Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges Class of 1961 55th Reunion Class Survey Results PRELIMINARY REPORT OF SURVEY RESULTS Harvard-Radcliffe Class of 1961 -- 55th Reunion Survey May 21st, 2016 Part I Pre-Harvard Background & Harvard Experience Q1. How many years of secondary school did you attend? (Circle responses as necessary) Question 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years At a public school 9 11 19 171 At a private school 4 13 12 128 At home 0 0 0 0 Other schooling 0 0 0 0 Editor’s comment: If one assumes that those who attended private school for 1, 2 or 3 years did so for the latter years of their secondary schooling, that would suggest that c. 157 respondents graduated from private school. The 157:171 graduation distribution among survey respondents (male & female) is very close to the 50:50 private/public ratio reported for the Harvard class only by the Harvard Crimson on the day we matriculated in 1957. Q2 - Were you a Harvard or Radcliffe "legacy"? Yes Male Female Total % 54 13 67 20.8 No Male Female Total 197 57 254 79.2 Q3 - Which of the following best describes your parents' socio-economic status at the time you entered Harvard? % Question Male Female Total (n=324) Wealthy / Well-to-do 29 3 32 9.8% Professional / Upper Middle Class, comfortable but not wealthy 105 44 149 46.0% Middle-Middle Class 72 18 90 27.7% Lower Middle Class, white collar but struggling economically 37 6 43 13.3% Working Class / blue collar 10 0 10 3.1% Q4#1 – What was the highest level of education attained by each of your parents? Editor’s comment: It appears that this question was not properly structured when entered in the Harvard survey software. By its terms, the question seeks a single response (“the highest”) but the software was programmed to allow multiple responses by the same individual (e.g., to check off both “High School Graduate” and “College Degree”). This error makes the data reported below unreliable, except for the final category (“Graduate Degree”). Question Mother Father Total Grade School 58.33% 7 75.00% 9 12 Some High School 58.06% 18 45.16% 14 31 High School Graduate 81.37% 83 37.25% 38 102 Some College 71.13% 69 36.08% 35 97 College Graduate 65.48% 110 56.55% 95 168 Graduate Degree 32.53% 54 90.96% 151 166 Q5 - What factor or factors most strongly influenced your decision to attend Harvard or Radcliffe rather than another college or university? Editor’s comment: The following comments have been sorted by respondents’ gender. MALE RESPONSES Scholarship Family affiliation; Academic reputation; location I wanted to study engineering, but wasn't sure I could take an MIT, so I chose a liberal arts college that also offered engineering. On visiting Harvard in my high school junior year, my heart leapt, and I didn't want to consider any other college. (Likewise, I advised my sons to listen to their heart in choosing a college.) ROTC Navy scholarship--BUT cut in Summer 1957 and Harvard made up for loss Skiddy Von Stade is sole reason that I could attend Harvard Urging of my high school teachers. Father attended. Seemed to offer greatest range of developmental challenges, across all areas. Reputation for excellence. Construction supervisor urged me to go to Harvard instead of pursuing the life of a laborer. No kidding. Ability to get in. Father had attended Harvard and many of my friends from prep school were attending Harvard Academic reputation Harvard admissions officer Excellence Exeter advisor who "knew" it was a good fit, and advocated to me for Harvard, and to Harvard for me. Thought I was destined for Yale. Most famous college Christian Science Mother Church in Boston, Boston cultural life My high school guidance counselor insisted that I apply to Harvard. I was so surprised to be accepted that I saw it as a challenge. Prestige, family pressure Its reputation Financial aid Uncle who attended Harvard and world class academic reputation. The family connection we had with Harvard. The American History department. WHRB, and Boston is the greatest college town in the USA. De facto coeducation I was accepted Quality and wanted to be close to UNH where my girl attended. High level of intelligence & scholarship of students & faculty. I had a bad academic record. I never graduated from high school. After my father died when I was seventeen, I went to work and produced a good track record during the next 4 years. Many people urged me to continue my studies at a university. Many of my friends had gone to, or were at, Harvard. I applied to Harvard when I was 22 and was accepted. Harvard gave me a second chance. I am eternally grateful to Harvard. Father's reasoning/advice. We had been living in Europe since the middle of my third grade. My