Harvard University (2025-2026)

[vast sleet]

Why

Dont torture yourself

[vast vigil]

waffle has too much sugar and it was making me crash

so my solution was to just not eat in the morning

[vast sleet]

Make sandwiches with ham and a cream spread

Really quick and alright for you

[mellow patio]

they have stuff for breakfast besides waffles

you can also have a waffle and like. other things for balance

[deep drift]

are the other things also waffles

[mellow patio]

if you're big yeah

[deep drift]

wait who changed my nickname to rice 81%

[lost dawn]

#📢-announcements

[deep drift]

ohhh gotcha ty

[turbid venture]

if i applied to dual degree with nec, am i able to speak of professors/the program there in my harvard loci? i was told if id get off the waitlist, id be reconsidered, so would it be okay to mention how by being able to attend harvard, id be able to hopefully continue studies at nec with professor xyz and further combine music with x and y etc

[deep drift]

I thought a loci was to inform them of any updates this sounds like writing another supplemental essay?

[turbid venture]

well i have awards regarding music and extra achievements

i just wanted to tie that off with a portion of how at harvard i can continue this music stuff with nec

and then obviously with hopes of connecting it with nec professor and working with him

i just don’t know how separate or connected harvard and nec are

[lost dawn]

independent

u need to be admitted to both schools under their own independent admissions processes

[turbid venture]

yeah i’m aware of this and the fact that they are separate institutions but say i assume writing about it and the program as a whole is fine to just mention in loci right

[lost dawn]

yes but then ur entire loci is about how u want to go to nec and how great nec is lol

u can mention the program but i would say be cautious and don’t make the entire loci scream about how great of a school nec is

does this make sense

[turbid venture]

yes i’m not planning on glazing nec. my purpose with that was just to say how i’ve already been admitted to nec and at harvard, id be able to continue both interdisciplinary study because i would be combining performing music at nec and studying music beyond performance at harvard with some joint concentration

[lavish fulcrum]

has anyone gotten their acceptance packet yet

i want the stickers

[lost dawn]

i didn’t but i got an email from my harvard ao

[honest solar]

Is Harvard already sending out waitlist acceptances?

Heard some1 got off today via call

Could just be lying lol

[blissful field]

prob lying

last year they didn’t move until may

[honest solar]

Thought as much

Thanks

[turbid venture]

didn't even send my loci in yet

doubt they were telling the truth

when would be a good time to send it in? i was hoping to wait for us presidential scholar semi finalist

(in the arts)

[honest solar]

They weren't

[halcyon agate]

I got it today

[lost dawn]

also got mine today

[lavish fulcrum]

usps hates me

[tulip spire]

what are waitlisted people doing?

[mellow patio]

committing to a different college probably

[blissful field]

loci

[lavish fulcrum]

does anyone know when we’re supposed to report changes in our schedule? i take dual enrollment and i’m taking like 11 courses but 1 of them ended up being diff than what i had put on my 12th year courses

[deep drift]

Just send an email to admissions giving them a heads up

If you use the fileroom email it'll be forwarded to ur admissions officer who'll respond

[lavish fulcrum]

will do. should i email the general admissions email or the file room email? not sure if this is important enough to have an admissions officer look at

[deep drift]

fileroom email, regardless of who you email it will be sent to your regional admissions officer

[lavish fulcrum]

sounds good thank you

[deep drift]

it doesnt seem like a big deal but its good to let them know since they will see anyways on ur final transcript and might have questions then

[lavish fulcrum]

is the rising scholars program worth it? definitely don’t wanna give up my summer unless there’s a big takeaway

[deep drift]

are you talking about the pre orientation programs?

oh nvm i just searched it up

It seems worth it i mean youll have plenty of other summers to do whatever else it is you want this seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity

[muted bluff]

lol why is it half snowing

on april 7

[lavish fulcrum]

it feels a little over the top to give up my last high school summer LOL

i think i’ll just apply for one of the pre orientation programs

seems interesting tho

[echo aspen]

do FOP!!

[mellow patio]

do not do FOP if you are not outdoorsy

its not for the weak

[lost dawn]

which pre did u do?

