<p>I agree with Coureur that there are terrific restaurants in the North End, and they may not be swarming with families of graduates. You can get there by public transport (and in fact, it’s highly recommended not to drive). Hanover Street is teeming with restaurants. You can look up Yelp Boston for some comments.
In Harvard Square, we like Tamarind Bay for Indian food; The Little Red House; in Central Square, Rendez Vous and Salts (this restaurant is really tiny); in Inman Square, Oleanna. These are reasonably priced restaurants. More expensive ones are Om in Harvard Square and Craigie on Main (it used to be the Craigie Street bistro, but moved to Main Street). It’s next to Toscannini’s ice-cream, a Cambridge landmark whose ice-cream machine was designed (or at least improved) by MIT students.
There are many more restaurants of all types, especially in Central Square (Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, Thai, Indian, Tibetan)…</p>
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<p>Correct. Harvard Square restaurants were all swamped with graduates and their families. But the North End was fine.</p>
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<p>D was an '08 grad and got a very nice job with a multinational company. The Harvard name helped. In fact the company made a point of telling her that and said they offered her extra money to be sure she accepted the job offer. But the economy has gone down in the since then, so your mileage may vary</p>
<p>^ coreur, congratulations on your daughter’s excellent first job after graduation. Yes, the world seems to have changed a lot in just a year, and perhaps not finished changing yet.</p>
<p>Harvard names help a lot, but in current environment to land, lucrative job offers in the Wall Street, one has to work harder than their peers do. Sometime with 100 hours per weeks that someone has put on the job implies that the person has taken a vacation in that week when one compare 120-130 hrs the person put on the job in other weeks when they have to work longer hours.</p>
<p>Life with a Harvard degree just opens the door, but rest depends on how much one think, propose, analyze, minimze downside risks while increasing upside to go ahead in this economic environment.</p>
<p>How common is it to be selected for FinAid/FAFSA verification? Are there any consequences on aid awards?</p>
<p>edicionespanol, I have never heard of this. Sounds like a random audit.</p>
<p>FAFSA does do random verification audits. As long as your info is legit, there should be no bearing on financial aid.</p>
<p>I am wondering what other parents think of the letter that we just received with DD’s grades that indicated that Harvard will no longer send parents grade reports? The letter states, “Beginning with the fall 2009 term, students will be expected to view their grades on-line, and parents who wish to know this information will need to have it shared with them by their son or daughter.” </p>
<p>I am thinking that this is a cost-saving measure and it is environmentally friendly - no postage/paper. I will say, though, that I think that it was a good thing to receive the grade report in the mail, addressed to the parent.</p>
<p>Honestly, I’ve been surprised that Harvard has sent out grades at all! My other child’s college has never had grades sent home and none of their friends at other schools have had reports sent from their schools to parents. It doesn’t bother me at all since both of my kids readily share their grades. I know the Harvard grades long before the report to parents arrives.</p>
<p>S just graduated from Tufts. In 4 years, there was never a paper reporting of grades to either the student or the parents except for his final transcript that was sent to him. As for knowing his grades, we knew them from him before they were even reported to the school. Also, son shared his ID and log-in with us which would also allow us to view his grades.</p>
<p>I had no idea or expectation that Harvard would sent paper report at all and, after Tufts, truly had not expected to received one as a parent (though I think that was great that they did - I did not think any schools were still doing that).</p>
<p>Hi!</p>
<p>I’m probably pretty late in asking, but does the FAFSA award count as an outside award? I’m wondering because I didn’t know about the 2500$ computer allowance some students receive - is it marked clearly on the financial aid letter or do you have to enquire about it?</p>
<p>Thx</p>
<p>p.s. Over the last few days, I read this entire thread, and was amazed by all the information in it! Thank you for that :)</p>
<p>We got our S’s transcript in the summer. This year, an accompanying letter announced that this would be the last time a paper transcript would be sent out. I did not read the rest of the letter as S graduated, so I don’t know whether parents will still be told their student’s grades for the year. I can’t remember if we got the transcript because we asked for it or not.</p>
<p>Yes, the letter states there will be no more grades sent to parents on paper. Only students will receive grades, and only online next year. The admins advise working out an agreement with your students now, to avoid problems next year.</p>
<p>Our family agreement will be: if DD would like tuition $$ from parents, parents will receive a forward of her grades email.</p>
<p>@sev - By FAFSA award, do you mean Pell Grant? Your Pell Grant, if you qualify, should be listed on our financial aid award letter as a separate line and it’s not considered an “outside” award.</p>
<p>The $2500 computer reimbursement program only works if you received more than $4000 (covering student contribution) in scholarship money. i.e. Gates Scholars, National Merit, etc. If you did, call the fin aid office and they will mail you a form.</p>
<p>Hope that helped!</p>
<p>Yes, thank you, edicionespanol! I did mean the Pell Grant, which means I do not qualify for the computer reimbursement program 
ah well</p>
<p>sev1991:</p>
<p>If someone’s kid got the Pell Grant, and they also received outside scholarships in excess of $4000 (or 4500?), the kid is still qualified for $2500 computer reimbursement.</p>
<p>The sending of paper grades to parents without the written consent of the student is in direct violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - I’ve been amazed that Harvard has been doing it. There is a whole professional field called Student Affairs, whose practitioners are educated and updated about educational policy, federal laws, and tort law applicable to students in higher education. Harvard has never had a professional approach to Student Affairs - they just appoint current faculty to administrative positions. As fabulous as I perceive the undergrad experience to be at H, this strikes me as an unfortunate bit of hubris that keeps its student life from being all it could be. It may have also contributed to keeping us illegally informed about our students’ grades without their signed waivers.</p>
<p>I think if our student is under 18, and mine is, there is no violation of anything. I agree with Fauve (Love the name, by the way): Our family agreement will be: if DD would like tuition $$ from parents, parents will receive a forward of her grades email.</p>
<p>Parents: Keep in mind that you will have no access to your child’s medical records either unless you have written permission.</p>