Graduating class breakdown at Harvard

[Guest inoubliable]

I know we must have some Harvard grads here. I was wondering if times have changed greatly from your experience there, or if people are just more open with themselves. 

 

For instance, 38% of grads are atheist/agnostic. 48% of males watch porn multiple times a week. It seems there are more liberals and conservatives, and 91% of seniors who use marijuana twice a semester are in favor of legalizing it. 

 

http://features.thecrimson.com/2014/senior-survey

Thoughts?

[Χά�ων]

Fascinating, thank you so much for sharing!

[Guest inoubliable]

Learn something new everyday, I guess. I always thought Harvard was a very conservative school - law, medicine, business. 

[AlmiraGulch]

I wonder if the statistics hold true, or close to it, across all Ivy League schools.  That's quite a large number of self-proclaimed atheists compared to the general population of about 2%.

 

I'm too lazy to research it right now.  Just thinking out loud (in writing?). 

[Luanne]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

[Guest inoubliable]

I wonder if the statistics hold true, or close to it, across all Ivy League schools.  That's quite a large number of self-proclaimed atheists compared to the general population of about 2%.

 

I'm too lazy to research it right now.  Just thinking out loud (in writing?). 

 

Hmm. Interesting thought. I might have to go looking. 

[Guest inoubliable]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

 

I don't use it and I want it legalized. There are a lot of people out there in the same situation. 

Edited June 11, 2014 by Moderator
Deleted the unnecessary rudeness

[poppy]

Porn, atheism, pot.... sounds like very typical private college stats to me.

 

Looking at the website, I find it interesting that male graduates are making more money.  People always say that  the pay gay relates to women leaving the workforce for kids, but that is not the case here.

[Χά�ων]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

I know people like your first husband who have never used marijuana. They are just immature buffoons.

[Scrub Jay]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

Neither of those descriptions fit me or my husband but we are both in favor of legalizing it.  Same goes for many of our like minded friends.

 

[Mergath]

I saw the title for this and thought the graduating class for this year had some kind of mass nervous breakdown from stress.  :lol:   Happy to see that's not the case.

 

The stats are fascinating.

[AlmiraGulch]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

I'm not sure that's entirely accurate.

 

I'm in favor of legalization, even though I don't use myself.

 

I have knownw (and still know) many, many people who use regularly.  Some are lazy and unmotivated and largely unsuccessful in their lives.  Some are highly successful professionals who went to top universities and hold powerful positions making more money than I can ever hope to.  

 

The marijuana use no more made the lazy ones lazy than it made the successful ones successful.  They were all already predisposed to be whatever they've become.  

 

I'm not saying that wasn't the case with your ex, because I  don't know him.  I just think that one person is an awfully small sample size upon which to base an opinion.

[*Lulu*]

The sexual assault numbers were interesting.

 

The national numbers are between 20-25% and the report put Harvard's at 12%.

[Guest inoubliable]

The sexual assault numbers were interesting.

 

The national numbers are between 20-25% and the report put Harvard's at 12%.

 

Yes, this made me wonder if assaults aren't being reported. There's been big news in our area about college kids not reporting assaults but admitting to them on surveys. Mostly because they know the school won't do anything about it. 

[Crimson Wife]

Learn something new everyday, I guess. I always thought Harvard was a very conservative school - law, medicine, business. 

 

The B-school is probably the most conservative, and even there, Democrats outnumber Republicans. A *LOT* of students vote on social issues rather than economic ones.

 

This survey, however, appears to be of undergrads. So I'm not surprised that it's even more skewed towards liberals.

[Crimson Wife]

Yes, this made me wonder if assaults aren't being reported. There's been big news in our area about college kids not reporting assaults but admitting to them on surveys. Mostly because they know the school won't do anything about it. 

 

The survey said that 21% of the students said they are virgins. Some might be victims of attempted r@pe, but I don't think it's a very large number.

 

Harvard tends to draw a more studious group of students than "party" schools so the rate is likely lower than average. If a guy is spending his Friday nights in the 24 hour study room at the library, he's not taking advantage of some drunk girl.

[Guest inoubliable]

The B-school is probably the most conservative, and even there, Democrats outnumber Republicans. A *LOT* of students vote on social issues rather than economic ones.

 

This survey, however, appears to be of undergrads. So I'm not surprised that it's even more skewed towards liberals.

 

Interesting. 

 

 

[Crimson Wife]

Getting back to the OP, I was most surprised by students' perceptions of their SES by family income. I was surprised by the chunk of kids with family incomes <$40k who thought they were upper middle class and the chunk of those with family incomes between $80k and $125k who thought themselves "working class".

[Catwoman]

*sigh*

Luanne.

 

I don't use it and I want it legalized. There are a lot of people out there in the same situation. I'm sorry that your shitty marriage has created this lens for you to look through.

 

No comment on the post, just that I was all excited when I recognized you from your post before I went to check to make sure it was really you. Usually, people change their usernames and I just get all confused about who they are. :D

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

Since we are only discussing anecdotal evidence. This has not been my experience. I don't use. I am in favor of legalization. I have friends who regularly use. I also have friends in states where it is legalized who use it for medicinal purposes.  Seeing how well it helps them I am even more in favor of it than I used to be.

[unfrumpable.]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

I don't use it myself and I have been around those who do use it regularly. And I am still in favor of legalization.

