Why I Chose Harvard University

When I opened my college decisions in March, I found myself facing a surreal reality. I had been accepted to Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, and several other highly selective schools. For a few weeks, I let it sink in. Then I did what any serious student would do: I started narrowing it down.

After weighing the academic strengths and campus cultures of each school, I focused my final decision on three: Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia. I committed to visiting all three, determined to go beyond websites and rankings. I wanted to know what my life would actually feel like at each place, the people I’d be around, the energy on campus, and how each environment aligned with the person I was becoming.

At Princeton Preview, I met up with two Milton Academy alumni, Sam Berk and Trew Strong, who graciously shared their stories about transitioning from Milton to college. I asked them what surprised them most, what challenged them, and what felt familiar. What stood out was Princeton’s tight-knit undergraduate experience. The student body felt unified and intentional. There was an academic seriousness and beautiful physical space to match it, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit secluded. As someone who thrives on external energy and constant motion, I wondered if I might need a faster-paced environment.

Next stop: Columbia. I was excited to visit not only because of its academic rigor but because my cousin, Arinne Hoque, is a student at Barnard. We walked around Morningside Heights as she gave me her honest take, what she loved, what challenged her, and how Columbia had changed her. She talked about the intellectual boldness of her peers and the vibrancy of being in the heart of New York City. But she also shared concerns about the climate on campus, particularly the ongoing tensions and debates surrounding freedom of expression. While I admired the school’s courage to engage with complexity, I also recognized that I was looking for a slightly different atmosphere—one where discourse still thrived but felt more grounded in conversation than conflict.

Finally, I arrived at Harvard for Visitas. I stayed overnight in the dorm room of Fhasal Alam, who immediately made me feel at home. I also met with Milton Academy alum Omar Hamoda, who treated me to lunch. That small gesture stuck with me. Throughout the weekend, I felt surrounded by students who were brilliant, yes, but also generous, curious, and grounded.

Harvard had the balance I didn’t know I was looking for: intellectual intensity without pretension, a deep respect for individual exploration, and a community that seemed both ambitious and collaborative. Add in Boston’s unmatched network of universities, cultural depth, and proximity to policy hubs, and I realized I could see myself not just attending Harvard, but growing there.

In the end, I didn’t choose Harvard because of the name. I chose it because of the people, the conversations, and the feeling I couldn’t shake that this is where I’d be challenged and supported to become who I want to be.

Written by Simon Farruqui