Congratulations, Harvard Class of 2018! At last, the wait is over: the long nights of tweaking your Common App essay, the nervous weeks leading up to today, the anticipation as you constantly refreshed your inbox, and the spark of both excitement and dread that made your stomach jump the moment the email actually appears.
Amidst the excited yells, the hugs and congratulations, you'll find yourself thinking about your life here at Harvard. Maybe you're looking forward to "pahking yah cah in Hahvahd Yahd" as you arrive to move in to your new home and meet all the other freshmen just like you. You'll all be curious, perhaps a little scared, but excited to be starting a new chapter of your life at such a beautiful, historic, and prestigious place.
Maybe you're looking forward to late night conversations about aldol condensations and the latest posts on your favorite tumblr blogs, debates about the merits of capitalism and whether Berryline is better than Pinkberry, or even the constant searches for people who share your interests, intellectual and otherwise.
Perhaps you can't wait to meet all your professors, inviting them to dinners or being invited into their homes for dinners instead. You'll spend hours discussing the newest scientific article that really caught your attention and work with them on projects you both are passionate about. You'll come in to talk to them about your passion for a subject you never knew you even liked.
Maybe you'll explore and see all Harvard has to offer. You'll wander through the Harvard libraries, discovering hidden gems you never knew were there. You'll take a class on the History of Art and Architecture, intensive Russian, the Science of Cooking, Justice, Anton Chekhov, and even organic chemistry. You can't wait to see where your interests and passions take you.
Or maybe you'll make memories. Your first of four Harvard-Yale games—maybe even your first football game ever! The excitement and nervousness leading up to Housing Day, then the bliss of finding that your assigned House has really and truly become your home. Jammin' out at Yardfest to the tunes of Janelle Monae. Spending late nights in the Crimson or the radio station, just to hang out with your friends.
Whatever you're looking forward to, welcome to Harvard, Class of 2018. We can't wait to meet you.