Courses, Activities Await New Students

Less than three weeks after Commencement, Harvard Yard is once again bustling—this time with almost 5,000 Summer School students.

Harvard Summer School, which began in 1871, is this year offering almost 200 courses, ranging from economics to Sanskrit.

Among the courses offered are College favorites “Constructing the Samurai,” taught by Professor of Japanese History Harold Bolitho, and Pope Professor of the Latin Language and Literature R.J. Tarrant’s “The Rome of Augustus.”

Dean of the Summer School and Senior Lecturer on the History of Science Peter Buck said that approximately 60 percent of those teaching courses during the summer were also instructors at Harvard during the year.

“Those who teach the big intro science courses during the summer are the same ones who teach them during the year,” Buck said.

Susan E. McGee, registrar of continuing education, said that “Organic Chemistry,” “Introductory Biology,” and “Introduction to International Relations” were the three courses that attracted the most students.

“Introduction to Philosophy” has drawn the fourth-most students. McGee, who has handled Summer School data since the 1980s, said that she could not recall a philosophy course ever finishing among the 10 most popular courses.

Over 550 students are also enrolled in writing courses this year.

Elizabeth Chapman Hewitt, director of the Harvard Secondary School Program (HSSP), said high schoolers spending their summer at Harvard will also be able to take advantage of a wide array of activities, some of which are focused on college admissions.

As in past years, HSSP includes a college fair, a talk by Senior Admissions Officer for the College Dwight D. Miller and trips to Yale, Darmouth, Brown and Bates College.

Other activities include film festivals and over two dozen trips. Tickets for some trips, including those to Martha’s Vineyard and one to Fenway Park for a Boston Red Sox game, have sold out quickly, said Casey M. Daum ’03, activities director of the summer school.

Due to a standby policy, however, Daum said the activities office would be able to “almost accommodate everyone,” even for those trips that have already been sold out.

Daum stressed the importance of the activities.

“The goal is to provide a well-rounded experience,” she said. “[Undergraduates] know that life at Harvard is more than just academics. We’re trying to recreate that.”

According to McGee, this year nearly 1,100 high school students, 350 Harvard College students, 300 students from other colleges, and 100 students from Harvard’s graduate and professional schools have enrolled. Of the secondary school students, 900 are living in the first-year dorms. The other 200 commute to their classes from off campus. A total of 1,600 students are living on campus.

McGee noted a decline in the number of international students in the Summer School, down 300 from last year’s total to 1,100.

“There are more cases of students this term not being able to get here,” she said. “It looks like all countries are sending fewer students to us. It’s across the board.”

Secondary School students cited a range of reasons for spending their summer in Cambridge.

“I came here to get a college experience,” said Sonia Nagala, a high school senior from North Dakota. “I wanted to introduce myself to some college-level classes, and explore Harvard.”

Bernadette M. Acuna, a high school senior from Texas, said the program was reccommended to her.

“I know people who’ve done this and they raved about it. They loved the program,” Acuna said.

One Secondary School student, though, who wished not to be named, noted that not everyone came entirely of their own volition.

“I needed to make up a credit,” he said. “It’s not a very exciting reason.”

—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.