Introduction
Harvard University is a very famous and old university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was started in 1636, so it is over 300 years old! Many important people studied at Harvard, like Barack Obama and Bill Gates. Harvard has thousands of students and hundreds of professors. It is considered one of the best universities in the world.
Harvard University History
In 1636, some people from England came to America and started a school called Harvard College. At first, Harvard University was very small with only 9 students! Over 300 years, the school got bigger and bigger. Now there are over 20,000 students at Harvard!
The school was named after a minister named John Harvard. John Harvard donated some money and books to the new school, so they named it after him.
In the beginning, only men could go to Harvard University. The first women started going to Harvard in the 1870s.
Famous Harvard University Graduates
Lots of famous and important people graduated from Harvard University. For example:
- Barack Obama – He was the President of the United States from 2008 to 2016. He went to Harvard Law School.
- Bill Gates – He is the founder of Microsoft and one of the richest people in the world. He dropped out of Harvard to start his company.
- Mark Zuckerberg – He made Facebook and is another very rich person. He also dropped out to work on Facebook.
There are also many famous authors, scientists, business leaders and politicians who graduated from Harvard. Going to Harvard University can really help someone become successful!
Academics
Harvard University has 12 degree-granting schools teaching many different subjects:
- Arts and humanities – This includes subjects like history, languages, art, music and more. Students can get degrees like a Bachelor of Arts (BA).
- Social sciences – This includes subjects like economics, sociology and government. Students can get degrees like a Bachelor of Arts (BA).
- Sciences – Students study biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and more. They can get degrees like Bachelor of Science (BS).
- Law – Students study law at Harvard Law School and get degrees like Juris Doctor (JD).
- Medicine – Students study to become doctors at Harvard Medical School and get degrees like Doctor of Medicine (MD).
- Business – Students learn about business and management at Harvard Business School. They get degrees like Master of Business Administration (MBA).
As you can see Harvard University has a very wide range of majors and programs for students! It offers degrees from bachelor’s degrees all the way up to PhDs.
Campus
The Harvard University campus is like a small town with over 30 libraries, museums, theatres, athletic facilities and more. Some parts of the campus look like old European schools with ivy-covered brick buildings. But there are also many modern buildings.
The heart of the campus is Harvard University Yard. This grassy area has many historic buildings around it like the oldest building, Massachusetts Hall which dates back to 1720! The huge Widener Library with over 3 million books is also close to Harvard Yard.
Another famous place on campus is the Harvard Museum of Natural History with its huge displays of glass flowers and stuffed animals.
Outside of Cambridge, Harvard University has other campuses and facilities. For example, Harvard Business School is located across the river in Boston. The athletic facilities and Harvard stadium are also located there.
Student Life
There are lots of fun things for students to do on campus. Harvard has top sports teams that play other schools. There are many music groups to join as well like the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra.
Harvard University students also enjoy events and parties at the residential houses on campus. First-year students live together in dorms. After that, students live in one of 12 residential houses. They are like small communities with dining halls, common rooms and dorms. Students make many friends in their house.
Harvard University is very competitive so students work very hard. But they also find time to have fun with friends and activities outside of classes. Going to Harvard opens up many opportunities!
Conclusion
For over 300 years, Harvard University has been one of the best universities in America and the world. It has educated many of the world’s leaders in areas like government, science, and business. Getting into Harvard is very competitive, but students enjoy studying with top professors and researchers across many subjects. Harvard University offers great academics, history, and community for students.