Student Message Board
The Student Message Boards are monitored by members of the Undergraduate Admissions Council (UAC) of Harvard University. The UAC is a hospitality corps of enthusiastic Harvard College students who, through conversation and other communications, wish to offer a tangible example of life on campus for prospective students and their parents. The six students whose profiles you see below are eager to answer your questions and help you learn more about the Harvard community.
Student Monitors
Alissa '11
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Harvard House: Mather
Concentration: Molecular and Cellular Biology
I'm Alissa, a junior concentrating in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a secondary field in Psychology. I am from Tucson, AZ, where you can wear flip-flops year-round, and I have one younger brother who is a senior in high school. I live in a cozy single in Mather where I spend many a day (and night) studying neural signaling pathways and arrow-pushing mechanisms - contrary to popular belief, we are not all geniuses at Harvard, we are simply very passionate about everything we do and work really hard at those things. I sign my name with a heart over the "i", constantly have Coldplay on my iPod, and wear a different brightly-colored sneaker every year (currently pink).
I work in the neurobiology lab of Dr. Josh Sanes, where I study SAD kinases and their influence on neuronal development, and this past summer I traveled to Tokyo, Japan to study potential drugs for treating Alzheimer’s disease. On campus, I also cover science news for The Harvard Crimson. I will be applying to medical school this summer, so please ask me any questions you have about that! Harvard has been the most amazing experience for me and I want to help others have the same opportunity.
My screenname on the message boards is HARVARD_Alissa.
Josh '10
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Harvard House: Quincy
Concentration: Psychology
I am a senior in Quincy House (go Penguins!) concentrating in psychology. I hail from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where I went to the local public high school. Though originally a pre-med, I realized that psychology makes me much happier. Now I am a research assistant in a psych lab that tries to further unravel the link between sleep and memory. Last year, I was a researcher in a different lab that studied how people make moral decisions.
If I'm not doing work in some capacity, you might find me playing video games with my roommates, having a philosophical conversation in the dining hall, hanging out with my friends, or plotting my next practical joke.
My screenname on the message boards is HARVARD_Josh.
Katie '11
Hometown: Rutland, Vermont
Harvard House: Adams
Concentration: Sociology
I'm Katie. I'm a junior at Harvard living in Adams House and concentrating in Sociology with a focus on business and organizations — I definitely want to attend business school after graduation. I'm originally from Rutland, Vermont and truly believe that Vermont is one of the most wonderful places in the world. I love to travel — the summer of 2008, I lived in Tokyo for two months while working for the Prime Minister and government of Japan, and this past summer I lived in Dublin, Ireland while working for a non–profit agency on their communications strategy and structure. Outside of the classroom, I'm a case team leader in the Harvard College Consulting Group, the co–chairman for the Undergraduate Admissions Council, on the board of the Harvard UNICEF club, and a volunteer at the Suffolk County prison as an inmate tutor. I love shopping for just about everything, spending time with my friends and family, and driving on open roads with the windows down playing very loud music. I believe that you can never own too many Yankee Candles and that there is no such thing as being too obsessed with your Blackberry.
I love Harvard because I think it provides its students with unparalleled opportunities for development, both academically and personally. The people that surround you here are diverse and all have amazing stories to tell; the passion and ambition found in each member of the Harvard community coupled with the depth of opportunities available make Harvard a remarkable place to grow!
My screenname on the message boards is HARVARD_Katie.
Sanyee '12
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Harvard House: Eliot
Concentration: Folklore & Mythology
Secondary Field: Mind, Brain, Behavior
Language Citation: Spanish
Born and raised in the city by the bay, I love the West Coast, talking a lot, and meeting new people. Initially nervous about the possible homesickness that would pervade the transition from high school to college, I soon realized that the anxiety was normal but unnecessary. >From regularly having three-hour long dinners in the dining halls to sharing stories with the other students in my dorm, I immersed myself in the enriching student life on campus and discovered my favorite quality about Harvard: the diverse student body.
After signing up for nearly every student organization email list during my first Activities Fair, I have now figured out my extracurricular niche. With aspirations to host my own talk show in the near future and work as an entertainment news correspondent in the media field, I produce two shows for the Harvard Undergraduate Television Network. My first, Love@Harvard, is the premiere campus reality dating show and my second is Explore Boston!, a Travel Channel-type segment where I go out on location in Boston to report on cool events, performances, and attractions. When I'm not getting my hands deep in hosting, filming, and editing, I serve as my House representative for the Undergraduate Council to work on Student Relations and Student Initiatives. I also enjoy interacting with freshmen as a Peer Advising Fellow and coordinating Prefrosh Weekend with the terrific Undergraduate Admissions Council. Also a Student Liaison for the media organization Harvardwood, a chair for the Student Advisory Board, and Entertainment Co-chair for my House Committee, I love filling my time with exciting event-planning and face-to-face socializing!
In my downtime, I write an entry in my diary every night and hope to amass a full collection of Harvard Chronicles by the time I graduate! Let me know if you have Humanities-related questions, extracurricular questions, or media-related ones! I look forward to talking with you.
My screenname on the message boards is HARVARD_Sanyee.
Jim '10
Hometown: Cleveland Ohio
Harvard House: Lowell House
Concentration: Government
I'm Jim, a senior in Lowell House originally from Cleveland, Ohio. I am a Government concentrator, but my academic interests are all over the place. Here on campus I'm involved with the College Events Board which helps plan the large social events on campus, like our yearly Yardfest concert in Harvard Yard; I volunteer with the Mission Hill After School Program to tutor and mentor urban youth in Boston; I am an editorial writer for The Harvard Crimson newspaper; once a week I teach Spanish to elementary school children in a program called SABES; and I am co-Chair of the Undergraduate Admissions Council which works to bring prospective students and current undergrads closer together. Last summer I interned for Congressman Dennis Kucinich and worked as a part-time lifeguard. I love a good road trip with my friends, and drinking more pop than is probably good for me. My favorite book is The Sun Also Rises, I'll usually waste a whole day or so watching Weeds, Nip/Tuck, or Entourage, and I wish that life would be more like the movie Garden State. After college, I would like to work with Teach for America or the Peace Corps before going to Law School eventually. I try to not spend too much time thinking about the future, however, because my life right now is awesome.
My screenname on the message boards is HARVARD_Jim.
Yae Na '11
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea / Irvine, California
Harvard House: Cabot
Concentration: Sociology
Hi, my name is Yae Na and I'm a junior in Cabot House, concentrating in Sociology with a focus on international organizations. I also have a language citation in French. Next semester, I am going to study abroad at Oxford University, which I am really looking forward to right now. I like to introduce myself by saying that my first name is like "Jenna but with a Y." I am originally from Seoul, South Korea, but I moved to Irvine, California when I was 13 years old. Currently, I am involved with the Undergraduate Admissions Council as the Message Forum Coordinator, Harvard Radcliffe Christian Fellowship and work at the Admissions Office's phone room. In my spare time, I love playing the violin, watching movies and having fun with my friends. Academically, I am interested in international relations, international organizations, and various issues about children (health, education, etc). My life at Harvard has been full of amazing memories, whether it's having dinner at my professor's house or traveling with my roommates. I would love to share my experiences with you and I will do my best to answer your questions!
My screenname on the message boards is HARVARD_YaeNa.
Reminder
When accessing the Student Message Board please recognize that all messages sent to the chat rooms and message boards express the views and opinions of the author and not the administrators, moderators or webmaster (except for the messages sent by these people) and hence they will not be held liable. Please note - current Harvard students monitor these message boards to provide a student perspective, but they are not Admissions or Financial Aid Officers.