As my graduation approaches in less than two weeks, I find myself reflecting on my four years at Harvard. If I were to redo college all over again, would I have come to Harvard? My answer is a solid yes. After going through this transformative experience, the following are reasons why I would still choose Harvard all over again. 

1. The Community 

I remember this being one of the determining factors for the college I wanted to attend. I closely followed the Harvard Admissions Instagram account and read blogs like this one on the website to get a glimpse of the community. From my research, Harvard sounded like a place I would want to be and after being part of this community, I can attest to that. Harvard has become my home away from home thanks to the incredible people I have met on campus. I am grateful for many, but to point out a few– my wonderful roommate since freshman year, my block mates (a group of up to 7 people you choose to live within the same House after your first-year), my best friend (who during the pandemic offered me a place to stay when going back to Tanzania was not an option), the Harvard African Students Association as well as my Tanzanian community on campus, my HFAI community, my incredible Professors, the dining hall staff and many more as the list goes on. I have found home in my dorm, through my classes, extracurricular activities, faculty, and the non-teaching staff. I believe that it is the incredible people who make Harvard great, and they are what I will miss most about Harvard.

2. Financial Aid 

I never thought I could afford to attend Harvard until Robin Worth, Director of International Admissions at Harvard, visited my high school and told us about the incredible financial aid at Harvard. My family could never afford the Harvard fees so knowing that I would be able to study with the support for the need-based financial aid program, even as an international student, was a huge relief. Harvard’s financial aid has helped me in so many different ways beyond the full scholarship. As an international student, Harvard paid for my initial costs of obtaining a student visa and even my travel costs to and from home. Upon arrival on campus, I received  a stipend to buy a new laptop and other start-up costs. The program also provided additional aid to help in purchasing a winter jacket through the winter coat fund.  Each semester, I get to go to up to five events for free thanks to the Student’s Event’s Fund (blog linked here), and even now as a senior I received  an additional grant that helped accommodate some of my graduation expenses. Not stressing about my financial situation while going through college placed me in a better position to excel inside and outside of class. I am forever grateful for Harvard’s Financial Aid Initiative!
 

3. Resources

I usually say that the most challenging part about Harvard is that there is just too much, in a good way. Harvard is full of so many resources to assist you from the minute you enter the yard as a first-year. As a first-year, I was formally assigned to three different advisors to help me get settled into college I had a Proctor in residence, a residential advisor who is not a college student but rather administrators or graduate students. I also had a PAF, peer advising fellow, an upperclass student responsible for orienting you to campus and answering any of your questions on college life. I also had an academic advisor who really helped me come up with my schedule for the first semester and think through my workload. I was also assigned residential and concentration advisors after my first year! But beyond the formally assigned advisors, there are so many other resources that helped me get through academics and student life on campus. For instance, when I needed help with my academics, the Academic Resource Center provided free tutoring, the Office of Career Services was very helpful during my internship search, and the incredible library system at Harvard always pointed me in the right direction. The list of resources is just too overwhelming to go through so I will end here.

4. Residential Life and Academics

I love the housing system at Harvard! After your first year, you get assigned to one of the 12 upperclassmen Houses. You get to choose up to seven people to create a blocking group to enter the housing lottery and be assigned the same House together.. Each House has its own dining hall, study rooms, library, laundry room, gym, and recreation rooms. Some Houses have extras such as dance rooms, movie rooms, and other fun features. Almost every student will say their House is the best House, but of course mine is definitely the best house, Eliot! This wonderful system creates a sense of comradery and connectedness which is simply beautiful. As for academics, I was so grateful for the liberal arts education Harvard offers and how students are encouraged to explore. Coming in, although I was set on Economics, I never thought I would end up loving Computer Science and pursuing a secondary, which I ended up doing. I was also able to explore my passion for theatre and take many classes in the Theatre, Dance, and Media departments. All of these classes have shaped me into who I am today, and I am so excited to bring all these great perspectives to my future endeavors.

 There is a lot to love about Harvard and I could go on forever! But these are just a few of the factors that made my experience at Harvard rewarding and why I would select Harvard over and over again. Thank you for the memories Harvard–looking forward to what’s next in my next life adventure!