If you were to find yourself talking with someone who is attending Harvard how would you feel?

I would feel the same as I did before talking to them. Nothing would change.

I would feel impressed - it is a hard school to get into. Then I'd ask them if they'd eaten at the Harvard club, and tell them what it was like and that they should look forward to going! No, I didn't go to Harvard, but my grandfather did (class of 1915). If they looked like they had a sense of humor, I might quote my grandfather on the subject, "You can always tell a Harvard man, but you can never tell him much."

Totally indifferent.

I talk to people who either go to or went to Harvard all the time. It's not any different than talking to anyone else, really.
I love the subversive nature of the explanation!

::sigh:: The love of my life is in Harvard right now. I just don't want him to think I'm dumb.

I *have* spoken to people who are attending Harvard. I found them patronising and extremely arrogant. Kind of friendly with it though. From the ones I have met, I might assume that all Harvard students are over-priveleged rich kids. But, the sample I have met is probably biased as they've paid to be visiting students at Oxford which is extremely expensive so they're likely to be from very wealthy backgrounds. They gave me the impression that they knew how to talk their way in to all the good things in life, but that they weren't necessarily as bright as one might expect (much like Oxford students).

But, I would be pretty happy to take them as I found them. I wouldn't be afraid of appearing stupid (I'm not) or feel underpriveleged or inferior. I imagine I would feel a lot like I would feel if I met anyone else who seemed smart. I think I would be quite interested to talk to them about Harvard though and the differences between their educational system and ours.

In my experience, you shouldn't expect people to universally be amazingly intelligent and brilliant until you start meeting Rhodes scholars. The current Canadian ones in particular are astounding! But all so friendly and lovely!

I don't like that Oxford came lower than Cambridge in that list BAD list!

I would be indifferent - just because they attend Harvard does not impress me in the least.

Indifferent.

I don't judge people on the basis of the school they frequent. I went to a "good" school and it was full of dumb people (not dumb as with a low IQ dumb like...idiots. ).
Although I seem to judge (or better categorize) people on the basis of what they're studying, I notice that there are certain trends in clothes, way of acting, that correspond certain fields of study; but maybe only at my university.
But I wouldn't feel self-conscious or lucky only because someone goes to Harvard or anywhere else.

Indifferent. And maybe a little something else, too, but I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

Amen.

mostly Indifferent, perhaps vaguely Impressed. We live near Boston, so this isn't so uncommon. Harvard Square is a cool place to hang out.

People are people, so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully?

indifferent

Turned on. :P .. No, I really wouldn't care.

I don't know how I would feel--it depends on the person and the topic of discussion.
I have met a lot of college graduates and the school does not impress me. It's what they have done in their lives and where they are going.

How about pride? I graduated from Harvard in 1986.

We are not worthy!!!

I would feel normal. Just because someone attends Harvard, it doesn't mean that I treat them differently. Claire attends Oxford, which I consider to be a prestigious university, yet I don't treat her any different than I did before she attended Oxford.

You should give that bad list a good whupping!

No different.

whats harvard got do with anything?

Are you currently dating this person?

Indifferent -- I have time on my side. Knowledge that can't possibly be learned from a book. Plus, I have been to university myself (4 years honours business) and I know a thing or two about a thing or two!

No. Though I wish I were. I'm working on it, though.

the same as if i was talking to anyone

Indifferent. It means very little to me. People who went to Harvard are... people. Some of my best friends went to Harvard. I don't hold it against them, despite the fact that I went to MIT...

Totally but totally indifferent! Maybe a little happy to find someone interesting? Not even! Even Harvard can't make an educated schmuck less of a schmuck...

> I *have* spoken to people who are attending Harvard. I found them
> patronising and extremely arrogant. Kind of friendly with it though.
> From the ones I have met, I might assume that all Harvard students
> are over-priveleged rich kids. But, the sample I have met is probably
> biased as they've paid to be visiting students at Oxford which is
> extremely expensive so they're likely to be from very wealthy backgrounds.
> They gave me the impression that they knew how to talk their way in
> to all the good things in life, but that they weren't necessarily
> as bright as one might expect (much like Oxford students).
>
> But, I would be pretty happy to take them as I found them. I wouldn't
> be afraid of appearing stupid (I'm not) or feel underpriveleged or
> inferior. I imagine I would feel a lot like I would feel if I met
> anyone else who seemed smart. I think I would be quite interested
> to talk to them about Harvard though and the differences between their
> educational system and ours.
>
> In my experience, you shouldn't expect people to universally be amazingly
> intelligent and brilliant until you start meeting Rhodes scholars.
> The current Canadian ones in particular are astounding! But all so
> friendly and lovely!
>
> I don't like that Oxford came lower than Cambridge in that list
> BAD list!

