<p>Freshman seminars are indeed optional, but they’re 12-student, pass-fail courses in topics of special interest to the student, allowing freshmen to have a close, personal experience with a faculty member in their first semester. I don’t know why a new student would want to pass it up.</p>
<p>Twinmom, you type faster than I do!</p>
<p>That’s okay Gadad. Great minds think alike!</p>
<p>Thank you both. I doubt my daughter would want to miss out on them. They do sound wonderful. I know that she is eyeing a few of them, especially during the spring semester. At the same time, when we have looked at the courses that she may need to take during her freshman year (of course this is our interpretation of the various info she has been given), they add up to 9 courses (including one seminar). It is just good to know that unlike the expo class and foreign language freshman year requirements, it is the students choice whether to include freshman seminars. Thank you for clarifying. I’ll pass it on to my daughter.</p>
<p>Those were the days: S’s friend took a freshman seminar on Kyoto. At the end of the course, the whole class went to Kyoto with the prof, courtesy of Harvard. They were welcomed there by a Harvard alumna who now teaches at another university but happened to be doing research in Kyoto. I don’t think the experience will be repeated.</p>
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<p>Sometimes missing out is thrust upon you. My daughter did not get into any of the freshman seminars she applied and ended up with none.</p>
<p>Good to know that either way can be a positive experience and that the student has say in their decision to take one.</p>
<p>My son took one completely different from either of his two prospective concentrations, just something that he thought looked interesting. He loved it.</p>
<p>My son applied to one at the last minute and was rejected - a good lesson in being more proactive. As it turned out, he really didn’t have the time in his schedule freshman year anyway. And regarding getting to know professors, that has been no problem - he has found Harvard faculty marvelously approachable and supportive, with or without getting to know one of them in a freshman seminar.</p>
<p>^ I have been encouraging my Class of '13er to start his seminar apps now. I will use Sewhappy’s son’s experience to move him along. I am sure they will be too involved with orientation activities and selecting all of their classes to spend time writing seminar app essays with any measure of reflection. I am also glad to hear the faculty is approachable without having to be in a small class with one of them.</p>
<p>If your student does not get into a seminar that he/she really wants, it may be worthwhile to contact the professor to petition to get in. That has been successful in the past for certain seminars.</p>
<p>New mom here, my D will be leaving in 3 weeks. I am a bit worried. Any other moms out there feel the same way I do?</p>
<p>Mitzy - Any specific worries or general leaving-home angst?</p>
<p>Gadad-General leaving-home anxiety :-/. And, more so about living conditions. She was placed in Canaday and from what we’ve heard, its a “party” dorm and she’s not that kind of person. Any insight?</p>
<p>Lots of dorms get labeled “the party dorm,” Thayer being the dorm that comes to mind for me. I wouldn’t believe the hype. Not only does it change by some degree every year, but it should never be a problem. The only canaday room I’ve been in had in-suite singles. If that is the case with her room, she should never have a problem.</p>
<p>Mitzy: Welcome to the parents thread. You’ll find lots of knowledgeable and friendly parents here to answer any questions you may have, either on the thread or by PM. As White Rabbit says, there are different people in each dorm every year, since freshmen only live in the Yard for one year. So reputations don’t mean much. For the most part, the Harvard people do a good job in selecting compatible suitemates. I have no doubt that your daughter will do just fine.</p>
<p>if your kid got into harvard i would stop sheltering them. she’s an adult.</p>
<p>Mitzy, Welcome to the Harvard Parents Thread!</p>
<p>My son just finished his first year at H and he says the same thing that Whiterabbit says about the dorms. Harvard does a really nice job of mixing things up every year as to not have any one dorm being considered the “party” dorm. Your child will find parties at any dorm and will also be able to find peace and quiet in any dorm. My son knew someone from his high school last year staying at Canaday and he had absolutely no problem with the party scene. If your dtr doesn’t want to party, she will not have any problem staying away from it. </p>
<p>I completely understand your concern because I was in the exact same place last year. I hope this helps :)</p>
<p>Enjoy this exciting time with your dtr.</p>
<p>I’m noticing the incoming Freshman are receiving their housing assignments, does this mean we should expect the continuing students to receive theirs soon? </p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Sophomore housing notification is generally on a house by house circumstance. Basically, it depends entirely on when your housing administrator has finally gotten around to releasing said information. With that said, when I was going to be a sophomore in Adams, housing was released on the 15th of August.</p>