Harvard social life -- explain the paradox

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

OP, unless you're 16 - 17 years old and looking at schools yourself, why would you possibly care about this? Genuinely interested as to why you would expend the brain cells to even think about this, let alone post about it.

+1. Envious Harvard bashing

Couldn't this be said about every last post in "college and university discussion"? For that matter, why are you here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

Says WHO OP?

dcurbanmom consensus opinion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

Says WHO OP?

Everyone knows this about Harvard. How can 70% of students have a 4.0 otherwise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

Says WHO OP?

Everyone knows this about Harvard. How can 70% of students have a 4.0 otherwise?

Your comment makes no sense. I’m yet another person waiting for OP to cite to something to support the claim that Harvard is “less focused on academics” -signed Harvard grad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

Says WHO OP?

Everyone knows this about Harvard. How can 70% of students have a 4.0 otherwise?

Your comment makes no sense. I’m yet another person waiting for OP to cite to something to support the claim that Harvard is “less focused on academics” -signed Harvard grad

I'm pretty sure there's no formal policy to be cited. However, it seems to be consensus opinion around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The super rich kids in Harvard - admitted courtesy donation etc- are having a ball.

Yes we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

Says WHO OP?

Everyone knows this about Harvard. How can 70% of students have a 4.0 otherwise?

Your comment makes no sense. I’m yet another person waiting for OP to cite to something to support the claim that Harvard is “less focused on academics” -signed Harvard grad

I'm pretty sure there's no formal policy to be cited. However, it seems to be consensus opinion around here.

Actually on this site there is no such consent. I , too, am waiting for OP to cite to something

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yale has a lot of social events and parties. It is much more well rounded than Harvard.

The fun ivies:
Cornell (great parties w/DJs; must be Greek tho)
Dartmouth (though last 2 fresh classes are odd)
Yale

Fun T10s:
Duke
Northwestern
UChicago (I know surprise surprise! Everything‘s turned around these days)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yale has a lot of social events and parties. It is much more well rounded than Harvard.

The fun ivies:
Cornell (great parties w/DJs; must be Greek tho)
Dartmouth (though last 2 fresh classes are odd)
Yale

Fun T10s:
Duke
Northwestern
UChicago (I know surprise surprise! Everything‘s turned around these days)

Did Stanford fall of this list? I remember many years ago Duke and Stanford were the ivy alternatives for people who wanted fun also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

Says WHO OP?

Everyone knows this about Harvard. How can 70% of students have a 4.0 otherwise?

Your comment makes no sense. I’m yet another person waiting for OP to cite to something to support the claim that Harvard is “less focused on academics” -signed Harvard grad

Not OP but I saw this article a few weeks ago. Harvard students can take two classes at the same time and some regularly miss class post Covid. That’s very different than places like Williams, Caltech, etc.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/us/harvard-students-absenteeism.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yale has a lot of social events and parties. It is much more well rounded than Harvard.

The fun ivies:
Cornell (great parties w/DJs; must be Greek tho)
Dartmouth (though last 2 fresh classes are odd)
Yale

Fun T10s:
Duke
Northwestern
UChicago (I know surprise surprise! Everything‘s turned around these days)

how do you know this about Dartmouth? I have a current freshman and agree on many quirky kids.
Is 2028 the same way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is said to be less focused on academics than most elite colleges and Harvard students are said to be more focused on a kind of pre-professional networking. At the same time, it is said to be have a relatively poor social scene and a worse party scene than any of the other top schools, particularly for freshman. This seems like a contradiction to me. Wouldn't a school obsessed with schmoozing and networking be known for its vibrant social scene?

Says WHO OP?

Everyone knows this about Harvard. How can 70% of students have a 4.0 otherwise?

Your comment makes no sense. I’m yet another person waiting for OP to cite to something to support the claim that Harvard is “less focused on academics” -signed Harvard grad

Not OP but I saw this article a few weeks ago. Harvard students can take two classes at the same time and some regularly miss class post Covid. That’s very different than places like Williams, Caltech, etc.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/us/harvard-students-absenteeism.html

Aren't the classes at Williams small seminars, though? (Though this certainly doesn't speak well for Harvard's teaching quality).

[Anonymous]

Nah, there is no paradox here. The Harvard scene is not bad in any way - there is just a higher rate of complaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got to see Harvard's campus in person for the first time a few months ago. To say I was underwhelmed would be putting it lightly. It looked and felt like a boarding school.

“A few months ago” would have been summer. You can troll better if you like

Do the buildings and grounds change in the fall? Or are you just tarted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nah, there is no paradox here. The Harvard scene is not bad in any way - there is just a higher rate of complaining.

I have a freshman and I was just visiting for parent weekend. Whether this is self imposed or peer pressure or just the vibe of the place, there is a sense that the students are “on” all the time. My son wears sweaters and khakis to class everyday (never dressed like this in HS!). He’s always darting off to a meeting or a forum (he’s met everyone from Nancy Pelosi to Mike Pence to Sen Fetterman to the President of the Czech Republic to the CEO of Eli Lilly). His professors include the former Sec of the Treasury.

He absolutely loves it- he’s never been around students before who are so interesting and interested. He doesn’t have imposter syndrome, but there is an exhaustion that goes with the performative environment that exists there. I think his only escape is through his social outlet (a non competitive club sport) and hanging out with his roommates and their group of extended friends where they can let their hair down and say something stupid without it ruining their futures.

He’s in classes with a lot of older students and has had two group projects where the others are MIA and he’s had to do the work on his own. The class of ‘29 is the first to require SATs since Covid. With this change plus the grade deflation they’ve announced, they are righting the ship.