DrC88888, for my son’s freshman year he had a 2 bedroom for 3 guys. One room was a single and the other was a double. They split the time in the single throughout the year. It gave the boys each a chance to have a single to themselves. My son loved the privacy of not being woken up by his roommates alarms in the morning because they kept different schedules.
I wouldn’t worry about the social aspect. BTW, my son lived in Matthews his freshman year.
Thank you guitars 101
DrC88888
Our freshman requested a single, thinking it would be nice to have his own space and assumed that he’d be mixed in on a hall with suites. He ended up in a single located 2 blocks away from the Yard (where the majority of the freshman class lives in suites) on a hall with all single rooms with little social interaction. He was able to switch into the Yard for 2nd semester and shared a suite with 2 others and he was so glad he made the move. He missed the social connection and if he could do it over, he would not have requested a single as a freshman. Realize that everyone’s perspective is different, but thought this might be helpful.
My daughter is at Harvard right now for the SSP. I saw the Harvard Police on campus and they were in uniform clearly marked as such. That area is really very safe. Family friendly!
The suites in the dorms vary, but allow the kids to figure out their own living arrangements. Some rooms will be larger than others, one room is usually a single, a common room is sometimes used as another bedroom. It is totally up to the suitemates as how to use their space to everyone’s satisfaction. Many kids after first semester switch rooms out of fairness for those that want to have a single for part of the year. It usually all works out. Our kid was in Weld.
My son was in Pennypacker freshman year. Initially, he was upset that he wasn’t in the yard, but after he moved in, he was fine. His suite was large, bright, and clean. He shared with three other guys - two to a bedroom, and a large common room for everyone…and a very social atmosphere. He visited many of the yard dorms and said the rooms were much smaller and quite dark. The only downside was the long walk to Annenberg.
To be fair, it’s still only a 7 minute walk. The upperclassman in pfoho would love a commute that was only 7 minutes. 
To parents who have gone through the process, mine are wondering:
What is move-in day like in such a busy city? My siblings’ colleges were in “college towns”, so it was easy to close off roads, direct traffic right up to the dorms for unloading, etc. How does Harvard handle it with all those busy streets?
Melissawilliams, move in day can be quite challenging. We came from California so it was necessary for us to find the most efficient way. Luckily, I had spoken to a family who’s son had moved in the year prior. What we did was have my son’s things (like bedding, office supplies, all other necessary items that he was purchasing new to start college) sent to Harvard. If you call the school they will give you the address, I believe it’s still the Science Center. They will accept packages of any size and will hold on to them until you arrive on move in day. We then borrowed from the school a dolly and simply moved my son’s things to his room. The only things we brought with us were his clothes. We didn’t have to deal with parking or anything like that, SUPER EASY! The following year we used “College Boxes” and had all his stuff picked up and stored for him in until he moved in the following Fall. If you are not familiar with College Boxes please check out their website… great company to deal with.
I hope this helps! please let me know if you have any other questions.
@Melissawilliams - On move-in day, those wishing to drive into the yard to drop off belongings stage near the football stadium (on the other side of the river) and are issued passes allowing them to access the yard. You don’t need to be there - you could get your key, go check to your room, and then rendezvous with your parents once they are inside the yard. It’s all very well organized.
If you’re doing one of the pre-orientation programs, you will probably move into your dorm the night before move-in day. Depending on where your dorm is located, it might then be simpler for your parents to drop off suitcases and boxes curbside the night before, and avoid the rush the next day. I did that last year (my daughter was in Wigg) and it saved a lot of trouble. The downside - they don’t get to “Park the car in Harvard Yard” 
I thought Freshman move-in day was extremely well organized. S was not in the yard, but the street in front of his dorm was supervised by a police officer, who made sure that no one who wasn’t unloading parked there, and made sure that it was done in a timely manner so everyone got a chance to pull up right by the door. His resident advisor met us as we got out of the car to to introduce himself, and a group of helpers immediately started grabbing our stuff to haul upstairs. It was a far easier day than I expected.
@Gourmetmom So glad i just saw your post. D just rec’d her dorm assignment of Pennypacker/ 2 bedroom suite and we were all disappointed by the location- seems so removed from everything. Glad to see it worked out for your son. The suite sounds nice. Would you mind a few questions?
Pennypacker, Hurlburt and Greenough dorms are only a block away from Lamont Library. The walk to Annenberg is a bit longer, but hundreds of freshmen will be doing it. Encourage your D to take advantage of her proximity to the newly reopened, world-class Fogg Art Museum complex. She will also be able sleep while the bells of Mem Church chime every hour and awaken the yard residents.
My son will be living In Greenough. I am not even sure how to pronounce it But the post above made me feel better about move in day. Thank you
Greenough (pronounced GREEN-oh) at least has architectural charm (red brick and interior woodwork) compared to the moderne, blocky Canaday buildings on the yard. The east facing Greenough rooms overlook a pretty treed space, and there are laundry facilities in the basement, unlike other some dorms.
Housing is always an issue with the students–the tricky social formations of housing groups for sophomore houses and then the disappointments of many “Quadded” students. Or those who hate the concrete, brutal style of Mather House. But there are always some pluses. Mather has large singles for juniors and seniors, while some in the charming houses like Lowell have tiny walk-through bedrooms. Those in Dunster have been relocated to the swishy Inn at Harvard building as the original building is renovated.
Bemoaning your dorm building at Harvard? Many would wish to have such an issue.(I’m kidding) We were hoping our daughter wouldn’t be assigned to Canaday and that is where she ended up. Shout out for Canaday B, where our daughter resided this past year. She couldn’t have had a better experience with the kids in her entryway or the Proctor of their entryway.
twoboys2, your son is going to meet amazing young men and women and his Freshman home will become uniquely his. The distance to the Yard and to Annenberg is not prohibitive.
Our daughter has spent the majority of the summer living in Mather, although by summers end we will have moved her four times. While not aesthetically beautiful, Mather is fine. None of the kids want to be quadded, but the quad is beautiful. Wealth and celebrity will not prevent you from being quadded either as was demonstrated on Housing day this year.
@twinsmom15 Just seeing this now - absolutely anything I can do! S also had one of the two bedroom/common room/bathroom suites with four guys. One bedroom was enormous - large enough for two beds/dressers/desks/bookcases and a partition in the middle, while the other room was so tiny that the beds had to be bunked and only one dresser fit. They drew straws for the rooms with the agreement that they would swap at the semester end, but when the time came, the guys in the smaller room said that they were fine and didn’t want to bother moving. You could not ask for a more agreeable bunch. The common room was spacious and fit the other two desks/bookcases and dresser, along with a sofa and big screen TV.
A post earlier mentioned a Facebook Group from parents of 2019. But I cannot find one anywhere and the links provided do not work. Can anyone help with this?
@twoboys2 this is the only facebook group I’ve seen so far - nothing official: Harvard 2019: Parents/Guardians.
We stopped at Harvard yesterday on way home from vacation. @fauve You were right - Pennypacker is so close to Lamont - dd is very psyched. And it’s on a cute quiet street. Hurlburt is just steps away so laundry won’t be a bother. BUT, quite a hike from the dining hall - worried about winter meals. @Gourmetmom - couldn’t see inside, but we could imagine it based on your detailed description - thank you!