[lavish fulcrum]

i think a little too outdoorsy LOL

i’m thinking of applying for FYRE (the fgli one) do u guys know anything about how that is?

i honestly just want to meet people and explore the campus before everyone gets there

[mellow patio]

fyre bc im fgli

[mellow patio]

its the best one (totally unbiased) you literally just make friends, learn about campus resources (and fgli hacks), and the students who run it are genuinely the nicest people ever 10/10

[lavish fulcrum]

is the application process hard? not sure if it’s super selective

[mellow patio]

to this day the people who ran it remember my face and ive only had a handful of conversations with some of them its crazy

[lavish fulcrum]

awe

[mellow patio]

ive been told that you will almost certainly get in if its ranked your #1 pick, they try to keep it very not selective

[lavish fulcrum]

also do u know if you’re supposed to be fgli or if u can jut be low income? one of my parents has a bachelors from outside the us and i don’t think that makes me first gen

[lavish fulcrum]

i see thank you!

[mellow patio]

its for either/both, and you are considered first gen lol

but its up to you how you self identify

[lost dawn]

oh yeah, what are the applications like for that?

[mellow patio]

it varies based on pre-o but its generally like "why are you interested" and "what do you hope to take from this" type of questions

id say its not serious but pre-os are space limited so like. dont just bs responses

you can be waitlisted / rejected

usually waitlisted i think

[lavish fulcrum]

thank you!

[lost dawn]

has any current harvard student taken the spanish foreign language placement per chance

im curious what level of spanish i need to be at to test out

[tender radish]

guys good luck im in 10th grade would love some tips

[echo aspen]

i was not outdoorsy and it helped me discover my love for backpacking :P

[mellow patio]

ok maybe if you are open to experiences its cute but for my indoorsy people

its serious

[copper hearth]

I didnt do FOP but literally no one I know didnt love FOP

its also a spectrum

there's FOPs that are like sleeping on canvas bags and eating camp fire hot dogs everyday

or ones that are chill and stay in like a cabin

[lost dawn]

that sounds more like my thing

[mellow patio]

I know some people who HATED fop hold on now

then they all come back unshowered

flies following them

that was dramatic

[wary obsidian]

harvard needs an accounting major

#accountingforharvard

[mellow patio]

econ? app math? stats?

also hbs accounting courses

[wary obsidian]

ik im jk

[echo aspen]

this was me

[echo aspen]

it rlly wasnt that bad imo, i guess i couldnt smell myself but like i used wet wipes along the trail and kept my hair in braids and a bandana. worked well

[mellow patio]

maybe you were one of the nicer smelling ones but i remember fop people returning was a major event

[lost dawn]

will harvard match princeton financial aid offer

[mellow seal]

i sent princeton's and they increased aid but couldn't match

went from ~35k/yr to ~27k/yr

[rancid grail]

these colleges will only give you so much more aid

especially when they consider other factors like assets or home value (sometimes)

they obv have an amount in mind about how much more financial aid they can give for that year

[halcyon agate]

How do I apply to pre orientation programs like fyre?

[deep drift]

applications come out in may I think

[lost dawn]

i mean if one school i have a negative coa and the other i dont im gonna try still 😭 😭

[rancid grail]

which one

r u getting any aid from external sources

[lost dawn]

princeton

[lost dawn]

no

[rancid grail]

whats the package u got for both

[muted bluff]

if anyones up for a little spring jaunt i just went to the new uniqlo in dtx and it was great

opening deals were meh but the selection is way better than newbury and they have a whole boston focused collection

[wary obsidian]

mediumk harvard keeps calling my name

[mellow patio]

i knew cahms was chopped but not this chopped

tip to my poors on full aid: pay the $35 copay for the outside therapist so you don't get (unnecessarily) hospitalized over suicidal ideation

