Many Seniors think Harvard Too Costly

Ninety-four percent of seniors say they would choose Harvard if they could do it all over again, according to a Crimson poll conducted last weak.

Men and women are equally enthusiastic about their undergraduate years at the University: 94.5 percent of the 55 men polled and 93.3 percent of the 45 women polled say they would pick Harvard again.

The Crimson interviewed 100 members of the Class of '92 randomly selected from the University's 493 centrex telephone system. The poll has a margin of error of approximately 7 percent for men and approximately 7.4 percent for women.

David R. Miller '92 says he would "absolutely" select Harvard again.

"I came from a Harvard family, and the place and the place and my friends lived up to the hype of my parents," Miller says. "I had a great time meeting lots of friends. I had great classes. The whole thing was a fairy tale."

While most of Miller's classmates agree with his sentiments, fewer are pleased with the high cost of attending the University.

Sixty percent of those polled say they think Harvard is a good value, but the other 40 percent say they think Harvard is not worth approximately $85,000 over four years.

Again, men and women tend to agree. 58.2 percent of men and 62.2 percent of women polled say they think Harvard is worth the money.

Some seniors say they will reserve judgment until they can test the clout of the Harvard name in the professional world. Others say the services provided are really not worth the money, but the cost is no worse than that of any comparable school.

"I think it's a ridiculous amount of money, but any private institution will cost the same," says Jennifer H. Shurdut '92.

Several students say Harvard's academic programs are not worth the cost.

"The academics weren't that great," says Ellie Y. Lee '92. "we pay that much money and the professors aren't that accessible. They make it like they're doing us a favor [to see us]. It's our right when we pay that much."

Tobey S. Weintraub '92 concurs. "For 85,000 dollars, I should have gotten more advice around the way," she says.

The seniors polled also told The Crimson that they attach approximately equal importance to social life, extracurriculars, and academics. 37.3 percent of the respondents say social life has been the most significant aspect of their Harvard career, while 33.6 percent favor extracurriculars. Academics trailed with 29.1 percent.

An equal percentage of men and women (29.3 percent of men and 28.8 per cent of women) cite academics as their number one concern. However, only 32.8 percent of men say their social lives were most important, compared to 42.3 per cent of women. Most of the men, 37.9 percent, say extracurricular activities mean the most to them, while only 28.8 per cent of women agree.

Many students say they value their friends her more than anything else.

"I believe Harvard is very diverse and it's been great living with people from all over," says Kabir Misra '92. "I've had lots of great roommates and friends. And I love my house."

Shurdut concurs. "I still love it here. I'm sorry I'm leaving. The friends I've made here are what I'll remember the most. The academics you can get anywhere. Harvard is much more than the textbooks you read or the classes you attend. It's the people I've met here."

"You learn more about life and different cultures from people than you could ever learn in a classroom," she adds.