<p>I have heard many times that the professors at Harvard tend to disregard the undergraduates and you cannot really go and talk to them or be friendly around them simply because they are too cold. </p>
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<p>This is a review of Harvard academics.Another thing, Harvard ranked a mere A, along with other colleges such as: </p>
<p>Bowdoin College
Brown University
Caltech
Claremont McKenna College
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
McGill University
Middlebury College
Swarthmore College
University of Chicago
University of Rochester
Washington & Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Williams College
Yale University</p>
<p>whereas Princeton, Stanford and MIT got A+. Please comment on this, and I believe the input of current students would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I think you’ll find a mix everywhere. Of course some of the Harvard professors will be stuck up snots who just happen to be brilliant, but not all. Getting advice about what each prof is like before signing up for the class is a good idea.</p>
<p>The profs at Columbia tend to be superfriendly though, if anecdotal evidence counts for anything.</p>
<p>Have you met any actual Harvard professors and can you share more information? It is quite the quandary to me…generally, the quality of undergraduate studies is constantly discredited.</p>
<p>Met? No. Emailed with? Yes. Some of them blew me off when I wanted to discuss their books or research with them. I’d say the majority blew me off. A few of them were really kind and helpful, and if they were that great to some random girl from the internet, I imagine they’d be even better with actual students.</p>
<p>If you are in their class the professor will definitely try to help you. However, keep in mind that these folks get a ton of e-mail every day and often let their secretaries do a preliminary screening. In addition, professors always have something to do, so corresponding with some random student isn’t going to rate very highly on the priority scale.</p>
<p>All I know is that my prospective freshman had a very nice phone conversation with one the computer science professors after an e-mail exchange. Years ago I had good relations with a number of my professors. One of the French professors used to eat regularly in our house for a French table. I used to go even though I never took a class because her reading lists were just too long for me.</p>
<p>If I ever became a professor, I’d try to keep up with everybody passionate or curious. I’d be worried that something beautiful would slip by me if I said I was too busy for that. I always think of those myths about Gods who go and beg at people’s doorsteps dressed like wretches. I believe we have hidden opportunities like that in life, and most of us brush them to the side.</p>
<p>The only thing I can say about this is that it’s a complete myth.</p>
<p>Every professor I’ve come into contact with here (almost entirely science classes) has been very friendly and open. Not all have been good teachers (some are, some aren’t), but I would never describe any as cold or distant.</p>
<p>In fact, there are courses called “freshman seminars” that have only twelve students and are taught directly by professors- some of whom are highly accomplished or even famous. Those give students a chance to get to know a professor very well in a stimulating and interesting enviroment.</p>
<p>And I’m willing to guess that the people who keep spreading the rumor aren’t actually the ones who have ANY experience with Harvard professors. Seriously, I’ve been consistently shocked at the accessibility and friendliness of the professors (esp. after hearing the same things about unfriendly profs when I said I was going to Harvard). My 1st semester freshman seminar professor won his nobel prize the year I was taking it (we had a champagne and cheese party in his favor). My second semester freshman seminar professor later went on to become dean of the college (Jeremy Knowles, aka Dean Knowles). Both of them were some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.</p>