[vast vigil]

i can say it takes a lot to be put on involuntary leave

they won’t do that just if ur suicidal

They’ve considered it for me 3-4 times now and never done it

[arctic mica]

theres a harvard poop account on tiktok that posts themselves pooping in harvard toilets

https://www.tiktok.com/@harvard.poops0?_r=1&_t=ZP-95SwpwILbyA

[lost dawn]

how are the resources harvard provides for mental health from ur experience

[vast vigil]

not great

Good if u have simple depression or anxiety

anything more complex and u should go outside harvard

i get my care at mclean and its great but its $35/appointment so it is expensive if ur fgli

[muted bluff]

oh lord not mclean

😭

wait how did u even get an appt there thats mad hard to do

at least for inpatient it is

[mellow patio]

I made a joke about killing myself and genuinely got the entire cambridge police department and all of harvard faculty called on me it was so chopped

[vast vigil]

All my inpatients have been at mclean

i believe harvard students get priority

because we’re affiliated

[muted bluff]

oh i see

[mellow patio]

also the email included these articles for anybody interested:
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/12/10/mental-health-lawsuit-experts/
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/10/13/leave-of-absence/
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/10/6/mental-health-feature-harvard/

[muted bluff]

yeah i have an impression of mclean as the place where the rich kids went for inpatient

like really rich

ive actually run through the mclean campus once or twice half accidentally and its super super nice

[mellow patio]

chopped if you're looking for long term therapy. waitlist was 4+ months last i checked

[vast vigil]

i wasnt even suicidal just hallucinating suicidal shit and they mclean’d me 🙁

but ive been inpatient twice and they’ve accepted me back both times

[mellow patio]

does that not support what I said 😭😭

[vast vigil]

yeah but like i dont think they usually involuntary leave you

they’ll usually really good at accepting u back as long as u seek help

[mellow patio]

was the mclean voluntary?

[vast vigil]

yes

But its very easy to be voluntary status u just have to not run

[mellow patio]

the articles make it seem a bit more complicated than that

[vast vigil]

if u just accept it they’ll consider u voluntary

[mellow patio]

so if you say no then.. what

[vast vigil]

Then they will involuntarily section you but they wont put you on leave so long as ur not refusing help

To me it makes sense to put someone on leave if they are refusing help

[mellow patio]

so its not really voluntary 😭 its either accept or go anyway

[mellow patio]

i think everybody knows what's best for themselves

[vast vigil]

disagree

insight is often limited in crisis

[mellow patio]

like unless you're off the deep end you know what you need

[vast vigil]

I did not think it was best for me to go to mclean the first time despite me having insight but in hindsight it was necessary

[mellow patio]

im d1 in crisis and whether im in crisis or not i know that going home would be terrrrible for me and having to be questioned by all those people didn't feel awesome to say the least

but there are also people who find going home or hospital stays beneficial. its more nuanced than sending people away

[vast vigil]

thats why they carefully weigh the pros and cons of sending people home

there’s a reason they let me back 4 times, its not like they’re sending everyone who’s suicidal or in crisis home

and having to talk to everybody is a safety thing

there’s now a rule for me that if a professor or dean or any Harvard faculty thinks im off i have to immediately present to camhs or the ER. its not fun but its for safety

[mellow patio]

im just gonna say to look at the articles bc it doesn't really feel like the concerns around this came out of nowhere

but i am glad your experience is good, maybe they changed something recently

[vast vigil]

im aware it was like that in the past like really bad but i feel like harvard has improved significantly

im on the board for active minds which lobbies for mental health policy changes at harvard so i do understand

[mellow patio]

my experience was not awesome tho so i just can't totally agree that it's chill or anything

[vast vigil]

but i also think its important to understand harvard’s side of this as an institution

[mellow patio]

so are yall oops with s4mhj

[vast vigil]

I think we collab sometimes

active minds does more than just policy we have like 4 sectors so

im on research so i dont deal that much with policy but we discuss it in meetings

[mellow patio]

right i was just saying since they're the ones that sent the info that sparked this conversation

even without that email i would sooner eat broken glass than use on campus resources

[vast vigil]

i think on-campus resources are good classic college concerns like anxiety and depression

but for more complex concerns like psychosis and bipolar disorder harvard is actual ass

my harvard psychiatrist delayed putting me on a daily med for months as my symptoms increased because he didnt want to label me

Which lead to hospitalization

[mellow patio]

yeah if I had basic ass anxiety and depression, maybe, but the girls (therapist + psychiatrist) think i have... something.

i will be applying for accommodations 🩷

[vast vigil]

lmk if u have questions about that

i have several

DAA is most useful

[mellow patio]

i just don't know wtf id need

she thinks i have a mood disorder or did 🫩

[vast vigil]

deadline and attendance adjustment is most useful but u have to have like a documented SMI for that i believe

[mellow patio]

oh YAY!!

