Meet our Mentors | Harrison’s journey to Harvard
We interviewed one of our many incredible Mentors, Harrison, who graduated from Harvard in 2019. Read on to see how Harrison applied to Harvard and enjoyed his four years there!
Harrison, thanks for sitting down with us. Let’s start with the basics. Can you share where you went to college, when you graduated, and what you studied?
I went to Harvard and graduated in 2019. I studied Economics with a minor in psychology.
I want to flash back to junior and senior year of high school and your application process. Did you apply anywhere early, whether that’s Early Action (EA), Restrictive Early Action (REA), Early Decision (ED), or something else?
I applied Restrictive Early Action to Harvard. At the same time, I applied to the University of Alabama and submitted my application to Washington University in St. Louis.
And then over the course of the whole application process, early and regular, where else did you wind up applying?
I just applied to those three since I wound up getting into Harvard early. I had a bunch of other applications nearly ready to submit. But I got into Harvard and Alabama. I was waitlisted at Wash U. I was confident that Harvard and Alabama were good options and that I’d go to one of them, so didn’t feel the need to apply anywhere else.
Did you apply to any specific university scholarship programs?
Alabama had merit- and program-based scholarships and stipends. So based on my application for the electrical engineering program and my grades and test scores, I would’ve gone to Alabama for free and with a stipend for engineering. The specific scholarship was the Presidential Scholarship for out-of-state applicants.
Why did you choose Harvard?
Harvard’s financial aid was such that the financial difference was not overwhelmingly significant. From there, I felt a smaller school with a broader curriculum was right for me. I wanted to study engineering at the time, but I also found a number of other things interesting. I ultimately didn’t study engineering in college, so I suppose that’s telling!
What was the best thing about Harvard?
The way that Harvard structures campus life around making authentic connections. The conversations in the dining halls and student organizations are especially notable. The campus is purposefully not just academic. Unlike a lot of schools with cafeterias, each of the upperclassmen dorms at Harvard has its own place for meals. The way they’re set up is such that my friends and I would spend hours in the dining halls any given day. The dining halls became like libraries during non-dining hours, but with an emphasis on conversation instead of quiet study.
And how about your least favorite things about Harvard?
My first few years at Harvard, I self-selected out of things because I would feel like everyone else was already excellent at that thing. For example, I decided not to take a CS class because I could tell some of the other students taking the class were better at math or it would come more naturally to them.
It’s not that things are interpersonally competitive at Harvard. I’m sure they can be for some people. That was not my experience. It’s that we all put competitive pressure on ourselves. You can feel like you need to be excelling at something because so many of your peers are. That can prevent you from trying new things where you won’t excel, even if the reason is that they’re new to you.
What have you heard since graduating that you’ve realized are unique things about Harvard?
The structure of the academic program is at least rare, if not unique. I have been surprised to learn how much at other schools you start on your academic trajectory and really stay there, and that is likely to be a very different trajectory from that of your peers. There is a bit more of a unified academic experience, and part of that is because you have 3+ semesters to even declare your major. Personally, I switched my major, I think, six times.
The other notable thing is that almost everyone, like 99% of people, live on campus. I’ve learned that is quite unique. Most of the people I know now lived off-campus at least the last two years of their college experience. That is not the case at Harvard. It’s very much about dorm life.
Moving on to more general college reflections, what do you think you’ve learned about college since you graduated?
I learned to value it much more as an important life-defining experience and much less as a career-defining experience. The importance of college in having a thoughtful, reflective young adulthood feels much more important in hindsight. It does matter to keep good enough grades, and do things that help you get a first job, and maybe pursue grad school. But it turns out you can really shape that after college.
I also learned that college is difficult beyond academics. It’s the first time most of us were really forced to figure things out. In high school, there are set tracks. That’s not the case in college. It’s your responsibility, your opportunity to make your track. That can be a shock to people. It’s also something I look back on positively. That was quite cool.
Any regrets about your college application process, decision-making process, or how you approached college? What’s that one thing you always tell high schoolers about college?
In high school, I did so many things, so many extracurriculars. I wish I had spent time reflecting on the things I really got excited about. There were a lot of things I did because I was good at them, so I kept doing them. But that’s different from the things that drive you and the things you care about. I learned that in college. But I do think I could’ve done that in high school.
Finally, what made you decide to be a Cohort Mentor?
I went through a non-profit with a similar mission when I was in high school. It’s part of how I was able to get into Harvard. Afterward, I worked with that non-profit in a Mentor-type role and really enjoyed it. It feels really meaningful to help students through this process.
Thank you, Harrison. It’s been great learning about your journey to Harvard. Thanks for your time
