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Samuel Pan

Ms. Mann

English II Honors

8 November 2017

Harvard University

Harvard University was established in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the

Massachusetts Bay Colony and was named after John Harvard, who died in 1638. After his

death, he left his library and half his estate to the institution. There is a Statue of John Harvard in

front of University Hall in Harvard Yard. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in

the United States

Harvard is a private college with no religious affiliation. It is a co-ed school located in

Cambridge, Massachusetts. It has 11 principal academic units and the campus size is 5,457 acres.

Since it is a private school, there is no in state or out of state tuition. The cost for just tuition is

$43,280 and the cost for tuition with room, board, and other various fees is $63,025.

The average GPA to get into Harvard is 4.1. The average SAT score to get into Harvard

is at least 1470/1600, but the higher the better. The 1470 score is just to be considered. The

average ACT score to get into Harvard is 34/36. The average acceptance rate is 5.4%.

The most well known majors at Harvard are business, law, and medicine. Harvard has

access to study abroad programs, liberal arts programs, double major programs, and internships

for various occupations.

There are many things to do at Harvard. Some things include visiting the Harvard

Museum of Natural History, the Longfellow House (George Washington’s headquarters during
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the Revolutionary War between 1775 and 1776), and Harvard Square (the Downtown Apex of

Cambridge).

If you are a U.S. citizen, you can apply for the Federal Pell Grant or a Supplemental

Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). Of the roughly 6,600 current undergraduate students at

Harvard College, 16% are Pell Grant recipients. More specifically, if you are a Massachusetts

resident, you can apply for the Gilbert Grant, which is awarded on the basis of need.

The placement rate for business school is 12-13%, 15.6% for law school, and 3.5% for

medical school. Degrees from any of these schools will increase your chances for finding a job.

Harvard is a Division 1 school with 42 varsity teams. Harvard also has club sports such

as archery, rugby, and tennis. To increase interaction with fellow students, they also have over

400 student organizations. These student organizations include religious clubs, public service

clubs, and music clubs.

There are 4 “yards” (residential neighborhoods) available to freshman for the first year.

Classrooms, libraries, mail, and the freshman dining hall are all within a five-minute walk of

every freshman dorm. Anything concerning roommates can be taken up with your proctor who

should be living in the same building as you.

The freshman dining hall, which is called Annenberg Hall is said to look a lot like the

Great Hall from Harry Potter. The food is pretty basic with a few seasonal items, but they also

take into account religious preferences. When you are a freshman, you have a choice between

three meal plans. Meal plan #1 is 295 meals a semester which is approximately 19 meals a week.

Meal plan #2 is 215 meals a semester which is approximately 14 meals per week. Meal plan #3

is 155 meals a semester and 275 units of Meal-Money (non-taxable) per semester, approximately
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10 meals per week and various a la carte purchases. La Carte is pretty much special food items

that are not available in dining halls.

Harvard is a very good university and if you have the interest along with the academics,

then it should definitely be on your list of colleges.

Works Cited
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“Harvard University.” Harvard University, www.harvard.edu/.

“Harvard ACT Scores and GPA.” How to Get In: Harvard ACT Scores and GPA,

www.prepscholar.com/act/s/colleges/Harvard-ACT-scores-GPA.

“Harvard SAT Scores and GPA.” What You Need For Harvard: SAT Scores and GPA,

www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Harvard-SAT-scores-GPA.

Updated on November 2, 2017 by VacationIdea Staff. “25 Best Things to Do in Cambridge,

Massachusetts.” VacationIdea,