sup

I've always wanted to go to Harvard, but people keep telling me that Harvard's students are often egotistical or snobbish. How true is this?

I also heard a lot of people there dress very preppy and act upper-class, and this does not seem that hard to believe considering most wealthy families with connections probably want their kids to go to Harvard.

tokenadult

Not the ones I've met in person.

harvard2011girl

- Not egotistical and snobbish, except for some who are present at every school you'll go to.

- A lot of people do dress fairly preppy... we have a few punkish/altish/hipsterish people, but for the most part, people wear things like black peacoats. A lot of people wear nondescript casual.

mathmom

There are all types at Harvard as there are at most American colleges. If you can why don't you try visiting the campus, I think you'll find these stereotypes have very little basis in fact.

ivyboy711

Harvard being the school that it is will likely draw in a wide variety of people.

kingmo1990

trying to characterize a whole group of 6500 students as arrogant and boring, even in principle, seems just a bit too overreaching, don't you think?

sup

Fine. What about saying that Harvard tends to have more conceited students than other schools?

kwu

Since I am currently attending an incredibly awesome and totally superior high school, I would argue that students of Harvard College have earned the right to be arrogant and conceited.

Though, of course, those aren't very favorable personality traits ...

Newjack88

i visited and it was like half normal kids, half really weird kids who probably locked themselves in their rooms and studied all the time during high school. nothing wrong with the latter, just not my thing.

EDIT:
based on what i've heard from my sibling who goes to Harvard and many of her friends, it's somewhat difficult to find true friends at Harvard since a lot of the kids are really into themselves and not very personable.

coureur

>>What about saying that Harvard tends to have more conceited students than other schools?<<

If you are already convinced that, sight unseen, you don't like the students at Harvard, I'm sure you will be able to find an example of whatever sort of behavior you are looking for in a student body as large and diverse as Harvard's. However, if you are sincerely interested in finding out what the overall vibe is on campus, and not merely looking to confirm some stereotype you have bought into, then do as others have suggested and visit the campus for yourself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

bandit_TX

You seem to contradict yourself. My D has developed very close friendships with people that I'm sure will be in her life long after college.

Dr. Avrah

bandit_TX, that's exactly what I was thinking!

arwen15

My public school sends a bunch of kids to Harvard and I can say going
by those I know personally from the last 3 years, they admitted
socially outgoing, humble but outstanding academicians. I do not know
how Harvard did it but they rejected the obnoxious ones despite their
paper stats. We held our collective breaths when Mr. Obnoxious got
on their waitlist but Harvard did the right thing in the end and their
perfect admit record of good guys stands:d.

Make what you will out of that.....

Newjack88

well if you had read what i wrote it would be clear that i'm not contradicting myself. there is a difference between a "friend" and a "true friend." (notice i bolded the "true" in my original post... sort of ironic that people overlooked it... :P)

JP_Omnipotence

My friend goes there and he's one of the most modest and intellectual people I know. Granted he's kind of a nerd but whatever. He loves the social scene there btw.