[vast vigil]

mdd may also qualify

[mellow patio]

or a personality disorder shit I might be all of the above

[vast vigil]

i also have extended exam time but i rarely use it

[mellow patio]

god i hope this woman diagnoses me

[vast vigil]

i got like an official diagnosis like a month ago, before it was just “bipolar spectrum condition”

so it can take many months to be diagnosed

[mellow patio]

ive been seeing the girls since august / october so I think we're on the brink of something based on how they're talking about it

[vast vigil]

yeah i had my first bipolar specific experience in june and just got diagnosed a month ago so ur probably close

[lost dawn]

wait quick question so if i have health insurance and it’s not in network what does that look like? or do u have to pay the $35 regardless of if u have insurance outside of harvard or not

[vast vigil]

$35 is with harvard insurance

otherwise it depends on ur insurances copay

[lost dawn]

i’m lowk confused w these universities and insurance

and i need harvard insurance right

[vast vigil]

U dont need it if u already have insurance

[mellow patio]

proud to say harvard insurance is my first ever insurance

[lost dawn]

oh i may need it i think because my insurance won’t cover me because im not in a state with them is what i think iirc

how much is harvard insurance

[vast vigil]

i had Medicaid before so its weird having to pay 💀

[vast vigil]

like 5k or sum idk

For the year

[lost dawn]

okok

[vast vigil]

i currently owe mclean $350 and im broke because i couldnt work last week so im lowk cooked

they might not see that money til summer

[soft lance]

is it like typical for ur harvard ao to like email u after u get in

mine like emailed me abt some stuff he liked on my app after i got in and offered to zoom call if i had any qs

[opal violet]

yeah

[arctic mica]

thats so sweet

[lost dawn]

yeah i got this as well

[turbid venture]

i was reading through CC thread for waitlisted students last year and it seems like some did more than loci (additional LOR, advocating from interviewer, etc.). i was wondering is all of this necessary? i was just planning on submitting a LOCI sometime this week or next week. should i try to get another LOR or let my interviewer know that i was waitlisted? (we had good interview)

also i applied for need based aid, but i most likely won't receive anything. is harvard need blind for waitlist as well? if not, is it beneficial letting them know that i would attend regardless of aid

thanks. not too sure how to deal with all the watilisted game

[misty root]

you can if you want to it doesn’t hurt, but ur odds are still very low

also waitlist is need blind

if harvard want you and if they can then they’ll take you off the waitlist

[deep drift]

waitlist is a little out of your control its mainly about filling in gaps for institutional prioriteis depending on who doesnt commit

[turbid venture]

okay got it thanks all

[high dome]

Hey all - if u were waitlisted and submitted a LOCI, how long was it approximately?

[blissful field]

like under 400 words

but also go to yale 😭 😭

[wary obsidian]

do harvard students get apartments or do people live mostly at the housing they give? i'm assuming if people get apartments then it's not paid for by scholarships or anything like that

like how ppl get apartments for texas a&m and ut austin a lot

i think

[misty root]

most students live on campus if thatss what ur asking

[mellow patio]

98% live on campus iirc, but if you choose to live off campus and you're on full aid you get your housing money in cash basically

i could hypothetically do that but 98% stay on campus for a reason lol, the houses are cool af

also cambridge rent is expensive, my place is $1500/month if i don't get on campus housing for summer

[muted bluff]

harvard was founded basically the same year as the city of boston so they have a lot more land than most other colleges

everyone lives on campus

[wary obsidian]

dang wow

aight ic, thx yall!

