More Than a Weekend

To the (potential) Class of 2018:

You’ve probably heard this many times in the past few weeks or even months since your decision email arrived, but it’s worth saying again: Congratulations! We think Harvard is an excellent place to spend four years, and hopefully the upcoming days will display what this school has to offer.

That being said, it is important to remember that this “Visitas” weekend is Harvard’s moment to put on a show. In the space of three days, the University will try to sell itself to you. It will do its best to cast Harvard in the most alluring light.

There are certainly parts of the “true Harvard” that you will see this weekend. You’ll get a sense—maybe too much so—of what it feels like to live in a dorm, and you’ll perhaps even get a handle on the geography of the campus. Even more relevantly, this weekend will provide a sense of Harvard’s diversity—a mosaic of countries, personalities, and economic backgrounds.

In the middle of all this fun, we encourage to you remember that Harvard is primarily known for its academics, and for good reason. Try attending a lecture or reading up on what the courses of instruction have to offer. If you’re interested in law, take a stroll around the Law School campus. In addition to the social offerings, find out what extracurricular activities you might be able to pursue at Harvard. (May we recommend The Harvard Crimson?)

As with any school, there will be times at Harvard when you are overburdened with work and find yourself with no one to turn to. No college lives up to its brochures every day, and don’t make the mistake of expecting it to. Instead, it might be helpful to use this as an opportunity to reflect on what motivates you even when you’re down or facing adversity. And regarding one predictable type of adversity, are you the sort of person who loves building snowmen? Or would the thought of walking to class in a blizzard make you depressed?

When it comes down to it, only your heart can decide if Harvard is the right place. It’s easy to choose Harvard because of the school’s name brand. Some of you may have been told for years that enrolling in Harvard is all you should ever want. But if college marks a major transition into adulthood, it should also mark a transition to autonomy. This sounds redundant, but it’s worth emphasizing: Your college decision should be entirely yours.

And while taking care to put it in perspective, make the most of this weekend. For one, be smart: A hangover is doubly worse with a rescinded offer of admission. Just as important: Don’t be pretentious. Yes, you got into Harvard. But so did everyone else here. You will not be the best at everything, and you may not even be the best at anything. Still, that does not diminish your contribution. Your work ethic, your spirit, and your personality count much more than whether you are the smartest-sounding person in the room.

Also, don’t make assumptions. This is the flipside of the above, as you might expect everyone at Harvard to be up to their necks in pretension. They’re not. Be genuine with everyone you meet and you might leave this weekend with some newfound friends.

But most of all, no matter how closely you follow the rest of our advice—don’t go to Yale.