Anonymous wrote:Too many rich aholes already

Assume much?

DS is 10. Since he was 8, he has wanted to go to Harvard, NYU, Brown, UCLA, UCSB, any college in Hawaii, a college in Tampa, Oxford, and a couple of others. He's been on a few campuses thanks to where we live and friends and family who attend those schools.

Honestly, I grew up outside Boston and I really don't think Harvard's campus is all that amazing compared to other colleges'. Also he is 9 and his opinion will change a ton. If you are really that worried, I would keep your phrases generic "wow isn't it so cool to see a campus like this." "Aren't these dorms interesting?" etc etc. You don't have to gush about how amazing Harvard is.

At 5 and 10 I went to my dad’s Princeton reunions, I grew up near Cambridge and went to my cousin’s rugby games in late elementary and wandered around at the Head of the Charles in high school and visited another cousin in England when she was at Oxford. The only one of these schools I even toured as a potential college student was Princeton and I didn’t apply because I wanted something smaller / more rural. I don’t think visiting a campus = wanting to attend.

We live near there. Most tween/teens who visit us stop by. Most hate it. Super boring campus. But there are so many other schools near there too if you really want to do comparisons.

I haven’t seen a Harvard visit that sold the kid so far, and these are kids who have a shot to the extent anyone does. Some love MIT, some like visiting but know it is not for them. Much more love for BU and others.

Too many rich aholes already

I would take him but also try and figure out why he wants to go to Harvard. At his age it’s coming from somewhere and you want to make sure it’s not a “if you don’t go to Harvard you are a failure” parent of a friend.

My 8 year old wants to go where DH and I went for undergrad and has no interest in the Ivy we went to for grad school- she just thinks it looks cool from the pictures.

Sure why not. Then get the ice cream at Toscanini's near MIT.
I went to MIT and love it, but the campus is ... not like Harvard.

I remember going on to vacation when I was young and walking around Harvard and MIT. My parents really liked seeing different college campuses. When the time came, I had no interest in applying to either. Now as an adult, I don’t remember MIT at all but I remember liking the Harvard campus at the time. Take him!

Yes and go to the curious George store! Perfect age.

If you went to England and visited Oxford or Cambridge, of course you'd take the kid there. Nothing different going to Harvard (or any other beautiful, historic campus)

Anonymous wrote:DH's family lived in Boston, and we're finally getting up there this summer for a leisure visit (i.e., not a funeral or graduation or "work"). DS9 has been talking about wanting to go to Harvard, and DH thinks it's ok to swing by the campus and let him explore a bit. I think this is a terrible idea. Don't want him getting his heart set on it. Would you encourage a child in this way, even tacitly?

What? He's 9! Why wouldn't you take him? Would you forbid him from attending baseball games if he said he wanted to be a baseball player when he grows up? He's 9. Exposure to colleges and big dreams are wonderful things for him.

I don't see what the problem is walking around a nice college campus that you are statistically unlikely to attend. My kids have walked around plenty of elite university grounds due to spouse's job. If anything, it has removed a lot of the mystique and they see that colleges are all pretty much the same. You see one colonial revival you seen 'em all.

Anonymous wrote:You’re in dream world if you think you me kid is getting into Harvard unless they are legacy these days

You're in the wrong forum for ranting. Nobody cares if OP's kid gets in. They are just telling her the campus can be interesting to a 9 yo.

You’re in dream world if you think you me kid is getting into Harvard unless they are legacy these days

My parents took me to lord of college campuses growing up. There’s a great museum at Harvard. Go and explore.