[turbid venture]

i have an award/new opportunity that was recently presented to me. i was going to submit my loci some time this weekend. should i edit to put this is now, or should i create a second loci with more achievements later in may (like may 5th)

[lost dawn]

idk if they will take a second loci

[turbid venture]

ah so you think it’s just best to make one really good one

if so, is it okay to submit a little later? for example, instead of submitting today or tomorrow, i would submit like monday or tuesday next week

[blissful field]

when u go to submit there’s just one category that says “wait list update”

also be careful with length bc they only have 1 minute to read a loci on average

[turbid venture]

yes i see that. does it go away after submitting one?

[turbid venture]

yeah i’m keeping it a page max

[blissful field]

let me check hold on

[turbid venture]

thanks

[blissful field]

it lets me submit multiple but i assume its not advised

[turbid venture]

yeah idk i read someone who got off waitlist last year submitted a letter in late april then another in may

idk what to do 😭😭

[halcyon agate]

Just do it

Theyre not going to not accept you because you sent two letters

Imo

[turbid venture]

whens the latest i should send LOCI

[void aspen]

doesn't harvard say NO LOCI

[blissful field]

there’s a category that says “wait list update”

[void aspen]

i don't know for sure that's why I said "doesn't"

but yeah if you can for sure do one asap

[turbid venture]

submitting LOCi at night versus tmrw morning matter

[simple flare]

submit at 11:11 🙏

[turbid venture]

😭😭

most luck method

[lost dawn]

yess i agree 11:11 is like good if ur one of those types of people haha, but best of luck!!

[turbid venture]

but the time doesn’t really matter other than that right

[lost dawn]

nah

[turbid venture]

will sending it at 5am to show my grind

yeah i’m never up at 5😂😂

[lost dawn]

i mean i submitted my cornell supplementals like two weeks late sooo maybe time does matter in that scenario 😭

but night or day nah

[turbid venture]

😭😭

okay cool thank you

[worn kite]

nobody will gaf son

[lavish fulcrum]

does anyone have any info on what the rising scholars program is/how it is? getting to know the campus and being there early sounds nice but idk if it’s worth giving up the summer

[mellow patio]

idk if its giving up the summer. there's an opportunity cost for everything. the website has a lot of info but ive heard its a good program from people who participated

if the info appeals to you and you don't have any summer plans, why not

[muted bluff]

the summer heat

why would you voluntarily put yourself through a boston summer

[mellow patio]

uhhh how hot does it get? im from coastal fl and im staying here

[lavish fulcrum]

i thought boston summers were chill

[mellow patio]

should I be scared or is it just like home

[muted bluff]

There will be no central air

Except maybe in Smith

[muted bluff]

no it’ll be 96 and humid in july

for days on end

but if you’re from coastal fl it should be okay @mellow patio make sure to have a window ac unit in your apt tho, it should already have one maybe in storage but if you can’t install it get someone to come and help you put it in

some people also keep their window units in all year long which is a great way to spike your heating bill but

anyway this is mostly in jest- i don’t think the heat should keep you from doing any pre orientation

but it should be a consideration especially if you have medical conditions

[lavish fulcrum]

wow

[mellow patio]

I won't be on campus officially got an apartment

[mellow patio]

I think they have ac... keyword think... at least one of those portable unit things

[muted bluff]

yeah that’s a window unit

i’ve never lived with cental air so i can’t really comment on its effectiveness but yeah you’re going to want to put that window unit next to the bed

also open windows at night if its 70 or under, open multiple so you get a crossbreeze, can always stick ur head in the freezer

[thorny harbor]

Figure out the situation and if there’s no AC get some sort of camping fan (I think that’s the type) off Amazon

Basically a fan where it’s doing more than just blowing existing air around

And is actually cooling the air instead of blowing what’s alr there

Idk if you’re in a studio or 1 bed but I had a 1 bed in Oregon without AC so I had to use the setup I’m talking abt although I don’t think it was too humid just very hot (like 90-100)

And I only had 1 portable AC and I’d just carry it to whichever room I was in at the time which was a pain but worked

[mellow patio]

2bd 🩷 sublet maxxing

[muted bluff]

ooh the one that goes in ur window?

or is that a box fan

idk we have a ton and they’re great

[thorny harbor]

I think a box fan

Is the one I had

[uneven hare]

yop

[lavish fulcrum]

do applications for pre orientation programs open after may 1st?

