We really enjoyed Visitas and absolutely loved Cambridge. Thank you for all of the restaurant recommendations. Hoping daughter will commit this weekend. SInitially, she did not have the best host so made a switch and enjoyed it more. Bulldog Days made her choice a little tougher. Cannot wait until decision is made.
If you believe the data from Parchment, @Insearch20012, Harvard-Yale cross-admits break about 60/40 for Harvard, which tells you two obvious things: Harvard tends to win admits when matched up against Yale (as it does against every school), but more than a few choose Yale over Harvard. Your daughter is very fortunate, and, knowing nothing about her other than her admissions success, as someone with a long history at both places, Iâm confident sheâll flourish wherever she chooses to go.
@Insearch20012: Having had one kid attend Harvard and one attend Yale, I hope your daughter chooses wisely!
We were in Cambridge this weekend to visit our soon to be graduating daughter.
She could not possibly have had a better undergraduate experience.
Best Wishes to your daughter and congratulations to your family!
She chose Harvard. She is very excited and we are excited for her.
Congratulations on the decision @Insearch20012!
Congratulations! As everyone says⊠it flies by. I hope she enjoys every moment (and you, as well)
@DeepBlue86 interesting point on Parchment, which is 39% Yale to 61% Harvard. And keep in mind that Harvard has a larger undergraduate class, so I would expect Harvard to be higher as it has to fill more spots than Yale. (The class size would suggest 45% Yale to 55% Harvard if they both got their share of equally qualified students. So Yale is competing pretty well.)
Take it for what itâs worth, but Parchment data is all self-reported, and there is no way of validating that the sample is a statistically reliable subset of all HY accepted applicants.
What hotels do you recommend when visiting and for move in? During Visitas we stayed across the bridge at the Doubletree. For move in, I booked the Harvard Square hotel to be a little closer. I wanted to book the Charles but could not stomach the cost. Is the Charles really worth it? Will I regret the Harvard Square Hotel? Any other favorites or recommendations?
No; itâs a fine hotel, and itâs super convenient. But if youâre past hotel experiences are
Personal choice. So for me personally, no, not if itâs more than $100/night extra. But then Iâm used to staying in hostels. 
Really, any of the hotels in the area are fine, particularly if youâre only there to sleep and shower. Youâre lucky to have been able to book a room for that time period.
I canât believe graduation is less than a year a way already. Time has flown. I understand Harvardâs Commencement is different, names arenât read and only 4 tickets? Are other family members/guests allowed to watch from someplace close so when it is over, pictures can be taken? Is the actual name read aloud and diploma given at the House ceremony/luncheon? Thanks for any insight!
The Harvard Square Hotel is clean and comfortable and very convenient. We stayed in a number of different Hotels in and around Cambridge over the years. We visited about every five or six weeks over our daughters four years there. With her living at Lev we most often stayed in the Courtyard Marriot that was just down the road.
We used a couple of websites to monitor room rates. We would always prefer to save on the Hotel costs and use the extra saved to treat more of our daughters friends to meals.
This is a very special time for your child and your family! Congratulations! The buzz in Harvard Yard on move in day is unforgettable!
^^ My personal choice would be an AirBnB over any hotel: https://www.airbnb.com/s/CambridgeâMA?af=8781787&c=.pi0.pk16704873376_238213431988_c_45854979634&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpvzZBRCbARIsACe8vyLq6NxMmpzOomaVxXFIksgdEtB1Nlmk_vNSwQjkUMmXvQz3aFORrVwaAiOZEALw_wcB
@crimsonmom2019, the Morning Exercises are very large and are held in the Tercentenary Theater (between Widener and Mem Church). No names are read during this meeting, unless you count the honorary diploma winners. The Morning Exercises are a storied and wonderful ritual, where all the students file past the guests accompanied by bagpipes. (Kirkland House may have a piccolo player or something too.) I recommend figuring out which path your childâs House will use so you can watch them process. Enter via your assigned gate, and try to be there by 7 a.m. at the latest. Youâll wait for a few hours, but there is plenty to do and, as long as the weather is decent, itâs really fun. (They recently added coffee in the Old Yard. Bathrooms are available although not always easy to access.) There is a lot of pomp, including the welcome by the Mayor of Cambridge.
Many past commencements are online, and you can watch them if you want to get a sense of what happens. Each student receives 4 tickets to the Morning Exercises (students donât need tickets). My experience, though, is that students can almost always find extra tickets from block mates or other friends. If you know alumni, they can request tickets, but they must do so in March or so, before they run out. Hereâs a link with more information about the morning activities: https://commencement.harvard.edu/morning-exercises
After the Morning Exercises, you return to your childâs house for lunch. This is when names are read and diplomas received. You can purchase as many meals as you want.
The Afternoon Program is held in the Tercentenary around 2:30. Many people skip this event, which is a shame (unless itâs raining hard) because this is when the commencement speaker addresses the assembly. In 2018, that person was John Lewis; in 2017, it was Mark Zuckerberg; in 2016, it was Steven Spielberg. Etc. The Harvard President also speaks. Drew Faust gave wonderful, thought-provoking orations. I imagine Larry Bacow will continue this tradition. Because many (all?) of the individual graduate programs have their own programs in the afternoon (the Ed School at the Ed School, the K School on their campus, etc.), there are always plenty of tickets.
Please feel free to message me if you have further questions. I love Commencement Day.
EastGrad - thanks for the above! An event to look forward to in 2 (gulp) years.
Thanks so much for this information @EastGrad. Itâs scary how quickly itâs coming. Didnât I just drop her off?
We always stay at the Harvard Square Hotel. It is so convenient and I think the rooms are perfectly nice and they include a refrigerator. If you stay at the Harvard Square Hotel for Parentsâ Weekend they will give you first dibs on rooms for Graduation!!! I know it sounds far away, but if you enjoy your time as Harvard Parents as much as I do, it will be here before you can imagine.
@EastGrad Thank you so much for this! Thatâs exactly the kind of detail I needed. There will be 12 of us attending in all so I will definitely be needing to have the kid secure more tickets. It sounds like it will be a great day! Iâm super excited while being a tad traumatized at just how quickly the time has flown by! LOL Thanks again!
No problem, @crimsonmom2019, @carlson2 and @3girls3cats. After I reread my post, I did want to add one clarification: graduating students do not need tickets. Other Harvard students (who are attending rather than graduating) do need tickets. And youâre right, crimsonmom2019, you will need to do some legwork to get all those tickets. Sounds like a great time! Congrats to your chidâI hope senior year is wonderful.