Boston Magazine Profiles Harvard

Even though it's the best, Harvard isn't perfect. This unsurprising assertion is the theme of a short profile of the College in Boston Magazine's round-up of the region's schools in its October edition.

Harvard's review, deemed accurate on the whole by most students, reserves its highest praise for the Harvard's house system and all-star faculty.

But it reports student dissatisfaction with large lectures and the lack of faculty contact in general.

And then, of course, are the magazine's swipes at the egos of students. The sketch begins with the statement that Harvard students "want you to know they're the best. That four-letter word crops up a lot in their conversation..." It also includes the familiar joke about the number of Harvard students it takes to change a light bulb (Answer: One, who holds the bulb while the world revolves around him.)

Christopher A. McMillen '00 said that while he agreed with some of the negatives raised in the article, "As far as the large lectures go...I don't know how you could expect [Professor of Government] Michael Sandel to grade hundreds of papers."

Other students echoed McMillen's moderate tone.

"I think that the part about professors not being accessible depends on the student," said Aliza B. Goren '97. "I think it means that the student has to take the initiative."

The profile, based on student surveys circulated at the College as well as follow-up interviews, lauded as "Don't-miss courses" Bernbaum Professor of Literature Leo Damrosch's English 10b, any English class taught by Professor of English and American Literature Elaine Scarry and any history class with Donald H. Fleming, Trumbull professor of American history.

Fleming called the mention "gratifying," but said, "I haven't lost my mind over it or anything."

Students said they thought the "Don't-miss" course list was incomplete. Many gave their own additions, including Professor of History William E. Gienapp's Historical Studies B-42: "The American Civil War" and Kenan Professor of English Marjorie Garber's Literature and Arts A-40 and A-41 courses on Shakespeare.

But students agreed with the article's warning to not come to Harvard "without a Filofax and a world view."

McMillen identified "good time management skills" as a necessity.

First-years shouldn't come without "a good idea of who you are because your ego's gonna get busted," Mossman said.

Michael R. Rymen '99 was less taken with Boston Magazine's insights.

"What impressed me most as a freshman was that Harvard is full of small, very active worlds. I don't think the review picks up on that as what's unique about Harvard," he said. "It doesn't add much to what I read in the Fiske guide three years ago."

Students at other featured schools also had mixed reactions to their profiles.

Yale junior Elizabeth E. Gerard objected to the magazine's portrayal of students there as hiding their stress.

"It's definitely stressful, and I don't agree we hide it," she said. "We're proud of our stress level."

"The food does suck, by the way," she added, confirming the article's assertion.

But Williams College senior Sarah W. Dugan said the portrayal of Williams as friendly but isolated was accurate.

"It's kind of small in the winter," she said. "It's hard to motivate to do anything."

The accuracy of Harvard's profile may be due to the fact that an undergraduate, Erin M. Bush '98, assisted author Linda Tischler, with the research.

Bush is in London and could not be reached for comment

First-years shouldn't come without "a good idea of who you are because your ego's gonna get busted," Mossman said.

Michael R. Rymen '99 was less taken with Boston Magazine's insights.

"What impressed me most as a freshman was that Harvard is full of small, very active worlds. I don't think the review picks up on that as what's unique about Harvard," he said. "It doesn't add much to what I read in the Fiske guide three years ago."

Students at other featured schools also had mixed reactions to their profiles.

Yale junior Elizabeth E. Gerard objected to the magazine's portrayal of students there as hiding their stress.

"It's definitely stressful, and I don't agree we hide it," she said. "We're proud of our stress level."

"The food does suck, by the way," she added, confirming the article's assertion.

But Williams College senior Sarah W. Dugan said the portrayal of Williams as friendly but isolated was accurate.

"It's kind of small in the winter," she said. "It's hard to motivate to do anything."

The accuracy of Harvard's profile may be due to the fact that an undergraduate, Erin M. Bush '98, assisted author Linda Tischler, with the research.

Bush is in London and could not be reached for comment