[mellow patio]

how to care for visitas child no glue no borax

[mellow patio]

website says may 11th

[high dome]

Is it fine to submit the LOCI anytime before the deposit deadline?

Also, does Harvard take additional LORs - I have a congressman who I’m interning with that is willing but I’m not sure if that’s too much

[thorny harbor]

How were you cared for

When you were the child

[mellow patio]

my host offered me a shot and then told me to go to all the events i could and then took me to one of her classes

[lost dawn]

gorg

[vast vigil]

This is my pic from the roof of the science center

[half gorge]

the views from smith are highkey better

[arctic mica]

fight fight fight #1400589854861033642

[lost dawn]

its been out

[lavish fulcrum]

any tips for applying to housing? not sure if any thing will get me iffy housing. i selected that i want 1-2 roommates cause i do not want bunk beds

also cause 3+ roommates would be stressful

[vast vigil]

i mean its usually fine

odds are ur gonna be in like a quad though

My dorm had 3 bedrooms and 4 people so one person slept in the common room

I live in a hallway single now though

[lavish fulcrum]

common room would suck

[lavish fulcrum]

sigh i can only hope for after freshman

[vast vigil]

I got out of it because i have accommodations

so i just said i cant

So the other three took turns

[lavish fulcrum]

it would suck to have to decide who gets common room

ohhhh

that lowkey means u can’t really have a room then

personal room at least

interesting

i’ll just hope for the best then i guess

[vast vigil]

Most people i know do the common room thing

[lavish fulcrum]

damn

[vast vigil]

For freshman year atleast

Usually not after

[lavish fulcrum]

hope not

[mellow patio]

i didnt even know people got bunk beds... blessed to be in a suite w my own room

[mellow patio]

it was a nightmare but thankfully one girl offered to take it for the whole year so us two got our own rooms #godbless but tbh common room isnt the worst if your suitemates are nice

also some people get those dividers for more privacy

[copper hearth]

common room really isnt bad lol

[lavish fulcrum]

damn

doesn’t common room mean no bed tho ?

or am i interpreting this differently

common room = living roomish right

[lost dawn]

yes

but everyone has a bed

if ur in a 3 person space, essentially instead of maybe 1 person in a bedroom and 2 people in a bedroom + the common for everyone, one person takes the common and moves out of the 2 person bedroom

i think is what they mean

[lavish fulcrum]

interesting

idk i think i would really dislike to not have a privateish place where i can have my belongings and everything

[lost dawn]

yeah, it would just mean ur roommates have to also walk through ur bedroom to go in and out of the room and stuff

[lavish fulcrum]

i wouldn’t mind that tbh just the idea of your bedroom being everyone’s multipurpose room would suck

hoping for something okay i guess

[mellow patio]

everyone has a bed, our roommate agreement said that nobody could hangout in the common room since we used it as a bedroom so like... steal that if u get a common room situation

[tulip spire]

does anyone know if the harvard wait list will move this year?

[lost dawn]

dont count on it

[worn kite]

harvard adcom probably knows

[misty root]

Albert einstein

[tardy star]

What do I say for soph housing to get a hallway single

[vast vigil]

generally u need accoms i believe

But u can try

Even seniors dont usually get hallway single

Without accom

[arctic mica]

good luck death varders

[turbid venture]

send source

it’s normally may 15

[worn kite]

highly unlikely

[rancid grail]

i know of someone who got a call from an AO but not admitted

[tulip spire]

i saw this too

i cant tell if its true or not

it probably is rip

[blissful field]

reddit and tiktok 🥀 🥀 🥀

[rancid grail]

i mean what call will they make now?

its likeley a sign but time will tell

no point stressing over it

i will say though that those waitlist websites i would not trust nothing stops ppl from just saying they got off the waitlist to spread fear

[uneven hare]

these websites are very fake

[scarlet sable]

larpvard

[arctic mica]

harvard is larping their acceptance rate like northeasgern