aunt lived in Boston and I saw the Yard a few times when we visited; then I heard the Harvard Glee Club on one of their Europe tours and that made me very interested. I had only really heard of Harvard, Yale and Princeton, and I did not think of Harvard as such a big deal until I told people I was applying and they started fussing about it. I applied only to Harvard Yale and Princeton. Only Princeton turned me down. Reputation as excellent university with broad opportunities post graduation. Tradition established by Grandfather, Father, and older siblings Best school and had friends there. Did not know much about the Ivy League. So Harvard was my only choice Neighbors whose children went there Local interviewer in Philadelphia. Reputation Planned to attend Cornell. Dean advising college placement urged me to go to Harvard. Being young and obedient, I did. Family History Academic Rigor Strong Advice from Dean of Admissions at Phillips Academy Legacy Reputation Thought it would challenge me the most. The alum who recruited me was most impressive. Also, nobody from my high school had gone off to Boston; nobody I'd ever known had gone to Harvard. My Father I thought it was the place where I could learn everything about everything Reputation and success of upper classmen in applying. Expected to go to Harvard from 2nd or 3rd grade; only college applied to Parents were both Cantabrigians and graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe as well as aunts - while we lived in NY area grandparents and relatives all in Cambridge area. never considered any other college seriously I thought it was the best college. My father and Exeter academy Urban school, liberal arts with highest reputation Family affiliation; Academic reputation; location Picked between Harvard, Yale, Amherst & Oberlin. No particular reason. At Milton Academy, Harvard was the place to which almost everyone aspired I got in. And it's no. 1. And I was a little dorky like other classmates who got in; so I thought I would fit in better there than at Princeton which was the main destination of my prep school class. Two great uncles went there. Harvard was my local Ivy League School. Meeting John U. Monro, when he visited our high school Curriculum Taken for granted Academic reputation Harvard reputation I was attracted by its academic excellence. Additionally, my maternal grandmother, who played an important role in my upbringing and was Radcliffe, class of 1909, encouraged me to apply. Close to home; had a brother who went there; great academic and athletic programs Recruited by Fred Glimp; close family friend, Sam Chase, had gone to Harvard Dad. The place seemed to appreciate intellectual curiosity Had heard most about Harvard. Legacy and reputation Challenge of college at an outstanding university Pure accident -- Harvard admissions officer came to my school before anyone else. Some other classmates and I were offered a place on Harvard's "A" list a few days later. Advice from friends who attended a year earlier and reputation Quality of the education. Prestige of the university Minneapolis Star & Tribune scholarship to Phillips Exeter and Admissions counseling there. Art & architecture Academic challenge, urban setting, more egalitarian, athletic opportunities We always went to Harvard Some women there Its reputation; its liberal arts diversity, yet having a good basic engineering curriculum; I just felt so at home here. Never seriously considered anything else Legacy Two brothers before me. Curriculum, family tradition, Reputation Reputation, general education program, interviewers I thought it was the best available to me. Academic quality Its high reputation. reputation of program and strong chemistry program It was the usual thing to do. Most of my Milton class went there Legacy My familiarity with Harvard, and its reputation. Good academics along with valuable sports programs both which helped to develop a sense of personal development along with a sense of team. All of these were quite beneficial to me as my life progressed successfully to the present day. Local Harvard recruiter A Harvard rep came to my high school and met with 3 of us who had the best GPA High powered academics Reputation and pushy parents Reputation Reputation and location in an interesting, major urban area. Standing of the college academically, location Uncle went to Harvard Law. General excellence in all fields--could select many majors and be comfortable with education. The fact that I was accepted at the best college in the world was a powerful reason influencing my decision to attend Harvard over my "fail-safe: choices. The reputation of excellence of Harvard which proved to be deserved. My girl friend encouraged me to apply.