Studying at Harvard University USA
Last Updated on Aug 21, 2024
I don’t think I need to introduce Harvard University to anyone. Studying at Harvard University is a dream of many and I never thought I would get the chance to study there. My family could never finance the expensive tuition costs and on top of that I’m a foreigner.
But, one day I received a newsletter about scholarship opportunities for Polish people to study in the US, and I immediately applied to a couple of universities recommended in the newsletter. Harvard was one of them. I never expected a reply, especially because at the same I was traveling somewhere in Israel.
But a few months passed I received an acceptance letter to an MBA program. The school wasn’t great (I’m not going to reveal it here), but it was still an MBA program in the US. Unfortunately, it turned out that the scholarship was only partial, so I had to give this opportunity up. I was prepared to forget about studying in the US and get a job there on a work & travel visa instead.
Applying to Harvard University Extension School
This is when I looked at applications to Harvard and I noticed how many possibilities they offered. I figured that if I took only some courses on campus and others online through their Extension School, I could pay much less and use my scholarship. Well, that was step one, but step two was to get accepted. But as you can see from this post, somehow I got in…
Living on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, MA
Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, right next to Boston. The city’s Metro Line stops directly in front of the Harvard gate, so there was no problem for me to go to Boston any time I wanted.
Cambridge is pretty much a town built for Harvard and MIT students, so the atmosphere is awesome, as long as you’re an actual student or work on campus. But, don’t be fooled, it doesn’t mean it’s a cheap student town. Similar to Oxford in the UK, Cambridge isn’t cheap at all.
My friends were usually going out in Boston, but I only went a couple of times as the nightclubs in Boston are expensive – the cheapest entrance fee was $50 and this was back in 2010! Instead, I was hanging out at the river.
Student Halls at Harvard University
When I received an email with my student hall assignment, I was terrified. I wanted to live in the Harvard yard and the student hall I got didn’t seem like it was next to anything. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong about my dorm – Quincy House. It was probably the best out of all the student halls.
I’m not sure if any movie about Harvard actually represents the reality of dorm standards, the answer is NO. Dorms are not as fancy as in movies like Legally Blonde (the movie wasn’t filmed at Harvard).
At Quincy, we lived in segments of 5 people and shared one bathroom. No AC and no portable units were allowed, so it was getting quite hot inside at times. I don’t want to discourage any future students, but our bathroom was just horrible. We had a hole in the wall, so I could say ‘hi’ to my neighbor through it, and the cupboard in the main bathroom was pretty filthy.
The room itself was very basic with an old wooden bed, desk, and a small cupboard with a clothing rack. The majority of people used the opportunity of an annual sale to buy fridges, microwaves, and room decorations pretty much on the first day, but since I was on a budget I passed on this opportunity.
There was always something going on, if not in the Harvard yard then in my dorm yard. One day there was a muffin fight going on, the next day some people set up some live music. The next there would suddenly be a free ice cream stall.
However, during the exam period, the whole campus fun had to stop completely, because no noise was allowed. The rule was that groups of 3 or more, weren’t allowed to be in the Quincy Hall yard. My friends who ignored that rule got caught by the security guard and had to collect trash for a week as a punishment. Ouch!
Facilities at Harvard University
The most well-known building at Harvard University is probably the library. Widener Library is a huge building in the middle of the Harvard yard and probably the biggest library I’ve ever been to and great for studying at Harvard University. We all studied there a lot, as it was often too hot to be in our dorm rooms, and the library was fully air-conditioned.
You could often get lost in the basement and accidentally scare someone when moving book stock. The Widener Library was a place to be for sure!
Although, I often went to the art history library instead as it was less crowded. At the end of the day it was getting pretty scary, as I was often alone and the tables were located in the basement. I guess watching a lot of horror movies of how you can get locked in a library didn’t help.
Harvard University has had a statue of its founder standing proudly in the yard. During the summer tons of visitors come to the statue and touch his foot. The legend says that if they do, they will get admitted to the university eventually. Although… John Harvard was actually not the founder of Harvard and the man portrayed in the statute is also not him, but some random guy.
Also, my insider tip is that touching his foot is never a good idea. Strange things are happening to it overnight during party time 😉
Another iconic building at Harvard is Annenberg Hall, as it might remind you of the dining hall from the Harry Potter movies (actually filmed at Oxford University). Visitors and summer students can eat meals there, as students don’t have their own kitchens open in the dorms.
