Noitaraperp

I just got back from my visit to Yale, and the dorms were AMAZING. The dorm's gyms, butteries, kitchen, game areas (pool, ping pong), and libraries were amazing and the residential college basically felt like a huge castle which I could roam to my heart's extent. It was so fun.

I vaguely recollect visiting a Harvard dorm. I remember some dinginess but I'm not entirely sure. Do the Harvard freshman and above colleges have great facilities as well? I want to know before I visit so I can keep my eye out. I was leaning toward Harvard before, but my visit to Yale was so awesome that I am reconsidering. Hopefully my visit to Harvard will push me back to liking Harvard more.

Excepted

Harvard certainly has similar facilities. Though, I want to say that the residential colleges at Yale are more inclusive. It almost feels like a LAC at a bigger college. The residential college system at Yale is unparalleled; it is simply phenomenal. However, Harvard's is quite good as well. Probably in at a very close second.

Only after your visit to Harvard will you know what the right school is.

Remember, only choose based on fit... not academics. When choosing between Yale and Harvard you cannot choose wrong.

rb3

I visited both -- Yale's are MUCH better. The rooms themselves could go either way (both H and Y have it good), but as for the actual residential college/building you are in, Yale wins by a landslide.

caramelkisses06

I don't know anything about Yale's housing, but in discussing the two make sure you're comparing apples to apples - as in, freshman dorms to freshman dorms, or Harvard houses to Yale's residential colleges.

In the houses at Harvard, you'll find all the things you mentioned and more: lounges, TV rooms, fitness rooms, kitchens, gorgeous libraries, late-night grilles, ping-pong, air hockey and pool tables, foosball, squash courts, basketball courts, pottery studios ... I'm sure I'm even leaving some things out. You won't lack for facilities.

The freshmen dormitories at Harvard generally have lounges, TV rooms, kitchens and pool tables, but the rest of the things mentioned above are pretty much only in the houses.

booyaksha

Caramel, I've spent a lot of time at both. In addition to the fact that Yale makes res. colleges a HUGE part of campus life and houses are slightly less emphasized etc, in addition to that the res. colleges courtyards/exteriors are prettier imo, in addition to a variety of different amenities Yale has and Harvard does not, the key difference CANNOT be ignored and actually is a huge difference: Yale's been renovated very recently and/or is under renovation; Harvard has not.

natsherman

The $2billion of renovations at Yale are nearing completion, and Yale did an AMAZING job. Yale's dorms used to be grottier than Harvard's but the situation has reversed. Yale's ahead by a mile.

Having said that, Harvard's embarking on a protracted renovation program, so the situation will probably reverse again over the next 10 years. That would not affect students today however.

Hanna

All of Harvard's House dining halls were renovated within the last 10 years.

DocT

The dorms I've seen at Harvard aren't particularly great compared to some other schools.