leave H, they seem like they are just venting.
Yes H has an ugly campus.
Princeton has the most beautiful campus in the suburbs, if that is your thing.
Yale is in a city with all the misgivings of a big city in a small town. The buildings are ugly because the stone is not the best choice. Have you seen the architecture building there, wow, eyesore brutalist.
Brown has a pretty campus in the middle of a town similar to Yale, but not nearly as bad.
U Penn is terrible.
Columbia has a beautiful campus in a great city. Just don't go north of campus or down into Morningside Park.
Dartmouth is pretty but out in the middle of nowhere.
Cornell is pretty, but also not in the best location.

Having difficulty believing you’ve ever seen Yale’s campus. Not at all what you describe

It depends on if you’re obsessed with gothic architecture. I find it very ugly too and misplaced; additionally, the non-immediate surround area of New Haven is pretty shady an crumbling in parts.

You people display all the maturity of the posters who were complaining a few weeks ago that T20 dorms weren't the best. You try to sound sophisticated but just end up coming across as obtuse and snide.

Or maybe some great schools aren’t great at every single thing? Not sure why that is so hard for some people to believe.