I must say that it was the best food I’ve ever eaten on ANY campus. There was always a huge diversity of things to choose from, so everyone could get meat, seafood, vegan, kosher, halal, gluten-free, or whatever they wanted every day. Every Sunday you could also even make your waffles with the Harvard emblem on them!
Unfortunately, nobody can say the same good things about the food served in the dining halls of the dorms. But don’t worry, everyone could always get a burger from the famous Mr. Bartley’s Burgers.
Study Program
My program was quite specific, because of the nature of studying Journalism. So it’s hard for me to say if there was a lot of actual studying involved. In my case, we had a lot of assignments and it was completely normal for us to write a 2000-word assignment in 2 days. After all, it was totally manageable.
You can do some courses on campus, and some online. It’s an excellent solution, as it can save you a lot of money on not living in Boston. I was finishing some of my courses online while already working as an intern in Argentina.
These systems aren’t unique to the US actually. In fact, when I was at Harvard I was also working on my thesis from the UK and I could just submit it by mail. As long as you have all your materials you can be anywhere.
Methods of Teaching
In the US, there are huge differences comparing with education systems in the UK or Poland. Especially when it comes to defying the focus of professional skill development and actually learning things by heart.
At Harvard, teachers are trying to prepare you for something you want to do after school. They focus less on what should be done for a particular course, counting on personal interests and the development of a student. You can work closely with your professors, and if you need any extra consultation there’s never a problem. I approached my supervisor many times with questions technically not related to my course but my internship and she was more than happy to help.
However, it doesn’t mean that the rules don’t apply. If you’re not in the class on time, you usually can’t get in. If you miss a certain amount of classes on a student visa you can get suspended – not just school, but also your visa.
I know someone who thought he could make stuff up to make up for him skipping classes and it didn’t end up pretty. I’ll spare you details as this person probably wouldn’t want me to share this, but trust me – you don’t want that.
Benefits of Studying at Harvard University
I don’t think I need to list the benefits of graduating from a top Ivy League school. A degree from Harvard can definitely benefit your curriculum, BUT it does NOT guarantee your success.
In my opinion, the most beneficial thing one can gain from studying at Harvard University are connections. You can meet a lot of intelligent and influential people from all over the world that can open many doors to your future career.
Do you have any questions about studying at Harvard University? Drop me a message in the comments section!
While teaching methods might be totally different from the Polish ones, the American dorm rooms look pretty simillar from what I remember 😀
Haha, I must agree 😀
I love the last paragraph. Totally agree about the connection thing. It´s very hard nowadays to get a job by applying to companies since they don´t know you and considering the huge amount of qualified and intelligent people, let alone from top unis like this. So yes, connections can definitely solve the problem. It´s unfair but that´s the way it is today. Thanks for this post Anna, loved it.
Thanks Carmen!
I imagined Harvard dorm a bit differently 😉
Trust me – me too 🙂
The room looks so weird.
My initial reaction was like ‘is this really it?!’ 😉
Wow this is awesome! Congratulations. Have a great time over there.
Thanks! It’s a bit of a flashback as I graduated from Harvard a while ago 🙂
GREAT that you got to atudy there! Lucky gal and a smart gal, no doubt. 🙂 I’ve been to Cambridge once and it sure is a quintessential college town.
Awww ! Thanks Pola! How did you like Cambridge btw? I’ve never been there, but I heard it’s super small 😛
I guess student dorms will always be student dorms, regardless of whether it is Harvard or a dodgy university in Malaysia! Lots of noise and dirty bathrooms are the norm! 😀
Hehe, well, unless you’re in London 😉
Wow, you surprise me more and more each time!:)
Like Hitchock right… first the earthquake? 😉
Very interesting. I just came across your blog. I also thought this was recent. But in any case, interesting info and it also reminds me of my time when I lived on campus in Florida.
Love your blog, by the way.
Thanks a lot! I studied there in 2010, so it’s not that recent (I’m not that young anymore hehe!) but I thought it would be a great to share it on my blog anyway 🙂
What an experience! So much history and intelligence coming from those walls! Congrats
Thank you Rebecca!
I’m curious how many classes you took. Were you there just one semester or over a summer? I’m looking to do something similar, but just through their extension classes. Did you get a certificate of some kind or just credit for the few J courses you took? Thanks for your help.
Here’s how it worked before (not sure if it still does though, so please double check): You get a certificate for diplomas from extension school, not the summer term. While it’s possible to get a proof that you studied over the summer the credits automatically go to your ‘home college’. You can take as many courses as you want (online or on campus) but only 2 during the summer as they’re more intense.
Hi Anna –
Did you get a degree from Extension School?
