<p>There are easy majors at Harvard. There are majors for the children of politicians and major donors and for the big-time athletes. Neither Math nor Physics is one of these majors. I recently took a Freshman Seminar with the professor who will soon be the head of the Harvard Math Department, in which I met people taking all sorts of math courses. To be a Math concentrator, one must be brilliant. Want to be terrified? Look at this:</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> Mathematics Department : 21, 23, 25, or 55?](<a href=“http://www.math.harvard.edu/pamphlets/freshmenguide.html]Harvard”>http://www.math.harvard.edu/pamphlets/freshmenguide.html)</p>
<p>Yes, the Math 55 section says that PSets will usually take from 24 to 60 hours per week. For some of the most brilliant students at the university. And I would say a math concentrator would generally go no lower than Math 25 freshman year. The Math concentration is for people who were engaged in math theory and proofs throughout high school. It is also an excellent program.</p>
<p>This term, I’m taking the introductory Physics course for Physics concentrators (15a). It is a most excellent course. There are some very well-regarded professors in the department, and my sister at MIT has conceded that, in pure sciences, Harvard may surpass her institution. The Physics department here has bright students (not math concentrators, but some of the smarter people on campus), good facilities, and professors who are excellent teachers. Keep in mind that I am not a Physics concentrator, but I would say that Harvard has an excellent Physics program. Also, people in both Math and Physics have time for extracurriculars, although often more because they’re exceptionally brilliant than because they don’t have large amounts of work.</p>