 

There are plenty of stupid, immature, idiots out there who have ruined their own lives and have never touched drugs.

[AlmiraGulch]

I'm actually more interested in the statistic on atheists than I am in the one about those in favor of legalizing marijuana.  It seems to me that the latter is more in line with those in the general public who meet the same criteria (meaning, those who regularly use 2 or more times per week). 

 

The number of atheists is very much an outlier for the rest of the general population.

 

Also, I didn't read the entire linked article, but did it say what percentage of graduates stated that they use marijuana at all? 

[chiguirre]

Looking at the website, I find it interesting that male graduates are making more money.  People always say that  the pay gay relates to women leaving the workforce for kids, but that is not the case here.

 

Check out the next chart down that breaks out career fields by gender and you'll have a large part of the explanation.

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Porn, atheism, pot.... sounds like very typical private college stats to me.

 

You make it sound like these three things are lumped together and related in some way.

[poppy]

You make it sound like these three things are lumped together and related in some way.

 

They are! They are all enjoyed by people who are enjoying the stimulation of college life and the luxury of on campus living: independent yet sheltered.  And they can explore boundaries without risking their job, having immediate bills due  or having to drive kids around.   That sort of college experience is a rite of passage much appreciated by many people lucky enough to experience it.

[LibraryLover]

OK

[bolt.]

Getting back to the OP, I was most surprised by students' perceptions of their SES by family income. I was surprised by the chunk of kids with family incomes <$40k who thought they were upper middle class and the chunk of those with family incomes between $80k and $125k who thought themselves "working class".

I think maybe it reflects a portion of students who are reporting their own current and *individual* s-e class, which might be distinct from that of their parents' and/or their own upbringing.

 

Ie: "My parents are mansion dwellers, but I've been working as a lifeguard at the local pool through school. I won't see their money until they die, so, clearly I am working class, living pay check to pay check and looking for some nice room-mates."

 

Or: "My parents are low income, but here at college we all like the same lifestyle in res. As a grad, I'm starting a law career that qualified me to peg my 'class' quite differently that theirs."

 

(Many people think of their 'class' as a family thing, but some grads might well be answering about themselves alone.)

[Mom-ninja.]

They are! They are all enjoyed by people who are enjoying the stimulation of college life and the luxury of on campus living: independent yet sheltered.  And they can explore boundaries without risking their job, having immediate bills due  or having to drive kids around.   That sort of college experience is a rite of passage much appreciated by many people lucky enough to experience it.

Well, I missed out.

[Katy]

Getting back to the OP, I was most surprised by students' perceptions of their SES by family income. I was surprised by the chunk of kids with family incomes <$40k who thought they were upper middle class and the chunk of those with family incomes between $80k and $125k who thought themselves "working class".

 

 

I'm not. If you grew up in a poorer or more rural area, $35K can be a lot of money, and class can have more to do with family assets than family income.

 

If you grew up the child of a corn farmer in Iowa who owns a corporation that grosses millions of dollars a year but you only pay yourself <$40K (partly because you own your home and just don't need much cash, partly to reinvest the money into your farm) you can consider yourself middle class - you do hard manual labor but have everything you need.

 

If you have a family income between $80-$125K (we did the very first year we were married), you might have one or two professional parents who work very hard for that income and the things it affords, but you ARE working class to the people at Harvard who came from old money and live off of trust funds.  Rich = literally not having to work and still having a high income.  Working class= parents who have good jobs but aren't "rich" in that sense.

[Jenny in Florida]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

This doesn't hold true for me,

 

I've never used it, and I have known folks who do. I'm still in favor of legalization. (For what it's worth, this is pretty much exactly how I feel about alcohol, too.)

 

I didn't go to Harvard, though. So, my thoughts on this one may not be relevant.

[Jenny in Florida]

I know people like your first husband who have never used marijuana. They are just immature buffoons.

 

Yes, I was wondering if the cause and effect were reversed: Immature people who don't take anything seriously are more likely to be regular users?

[poppy]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

I swear I am not a pot head. I am not obsessed with pot-related threads. I do not smoke pot.

But this has to be the 5th or 6th time I've read posts in different threads about your no-good ex and how pot ruined his life.  So, as a non pot head, I just want to say: I doubt this guy would have been awesome and mature without pot.  Your story doesn't make me think pot is bad. It just makes me think he is a loser.

[magnificent_baby]

I'm having some issues not reading CupidStunts as something else.

 

Ditto

[MysteryJen]

I was actually staggered by the percentage of legacies.  Much, much higher than admission books/counselors/ etc. would lead you to believe.

[PrincessMommy]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis.  My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all.  He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it.  He is irresponsible and ... I could go on.  It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

 

This is very helpful information.  I don't use it.  I do know someone who did use it pretty regularly up till about 5yrs ago.  I'd say he not exactly unpleasant, but he really doesn't have a lot of motivation in life either - unless you want to talk about gaming.

[LucyStoner]

People in favor of legalizing marijuana either use it on a regular basis themselves or have never been around someone who used it on a regular basis. My first husband still uses it all the time and he is not pleasant to be around at all. He never takes anything seriously and is acts like a juvenile when he is on it. He is irresponsible and ... I could go on. It has literally ruined his life and he doesn't even realize it.

Question your assumptions here. I've never used it (or any illegal drugs) and I know people who are total pot heads. