<p>I agree with guitars101 here. I often get the feeling that several parents on this thread with kids who have been at Harvard for a while now will brook not the slightest questioning of the Harvard way of doing things. I’m all for institutional loyalty but I think it’s perfectly justified for parents with valid concerns to ask some questions on this issue. It is apparent that there is over-crowding. It may not be as bad as at public schools, but this is, after all, Harvard. It would seem that for $50k per year my D might live for the next year in a space somewhat larger than what sounds like a closet. Moreover, my concern over pulling from the waitlist has nothing to do with not wanting my D to mix with kids not accepted in the initial round. My concern is that now we are back to the same crowded circumstances that we have heard quite a bit about from prior classes.</p>
<p>marinna - I take exception to you trying to construe my concerns and those of guitars as elitism. There is in general entirely too much of that particular accusation on CC.</p>
<p>Full disclosure - my daughter was NOT accepted off the waitlist. She got in on April 1st like most of the rest of the RD kids. And we had EA in those days too. And Harvard figured it all out: EA, RD, and Waitlist, each with their own yields and uncertainties - Harvard made it all fit.</p>
<p>Good to know coureur :). This is the reason I started this thread. I wanted the seasoned veteran parents to help us newbies with questions, but if we are going to be attacked by asking questions then I don’t think there is any need for this thread.</p>
<p>Guitars101 (and mammall) - I apologize. You’re right, too harsh for a first time post. I am, however, a long time lurker and have been following this thread especially, and others, because of said niece. I really don’t want you to give up your spots… we just hope she has a chance at her dream, too. But, yes, I still feel a bit like you want to close the barn door on some other well deserving kids.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post. No, I really do not want that to happen. I have 2 people on this site that I am truly praying for to get in off the waitlist. My son also has a very very good friend who is on the waitlist and I’m also praying for that one. </p>
<p>I just was concerned when my son’s interviewer was at the gathering for incoming freshmen and he was telling us how small the rooms were. He joked about it. Other alumni also said the same thing. My son has NO problem with it at all. He is so excited to start at Harvard. He doesn’t care if he had to live out of a suitcase as well. I’m the mom and the worry wart. </p>
<p>Again, I really wish your neice the best. I will add her to my prayer list of waitlist acceptee’s :)</p>
<p>FWIW, I have one in college already and dorm size really doesn’t seem to matter so much once they are there and engaged with the school and new friends. I remember having the same concerns as a first-time mom, but it was a non-issue for my kid after the first hour in the dorm room.</p>
<p>I think there is some misunderstanding here, where a concern has been misinterpreted. Guitars is in fact rooting for present waitlistees, …has expressed hope for my D as well as for others.
There is some normal anxiety here, both from newbies who seek info about issues and details and concern for their kids moving across the country to a new environment, and from those of us who presently are a little up in the air regarding the waitlist.</p>
<p>I’m sure it all depends on the individual student’s perspective, but just to add my D’s: After her two weekend visits to H (without us), D came home (to Calif) and raved about how AMAZING, historical and big the dorms were! She stayed once in the Yard and once in the Quad. My husband and I subsequently accompanied her to move-in day, and upon seeing her suite, she exclaimed “This is huge! This is so great!” My husband and I just smiled and were silent. We thought they were small! But as long as she was happy (and has remained so), what difference did it make what we thought? (D has her own bed/bath at home, btw, so she was accustomed to a fair amount of personal space.) We never did hear a negative word about her dorm room all year.</p>
<p>Btw, new parents - My D just called to tell me how sad she is feeling that she is leaving H in 6 days to come home, and that summer is just TOO LONG! :)</p>
<p>guitars and mammalls, Please do not be deterred from asking questions: Keep asking. We all want to be helpful and share our experiences with you.</p>
<p>Questions for the two of you: It sounds like at least one of you has other children. Are you preparing them for the departure of their sibling? Are both of <em>you</em> preparing yourselves for this major change in your lives?</p>
<p>MSMDAD - D1 is heading to Harvard this fall, D2 will be starting high school. They are very close and this is going to be tough. But Boston is a non-stop direct flight and we have unlimited in-network calling, camera computers, etc. As for me and DH - how can we be sad when our child is overflowing with joy at this amazing opportunity? As long as I know she is where she wants to be, I am okay. At least that is my mantra these days. The odd part is fighting back the fear that goes with your child embarking into a world of opportunity that is largely an unknown for you. I’m beginning to understand the impulse of some parents to hold their children back from opportunities, keep them close at all costs. It’s a little scarey but also completely thrilling.</p>
<p>Sorry to all on this thread - I went through a snarky patch back there for a while.</p>
<p>Your child may have a large room or a small room. Many of my daughter’s friends had beautiful rooms freshman year. In fact, my daughter lived in some lovely rooms during summer programs where she was housed in the Yard. Do keep in mind that most bedrooms are attached to a lovely common room.</p>
<p>As for the hall bathrooms, my daughter actually misses hers now that she has an in-suite bathroom! In fact, she met many of her closest friends in the bathroom while brushing teeth; bathrooms are very social places!</p>
<p>Harvard works hard to match not only roommates but entire entryways. It is not uncommon to find an entire entryway of percussionists or perhaps students interested in physics or theater.</p>
<p>And if your kid needs to escape from a small space for a while, Harvard Yard is at his or her fingertips!</p>
<p>I’d like to share the advice someone gave me when my then eleven-year-olds went off to sleep-away camp for the first time. Kids (even college students) generally call during moments of misery. Who better to call than Mom or Dad? They unload, and then a few minutes later are off to the next class or activity or social event. You’re left looking at the phone feeling helpless. More often than not, they’re fine. Hence the saying, no news is good news!</p>
<p>Just think, in one short year, you will be the seasoned parents on this forum, reassuring new parents who have concerns! </p>
<p>In the meantime, I’m off to find some comforting words of wisdom from folks whose kids have studied abroad. ;)</p>
<p>I’m not offended. I second Coureur and Twinmom. </p>
<p>H-bomber: My S’s pillow is thicker than what he’s used at home!</p>
<p>My S probably has had some of the smallest rooms available on campus. But when he visited Yale while deciding whether to apply, he was hosted by the son of a then-CC poster who was happy as a lark to be attending Yale despite living in a room the size of a closet (my s’s description). </p>
<p>I have plenty of criticisms to make about Harvard, and living close enough, get plenty of opportunity to voice them. But, though many of the dorm rooms are small, housing is one thing that Harvard does very well.</p>
<p>Thanks MSMDAD. That’s a great question… the answer is “not really”. This is a big year for my dtr as she is entering high school in the fall. Big steps for both of my kids. I’ll have to work on that :)</p>
<p>Bay, my son is very excited about going to Harvard and college life. He’s been on line checking out the dorms (someone gave a site with pics) and he’s also checking out the food, because this is his biggest concern. When your 17 and a boy, food is all it’s about. After dinner tonight he showed me the pics on the site and we enjoyed looking at them.</p>
<p>Do parents usually stay in hotels around campus and in Boston for freshmen move in day? We are flying in from California. My son doesn’t plan on bringing much. He plans on bringing his computer and clothes. We plan on going to Target and buying the essentials there. Any suggestion?</p>
<p>S’s room last year was spanking new (and smelled new). new carpet, new mattress, new and thick pillow. I have not seen this year’s room but S said he did not need a pillow from home.</p>
<p>Guitar: Some of the parents of S’s roommates stayed over, but I think it was due to flight schedules. Others who lived a bit closer (e.g. NYC) did not. If I remember correctly, students are expected to attend some meeting in their dorm around 5pm, so this is generally the time for those parents who have not already done so to leave. </p>
<p>You can order things at Bed, Bath & Beyond in advance and pick them up when you get them. Wait until July or August to buy when things like X-long sheets are plentiful in stores such as BB&B or Target. For stationery, there is Staples in Harvard Square, for hardware there is Dickson Brothers, also in Harvard Square, so if you don’t get everything you need at Target, your child can always run out to the Square to buy it.</p>
<p>We are Californians also, and we usually stay in a nearby town (Woburn for example) and drive into the Alewife station and then take the T into Harvard. It works great. For move in day we drove in and joined in the caravan of cars dropping stuff off and then made a run to Target after we got her moved in and decided what she needed.</p>