Anonymous
10/30/2025 00:16
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I went to MIT which had a pretty vibrant social scene. We have a such Greek scene. Parties usually corresponded to getting past key testing schedules or holidays.
I never, literally never met a Harvard student at a party but to be fair that part of Boston is pretty far from their part of Cambridge.
MIT has long pushed for all Greeks to come back on campus. Thankfully, they can't force the issue because it probably wouldn't be as great if so.
I think the network is more post-graduation but it's also in the grade inflation. Harvard 4.0 >>>> MIT 3.0 to most graduate institutions which is frustrating.
They are both in Cambridge and I think two stops on the red line. A five minute drive.
I watched those soap opera type reality episodes of rushing for Sororities down South. The girls spoke to the screen on TikTok while applying makeup. Most had bleached hair. They then named the brands of clothing they wore plus the jewelry. They ran around for a couple of days hoping to get picked for a sorority. At the end they simultaneously opened their envelopes and then squealed like pigs who just found mud piles.
The exact opposite of the females at Harvard. 80% of Supreme Court Judges went to Yale and Harvard. Leaders around the world studied at Harvard including our Canadian friends Trudeau and Mark Carney. It’s not a large party school with frats and sorority girls getting black out drunk. It’s more smaller groups of friends getting together. Much nicer.
The Harvard and Yale of 30 years ago is not the Harvard and Yale of today. It's a different world.
Are you trying to say they aren’t turning out world leaders and Supreme Court Justices?
Anonymous
10/30/2025 00:15
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It's weird to explore places and activities within a 5 mile radius of your college campus?
No, but it is when it's your primary social outlet instead of your own college.
Boston / Cambridge is unique because there about 80 colleges within a small radius. So why wouldn’t you take a 5 minute T ride over the River. That’s the appeal for some students to choose a school in Boston / Cambridge.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 18:12
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
To OP’s original question: there is no paradox, she is misinformed
Anonymous
10/29/2025 18:04
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Isn't this why the finals clubs guys are said to prefer girls from outside harvard for parties? I'm not sure how parents of daughters at Harvard feel about that.
Why would they care? So many other (and better) parties at other Boston/Cambridge campuses.
It seems kind of weird to go to a college only to avoid spending time there.
You don’t understand the history of eating/finals clubs. When Princeton, Yale, Harvard, etc stated up there were no assumed dorm accommodations for students. It was expected that you would find rooms off campus in which to live, and then a dining club to join which would feed you, they were all men then. Thats how they started … out of necessity
Anonymous
10/29/2025 17:48
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I went to MIT which had a pretty vibrant social scene. We have a such Greek scene. Parties usually corresponded to getting past key testing schedules or holidays.
I never, literally never met a Harvard student at a party but to be fair that part of Boston is pretty far from their part of Cambridge.
MIT has long pushed for all Greeks to come back on campus. Thankfully, they can't force the issue because it probably wouldn't be as great if so.
I think the network is more post-graduation but it's also in the grade inflation. Harvard 4.0 >>>> MIT 3.0 to most graduate institutions which is frustrating.
They are both in Cambridge and I think two stops on the red line. A five minute drive.
I watched those soap opera type reality episodes of rushing for Sororities down South. The girls spoke to the screen on TikTok while applying makeup. Most had bleached hair. They then named the brands of clothing they wore plus the jewelry. They ran around for a couple of days hoping to get picked for a sorority. At the end they simultaneously opened their envelopes and then squealed like pigs who just found mud piles.
The exact opposite of the females at Harvard. 80% of Supreme Court Judges went to Yale and Harvard. Leaders around the world studied at Harvard including our Canadian friends Trudeau and Mark Carney. It’s not a large party school with frats and sorority girls getting black out drunk. It’s more smaller groups of friends getting together. Much nicer.
The Harvard and Yale of 30 years ago is not the Harvard and Yale of today. It's a different world.
It’s actually very much the same, we know a good number of kids there now. There always has been a social set and a quirky set.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 15:44
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous
10/29/2025 15:39
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I went to MIT which had a pretty vibrant social scene. We have a such Greek scene. Parties usually corresponded to getting past key testing schedules or holidays.
I never, literally never met a Harvard student at a party but to be fair that part of Boston is pretty far from their part of Cambridge.
MIT has long pushed for all Greeks to come back on campus. Thankfully, they can't force the issue because it probably wouldn't be as great if so.
I think the network is more post-graduation but it's also in the grade inflation. Harvard 4.0 >>>> MIT 3.0 to most graduate institutions which is frustrating.
They are both in Cambridge and I think two stops on the red line. A five minute drive.