Funny! This particular survey reminded me of my visit in England. I was taken to a pub (can't remember the name now - but it seemed like an "in" place to be - not your average corner pub) and I met this guy - a walking (American) cliché! He reminded me of the typical English, privileged, rich kid that you would find in Oxford as portrayed by American movies. He really was a "classic", the white pants, white shirt and white "V" neck pullover with small blue and red stripes at the neck. He had a "yuppie" look about him, he was tall and handsome but I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND A SINGLE WORD HE SAID! He had a few too many drinks to be coherent so I smiled and agreed with what ever he said. Hmmm.... I wish he had been sober, he really did seem like a nice guy!

How I felt would depend on whether the person is interesting or not. The fact that he or she is a student at Harvard wouldn't make a difference.

Old. Impressed, but not necessarily inferior, although I'm sure I wouldn't feel comfortable debating with them in their field! Smart, motivated people are still just people. I feel the same way about celebrities, too. Some people go ga-ga over them, but we're all just human -- as far as I know.

This would have no bearing on how I would feel. I know people who have attended Harvard. They fart and giggle just like me.

The same way I feel when I'm talking to any stranger usually... Self conscious, afraid to say something dumb, afraid the other person might find me stupid, dumb, inferior..

I have a few issues...

please check out my post in forum from this past weekend...THANKS!!

Oh my God! It was Chris, one of the other 3 biologists at my college! That sounds just like him!!! He's fairly incoherent sober, but when he's drunk.....And he wears shirts with the collar turned up under v-neck sweaters. But there are so many like that here - half the privately-schooled guys are like that. There's a firm basis for some of those stereotypes you know Fortunately I'm shielded from the really arrogant or horrid ones because Biology isn't a subject that attracts people like that.

i don't feel any different than i do talking to anyone else. i have had the pleasure of working with a couple of people who graduated from harvard........... one of which i don't think is any more or less intelligent than anyone i know and the others were good at what they do but i was able to converse with them easily. i was impressed that that was where they went to school but that was it.......... we moved on to our work and lives.

I'd be suitably impressed. That's a pretty hard school to get into. Anyone who pulled it off would have to have excellent credentials.

However, I wouldn't be as impressed as I am with Biggles!

I dunno. Depends on the person. You can be super smart and have no common sense.

Indifferent probably.

Indifferent. I would perhaps be wary of their attitude but if I found none then I would talk to them as I would any regular person.

Were they to have an attitude then I wouldn't feel inferior - I would just assume they were a wanker and leave the conversation at the earliest opportunity.

I don't think I would EVER find myself talking to someone from Harvard.......EVER

My chances of that is like lightening hitting me. I think my chances are better if I were to play the LOTTO & win $10.00 <-------- That's TEN dollars! Ha!

afraid to say something stupid so the damn prick wont think himself superiour, indefient, unimpressed.

I think I would feel watchful. I would expect the person to be intelligent, but I'd be paying attention to their words for the extent of their knowledge, etc..

Other: Interested. I've got plenty of friends who have been to Oxford or Cambridge universities in the UK, and I don't imagine that Harvard folk are much different to anyone else from the academic elite anywhere else in the world. They're normal people, with normal attributes, but what makes them interesting is usually the fact that, in order to get into one of the elite universities, you have to be pretty good at expressing yourself. That often makes them good conversationalists, which is what matters if you're spending time talking to someone you don't know very well.

Superior. I would see them as someone who isn't all that bright but who has connections and money.

I would be interested.If they felt they were superior I wouldn't gain a thing from it.I like people who will share their intellect without rubbing it in another's face. There was a university town close to where I grew up and I made some friends who were way beyond me in terms of education but I used to have some of the best conversations!

I don't think I'd feel any different than if I was talking to a homeless man, a government official, a white-collar worker or a religious leader. Why would I feel different talking to a Harvard student, who might have even had his rich parents buy his way in for all I know.

stop lying!

Whoa there!

Whats your major malfunction? Ya just like to start crap?

I would feel myself because that person there in harvard is just like me but way more intelligent and if it was a guy i would try and get his number! :)

I have a friend who attended Harvard, and more than once I actually visited and spent the night there with him... Harvard students are just ordinary people, too.

Why would I feel differently about a person because they were attending Harvard? It makes no sense to me. I don't like judging people - I like knowing them.