Harvard Parent Thread

guitars101 · May 2008

I thought it would be good to have a parents thread. Any questions/comments/concerns related to parents.

mom2319 · May 2008

Thanks, that's great. I've post several questions regarding the freshman seminar and reading period.
Here comes another question, health insurance. My S is covered under our health insurnace. Our insurance covers out of network physicians. Is there any reason why we should buy insurance from HV? Do clinics at Harvard accept other insurance? Do we have to pay cash first and then file the claim ourselves?

guitars101 · May 2008

mom2319,

Thanks for the question!! My husband and I were wondering the exact same thing last night.

Anyone parents of current students please help!

guitars101 · May 2008

QUESTION - I saw in the information packet that Harvard has a "police dept." are they solely for the campus? Are they good at informing students of local problems and do they patrol the campus in uniforms?

Thanks in advance

DocT · May 2008

The health insurance is a bit of a mystery to me even though my daughter is a sophomore. One thing for sure, you don't have to use their insurance but you have to notify them before the semester begins that you waive it. Even though my daughter has seen several doctors at the clinic for various things there, our insurance company has never been billed nor have we.

twinmom · May 2008

We have always waived the health insurance. You can waive it by the term or by the year. Clinic visits at Harvard are covered either way. You still pay a health services fee even if you waive. However, if your student needed to see a doctor outside of the clinic, he or she would need to use personal/family insurance or Harvard's Blue Cross plan.

twinmom · May 2008

Harvard does have its own police department. I don't know much about them, but here's a link:

Harvard University Police Department HomePage

just_forget_me · May 2008

"HUPD" is pretty great - they do a good job of not getting students in trouble for silly things (i.e. drinking alcohol underage), and cracking down on crime that matters (I've called them once or twice when I've seen sketchy things - like a bike being stolen - and they've responded almost instantaneously). They send out emails to the student body whenever there's something we need to be aware of.

mom2319 · May 2008

Thanks DocT for your confusion and Twinmom for your clarification.

I now understand that even if your child is covered under the family insurance, you still need to pay the health service fee. With this fee, your child receives free service at Harvard Clinic. That's why DocT's insurance was never billed.

DocT · May 2008

Ah yes, as I look at the bill, there is a $713 student health fee per semester and a $681 blue cross fee that I waived

gadad · May 2008

To waive the health fee you need to affirm that you have basically the same coverage under another provider. You have to list the provider and, as I recall, the policy number.

gadad · May 2008

If any parents of freshmen are going to be on campus during the move-in weekend (Sept. 6-7), we should plan to get together and say hi. The Parents Association sponsors refreshments for frosh parents in Annenberg Hall on Saturday morning, so we could pick a general window of time and get to meet the people behind the postings!

guitars101 · May 2008

That sounds great! we are definately going to be at move-in day.

mammall · May 2008

Here's a question for other parents of new Harvard freshmen - should our D be receiving a mailing now that she has accepted. We see from the checklist of to-do items that she needs to fill out some forms by May 15. Some of you are referring to your bill. Should we have received a bill yet? Is a deposit due? Life is just so hectic in the spring I'm worried we aren't keeping on top of the paper work.

Also, are any of your kids going to attend one of the pre-frosh orientation programs?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

gadad · May 2008

No deposit required - there should be a mailing in June with the Handbook for Parents, then an August mailing with:
August Newsletter
Housing Assignment Letter
Crimson Yard Welcome Letter
Elm Yard Welcome Letter
Ivy Yard Welcome Letter
Arriving at Harvard
A Guide to the First Year at Harvard
Inserts in A Guide to the First Year at Harvard
Languages at Harvard
Introduction to the Core Curriculum
Class of 2012 Photo Order Form
Harvard Chaplains

The To-Do List for new freshmen is on the Freshman Dean's Office site:
Harvard College Freshman Dean's Office

gadad · May 2008

And BTW, D2 is planning on participating in FOP. D1 participated in FAP two years ago and had an incredible experience.

munchkin3590 · May 2008

There are a few things missing from the FDO to-do list, double check your admission packet, all the forms you need to be filling out are in there. Doctors forms, pictures sent in, etc... not all of these things are on that list, so be careful!

guitars101 · May 2008

gadad thanks for the list! I'll be on the lookout for those things

coureur · May 2008

>>D2 is planning on participating in FOP. D1 participated in FAP two years ago and had an incredible experience<<

Excellent! My daughter had been an FOP group leader for the past two years, and it has been a wonderful experience. She highly recommends FOP.

yannie · May 2008

My son took FOP two years ago and he liked it a lot!
If my memory serves me well that FOP was several days ahead of the Freshman moving day. We took family vacation, dropped him in the Cambridge for the FOP, left some baggage in my friend's house, finished our vacation and returned to Cambridge on the moving day. We helped him moving, finding furniture (a table). We stayed there for a few more days, including eating at Annenberg with whole bunch of amazing kids, listening in the Sandra theatre, did sight-seeing at the Cambridge and Boston what a wonderful time
gadad, I am so happy for you youve got to do that again!

gadad · May 2008

Thanks Yannie - I'm an unabashed wannabe. I've been to Cambridge five times in the last two years and now I've got all kinds of new reasons to keep going!

If any of your kids do FOP, bear in mind that the FOPpers don't return until late afternoon on move-in day (one of the reasons parents might want to get together in the morning).

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