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HARVARD COLLEGE

Office of Admissions

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Resources

Academic Resources

Harvard’s curriculum includes a wide variety of courses in the arts and sciences. The course catalog (Courses of Instruction) has approximately 3,500 course offerings, covering a wide range of subjects from African Studies to Urban Economics and from Astronomy to Vietnamese Language.

Visiting Undergraduate Students have opportunities to engage intellectually with faculty and other students. Except for a few limited enrollment courses and some taught specifically for degree candidates, most of the courses listed in our catalog, the departments and the Program in General Education are open to VUS.

The Harvard College Libraries, as well as the many museums, science laboratories, and theaters provide unparalleled opportunities for students. In addition to their academic programs, many Visiting Undergraduate Students take advantage of the numerous extracurricular activities, including intramural and club sports, and the rich cultural and historical setting of Cambridge and Boston.

Advising

VUS receive support from the Coordinator of Advising for Visiting Undergraduate Students, who serves as their primary contact and academic adviser.

The Coordinator of Advising:

  • Provides all students with an extensive orientation upon arrival;
  • Meets with students individually by appointment throughout the term to discuss academic issues and monitor students’ progress;
  • Holds regular open office hours to maximize availability;
  • Helps students access more specialized advising resources and organizes social gatherings to enhance the VUS community.

Additionally, the Coordinator of Advising for Visiting Undergraduate Students acts as a liaison between students, the Advising Programs Office, and the Office of Visiting Undergraduate Student Admissions.

Off-Campus Housing Resources

Securing an apartment in the Cambridge area can be time-consuming, and it is important to allow yourself sufficient time to find an accommodation. Although open apartment listings generally become available one to two months prior to an apartment becoming available, accepted students are encouraged to begin the search for off-campus housing as soon as possible. It is critical that off-campus housing is secured before arriving at Harvard. Below are some resources you may find helpful in securing off-campus housing.

Harvard Real Estate Services (HRES) Housing Office
hhousing@harvard.edu
7 Holyoke Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
(800) 252-5020 or (617) 495-3377

Although HRES is not able to secure an off-campus housing placement for students, they do provide a number of online resources and can answer questions that are common for students who will be new to the Cambridge area (e.g., What residential areas are close to the mass transit system? What locations are within walking distance to Harvard Yard? What is a reasonable rental rate? etc.). The office is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. Visiting Undergraduate Students can use the Harvard University Community Listing Network to view rental and subleasing listings in Cambridge and the surrounding communities. This website can be accessed at: hreslandlord.roommateclick.com.

Note: VUS are not eligible to apply for Harvard University housing.

In addition to the Community Listing Network students can also access the Roommate Connections Network hres.roommateclick.com. These resources provide listings for independent searches. It is very important to note that any listing designated as "Harvard University Housing" is not available to Visiting Undergraduate Students since this term refers to on-campus housing.

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