Yep! Certificate.
Do people from the real Harvard look down at yiur extension school credentials?
I was at a party once and overheard 2 Harvard alumni commenting on a third alumni that his degree was tha cheap Harvard as everyine pretty much gets in to Extension school.
PS the guys were actually kind of jerks anyway.. but thanks to them I did a google and found th cost of extension school was cheap and anyone can basically take classes.. so I did as well. I sin’t brag about foing there as my regular degrew is feom another Ivy.
HI. I really wanna know how many lectures did you have a day? and what were people like? Thank you.
It all depends of your program really. In my course people were older.
Hi Anna! How did the extension school program work out for you in terms of saving up money? And what are the requirements for applying to Harvard?
What do you mean in terms of saving money? Requirements depend on the program, level, and other factors. Each program is different.
Hi Anna! I am Madelaine, from Argentina. I am planning to enroll this summer on a Summer course.
Since I am a foreigner as you are I have 1000 doubts. My main doubt is where do you suggest to stay during the course? I read that you stayed at Harvard dorms, they seem a little expensive though, for this reason I was thinking to stay off campus, what do you think?
Are you enroling just for the summer course? If so, student housing is your best and cheapest bet (unless you get lucky). Cambridge isn’t the cheapest place to live, so even if you look at AirBnB you’ll see how much does it cost per month. Adding food and possible transportation if you find something further away from campus, it might come down to the same price.
yess! I am enrolling just for 6 weeks. I have many doubts on the housing system. I am 27 years old, I thought that maybe people who stay on campus are younger, that’s why I thought it would be better staying off campus… besides, do you have any limitations when staying there? by this I mean, certain hs to go out or enter the campus…
would you mind giving me more information?
thank you very much!
Thinks might have changed since I was there 8 years ago 😉
Hmm, you’re right that people who stay on campus are usually younger (20-24), since graduate students prefer to live elsewhere, but it shouldn’t be that bad. Technically speaking, a lot of halls are outside the campus (like 3 minutes walk outside) and you’d be put in one of those since you’re over 18 (they used to do this high school program and put all those young students inside the campus since it was easier to arrange a curfew). I actually think the location of Quincy was awesome since it was 5 minutes walk to the library and 5 minutes walk to the river.
There were limitations in terms that you can’t install your own AC, there were quiet hours in the courtyard, but otherwise nope. Keep in mind that these dorms come barely furnished, so you need to get your own bedsheets, fan (it’s really hot in the summer), hangers, some people wanted fridge and microwave. There’s a second-hand student market every year after people move out – there must be a facebook group these days. Since you’re only going for a short amount of time, maybe it would be better to rent a room considering all the extra costs.
One thing: during the summer they used to only serve meals at Annenberg Hall, not like they do during a regular term in each hall. Some people were annoyed that they had to walk that far for every meal, so ended up buying extra food. It was only a 10-minute walk and I personally enjoyed the meals, so I guess it’s up to your preferences.
Great article! I’m a high school student from Colombia and your website has helped me a lot. It’s also really interesting and enjoyable. I went to Harvard last summer and I totally loved it, I’m currently starting to prepare myself for a scholarship and your tips have been really useful. Do you know any organizations or programs that help foreign students find opportunities to study abroad? ?
Greetings from Colombia!
P.S: You definitely should try to come here, we have amazing landscapes, food, and people.
I’ve been to Colombia actually, just haven’t written much about it yet 😉
Hi Anna,
I am interested in taking a pGdip in Journalism at Havard extension school as well. Just wondering, how long did it take you to complete the degree? How much time did you spend in campus? What was the workload like? And, is it hard to get into?
Thanks,
Things might have changed as it’s been almost 10 years (lecturers for sure did), but it used to really depend on you and how much workload were you going to take on at once.
Hi Anna,
How did you find the extension school – was it worth studying/graduating there?
Did you have any troubles with the required GPA?
How long did it take you to graduate?
P
Why can’t you be straightforward about what you really did at Harvard and how you got in. It’s not a mystery but people like you trying to pass yourself off as a full on tenured degree seeker and graduate at Harvard ruins everything for others who truly are since it forces the university to adjust its degree program to avoid those who abuse the name. I speak from experience. Please modify your article to be honest with people. You should be proud of your education there but at the same time acknowledge the facts and give the university the credit it deserves so others can follow in your footsteps.
I’m not even sure what your comment is supposed to mean, especially regarding adjustments to a program and giving credit to the university.
Very insightful to read about your experiences in Harvard.