I watched those soap opera type reality episodes of rushing for Sororities down South. The girls spoke to the screen on TikTok while applying makeup. Most had bleached hair. They then named the brands of clothing they wore plus the jewelry. They ran around for a couple of days hoping to get picked for a sorority. At the end they simultaneously opened their envelopes and then squealed like pigs who just found mud piles.
The exact opposite of the females at Harvard. 80% of Supreme Court Judges went to Yale and Harvard. Leaders around the world studied at Harvard including our Canadian friends Trudeau and Mark Carney. It’s not a large party school with frats and sorority girls getting black out drunk. It’s more smaller groups of friends getting together. Much nicer.
The Harvard and Yale of 30 years ago is not the Harvard and Yale of today. It's a different world.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 15:30
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
My DS is a freshman at Harvard, and he is also a recruited athlete. What do you want to know so that I can ask him?
Anonymous
10/29/2025 15:22
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I went to MIT which had a pretty vibrant social scene. We have a such Greek scene. Parties usually corresponded to getting past key testing schedules or holidays.
I never, literally never met a Harvard student at a party but to be fair that part of Boston is pretty far from their part of Cambridge.
MIT has long pushed for all Greeks to come back on campus. Thankfully, they can't force the issue because it probably wouldn't be as great if so.
I think the network is more post-graduation but it's also in the grade inflation. Harvard 4.0 >>>> MIT 3.0 to most graduate institutions which is frustrating.
They are both in Cambridge and I think two stops on the red line. A five minute drive.
I watched those soap opera type reality episodes of rushing for Sororities down South. The girls spoke to the screen on TikTok while applying makeup. Most had bleached hair. They then named the brands of clothing they wore plus the jewelry. They ran around for a couple of days hoping to get picked for a sorority. At the end they simultaneously opened their envelopes and then squealed like pigs who just found mud piles.
The exact opposite of the females at Harvard. 80% of Supreme Court Judges went to Yale and Harvard. Leaders around the world studied at Harvard including our Canadian friends Trudeau and Mark Carney. It’s not a large party school with frats and sorority girls getting black out drunk. It’s more smaller groups of friends getting together. Much nicer.
Isn't this why the finals clubs guys are said to prefer girls from outside harvard for parties? I'm not sure how parents of daughters at Harvard feel about that.
Said to? My husband was in a finals club and they invited their female class mates to their parties. Lots of misinformation im this thread.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 14:44
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:It's weird to explore places and activities within a 5 mile radius of your college campus?
No, but it is when it's your primary social outlet instead of your own college.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 14:31
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
It's weird to explore places and activities within a 5 mile radius of your college campus?
Anonymous
10/29/2025 14:22
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Isn't this why the finals clubs guys are said to prefer girls from outside harvard for parties? I'm not sure how parents of daughters at Harvard feel about that.
Why would they care? So many other (and better) parties at other Boston/Cambridge campuses.
It seems kind of weird to go to a college only to avoid spending time there.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 13:55
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Isn't this why the finals clubs guys are said to prefer girls from outside harvard for parties? I'm not sure how parents of daughters at Harvard feel about that.
Why would they care? So many other (and better) parties at other Boston/Cambridge campuses.
Anonymous
10/29/2025 13:54
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
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)
when did uchicago become fun? It wasn't that way 10 years ago
Anonymous
10/29/2025 12:30
Subject: Harvard social life -- explain the paradox
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I went to MIT which had a pretty vibrant social scene. We have a such Greek scene. Parties usually corresponded to getting past key testing schedules or holidays.
I never, literally never met a Harvard student at a party but to be fair that part of Boston is pretty far from their part of Cambridge.
MIT has long pushed for all Greeks to come back on campus. Thankfully, they can't force the issue because it probably wouldn't be as great if so.
I think the network is more post-graduation but it's also in the grade inflation. Harvard 4.0 >>>> MIT 3.0 to most graduate institutions which is frustrating.
They are both in Cambridge and I think two stops on the red line. A five minute drive.
I watched those soap opera type reality episodes of rushing for Sororities down South. The girls spoke to the screen on TikTok while applying makeup. Most had bleached hair. They then named the brands of clothing they wore plus the jewelry. They ran around for a couple of days hoping to get picked for a sorority. At the end they simultaneously opened their envelopes and then squealed like pigs who just found mud piles.
The exact opposite of the females at Harvard. 80% of Supreme Court Judges went to Yale and Harvard. Leaders around the world studied at Harvard including our Canadian friends Trudeau and Mark Carney. It’s not a large party school with frats and sorority girls getting black out drunk. It’s more smaller groups of friends getting together. Much nicer.
Isn't this why the finals clubs guys are said to prefer girls from outside harvard for parties? I'm not sure how parents of daughters at Harvard feel about that.