For natives of Cambridge, enrolling at Harvard has special benefits, drawbacks

When it came time for Emma L. Berndt '00 to decide on a college, she didn't gallivant off to Stanford, Princeton or Yale.

Instead, she opted to continue her education at her local community college--Harvard.

Berndt is just one of five first-years hailing from the shady side-walks of residential Cambridge. Between five and 10 Cantabrigians come to Harvard each year, according to students and guidance counselors. In the Class of 1997, for instance, eight Cambridge residents were admitted.

"Compared to a lot of Ivy Leagues, it's usually easier [for Cantabrigians] to get in," Emily F. Gregory '00, a former Davis Square resident, says.

"The person from Cambridge [would be accepted], everything being equal," agrees Dr. Samuel Framondi, who retired last June after 26 years as a guidance counselor in Cambridge schools.

For these students, though, the decision to enroll at Harvard wasn't always easy. Many agonized over accepting the College's offer of admission, knowing that attending a college so close to home brings a special set of comforts and disadvantages.

Chloe L. Drew '00, one of Gregory's high school pals, says she experienced hesitation when she was accepted. But she eventually got used to the idea, and says she's delighted with the choice she made.

"Now that I'm here, I love being in my hometown," says Drew. "I think it's a great place to be."

Local Color

One of the benefits of staying in Cambridge, Drew says, is the city's beauty. Many students say they love staying close to the Charles River and the grassy lawns of the Common.

And remaining in town means that students from Cambridge are still able to frequent their one-time high school haunts.

Take Harvard Square. During freshman week, when most first-years learned the difference between "inbound" and "outbound," Cambridge students nonchalantly whipped out their T passes.

And while other Harvardians gawked at the grunge-wearing teenagers in the "pit," Cambridge students merrily waved to their old high school buddies.

But for most students from Cambridge, Harvard Square is no longer a hip and exciting location. While it can still be fun, Gregory says, its novelty started to wear off sometime around seventh grade.

Though long-time Cantabrigians may tire of the traditional Harvard Square hangouts, they do have the option of escaping to lesser-known spots.

Super Star Market and The Sunday Cafe in Davis Square, a "cute little coffee shop," are two of Berndt's favorite hideouts, for instance.

Roommates also benefit from Cantabrigians' local knowledge.

Marisa L. Porges '00 extols the virtues of a Cantabrigian roommate, saying that Gregory often shepherds her in the right direction, and made the transition to a new city much easier for her.

"I think I probably have a broader sense of what it [Cambridge] is," explains Gregory.

Yet students say an exhaustive knowledge of the surroundings is not always an asset.

"I do regret not getting to experience a whole new place," says Berndt. "I didn't think I'd end up here."

And as time goes on, Berndt says she wonders when a change of scene will be in order.

Homeward Bound

For many students, college is about leaving home for the first time, going several months without snuggling with their old teddy bear or being able to raid the fridge.

But students with parents in Cambridge can always go home for a hug when things get tough. And they can bring their roommates home for the holidays or for some much needed TLC.

"I sometimes bring my roommates home for a home-cooked meal," says Drew.

Ironically enough, living in Cambridge can also mean privacy.

In order to dodge overcrowded libraries and rooms that are not conducive to study, for instance, Gregory says she'll periodically return home to sit at a quiet desk while studying for her exams.

While most students schlep books and clothes back and forth during vacations, Cantabrigians never have to worry about leaving their wool socks or favorite pair of underwear behind.

"It's really convenient. I'd just forgotten my hat the other day, and I went back to get it," Berndt explains.

Plus, Cantabrigians don't have to pore over airline prices to see if they can make it home for Thanksgiving.

"It's certainly easy in terms of going home for vacation," jokes Cambridge resident Noam I. Weinstein '99.

But living so close to home isn't always all it's cracked up to be.

Gregory says she's still expected to help with household chores--"if there's a big snowstorm I might go back and help shovel."

Many students say they need to put some space between themselves and their parents. Without the physical distance which accompanies going to school in a different city, many students say they struggle to establish their independence.

"We talked about how if I went to Harvard we would have to put distance between us," Berndt remembers.

But overall, students say their college experience has been positive, even if they do run into their parents jogging by the Charles. And having mom and dad around can be pretty humorous.

When Drew hurt her eye last weekend, her roommate spread word of the accidental "gouging" to Drew's mother.

While she was being treated at UHS, Drew beheld none other than her own mother pushing down the door with Drew's entire family in tow.

"It was cute but I was a little annoyed," Drew says.

The Cantabrigian student admits she spoke coldly to her mother at first, but retracted her angry words shortly thereafter.

"I called them back later and said I was sorry," she says. "I thought it was really sweet."