<p>Fauxmaven - D loves Currier and says she wouldn’t go to a River House if she had to. The vast majority of rooms are singles, and it’s (I believe) the smallest house, which makes for a tight-knit community. She especially likes being in a residential neighborhood instead of a commercial district and enjoys the walk through Cambridge Common to the Yard when she has the time. The shuttle stops directly in front of the front door, and in the top-floor laundry room - if you’re savvy enough to know to crank one of the tall windows open - there’s a step up to the window, which you can use as a doorway out to a wraparound rooftop patio with seating and a fabulous view of Cambridge. The architecture is nothing to write home about, and they lost their humongous, dramatic courtyard tree to old age last summer. It was replaced by three trees (so maybe they should now be the Currier “tree-o”?). :)</p>
<p>Can anyone offer any reassurances about “old Quincy”? I have read about rodents, roaches and mold in old Quincy. Is it that bad? Can a student have a dehumidifier?</p>
<p>D is a current Old Quincy resident and is living there just fine. She did go through a brief stretch right after winter break where an occasional roach was seen. No rodents and I am not aware of mold. As for dehumidifier, I’m guessing that you can run what you wish as long as it is not a heating appliance. The only time D has found the room hot/damp is at the beginning of the year when it was still hot outside.</p>
<p>Both of my children live in River Houses and I will say that although the rooms are charming and large and the houses beautiful, they are in need of renovation. When my son moved in his room was filthy and we had to scrub the floors and bathrooms as the dorm crews gave it a cursory cleaning but nothing like it should have been. Paint is peeling on the windows etc, (luckily he is not a toddler who eats paint as I would imagine that if its old paint there may be some lead in there :)! ) That being said he loves where he is and he doesn’t seem to mind it at all. I much prefer it to the concrete style dorms we saw on many other campus tours, nice great rooms with fireplaces and a stellar location!</p>
<p>I just got Lev</p>
<p>smoda61 and EAO1227: Thanks so much for the information about old Quincy and the River Houses generally. I was most concerned about mold and it sounds like it really isn’t a problem.</p>
<p>My son is in one of the river houses (Eliot) and his roommate brought in a humidifier because he said that Boston was sooooo dry.</p>
<p>Those living in Old Quincy (and I was a resident tutor in Quincy many years ago so I KNOW how awful those rooms are…) will soon be in "swing space for a year as Harvard guts and re-builds Old Quincy. Not nice to be in swing space, but it will be great when you come back.</p>
<p>S is going to Mather.</p>
<p>FYI for those interested. Harvard will be holding a memorial service for the Reverend Peter J. Gomes on Wednesday, April 6 at 11:00 a.m (EST). WHRB (Harvard’s radio station) will broadcast the service or you can also listen to the service on your computer by going to WHRB’s website (whrb.org). They are expecting the church to be full and are going to “simulcast” the service in the Science Center. I don’t know who is going to speak.</p>
<p>@ Hat: thanks for that info re Rev. Gomes’ memorial service. I am so glad to see they are going to broadcast it.</p>
<p>[An</a> unprecedented admissions year | Harvard Gazette](<a href=“http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/03/an-unprecedented-admissions-year/]An”>An unprecedented admissions year – Harvard Gazette)
Harvard College invites 6.2% of record 34,950 applicants</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> Accepts Record Low 6.2 Percent of Applicants to the Class of 2015 | News | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/3/31/percent-class-students-year/]Harvard”>Harvard Accepts Record Low 6.2 Percent of Applicants to the Class of 2015 | News | The Harvard Crimson)</p>
<p>Every year at this time on the Harvard board, I monitor the applicant thread in which the prospective students are agonizing about logging on and getting the e-mail from Admissions. It’s pretty poignant. Some of these kids have gotten to know each other online and have hoped to meet each other in person at Prefrosh. Obviously, the vast majority of students applying to Harvard have acceptances from other wonderful places, but at least one says that s/he only got in at the state flagship that s/he applied to as a safety, and wonders what all the hard work in HS was for when s/he will now be joining all his or her fellow HS students who were going to parties when s/he was working. It’s an emotional series of posts to read, and 6.2% doesn’t allow for a high proportion of happy endings.</p>
<p>You are so right, gadad. I’ve been floored at the stats of most of the “rejects”. I’ve been prowling around and watching these threads for the last few weeks, and even I’ve felt the disappointment with some of these students.</p>
<p>4 years ago, MIT made the “silly mistake” of not admitting D1. THEIR loss is what we said then, and what we say now. </p>
<p>She’s had an amazing 4 years at a great public university, and was accepted to all the grad schools she applied to. One of the many things that tipped her decision to come to Harvard this fall is the intellectual level of the undergrads, and the likelihood that they will be motivated and interested students. Although she won’t be doing any teaching until at least Fall 2012, the students on here have certainly confirmed that particular “reason” for her decision. (p.s. she says it was the programs that were available to her…and not sour grapes…as the reason she didn’t even apply to MIT for grad school. Like I said, “Their Loss”!!!)</p>
<p>I know there are a lot of disappointed CCers out there, but if they take D’s route and do the best they possibly can at wherever they decide to go, and make the most of all the opportunities they are given, there’s no limit to what they can do. I’d say the “sky is the limit”, but in D’s case, that’s not true, hahaha!!! Good luck to all.</p>
<p>^^^ So your D’s going to be teaching “rocket science” to Harvard undergrads? Yup, clearly MIT’s loss! :)</p>
<p>Hahaha. If I could explain what she’s going to be studying, I would! :D</p>
<p>astrophysicsmom - I’m glad you posted about your daughter (and my daughter is looking forward to seeing her) this week so that the disappointed applicants can see that all is not lost just based on their undergrad admittances. Congratulations to her again!</p>
<p>Thanks, on her behalf…I started a PM to you and lost it, but haven’t forgotten! My D will certainly be able to explain the whole grad school application process to your D (and is looking forward to seeing her!!!). It’s a whole different game than undergrad admissions, for sure.</p>
<p>I am looking for help from my fellow parents. Our daughter injured herself last week and now will not be able to perform in the HBC performance that we were coming up for. So to help cheer her up we would like to take her to the best restaurant in the North End. But not being from the area we do not know one from another. Any suggestions? And if it matters, she probably will still be on crutches when we go. Thanks.</p>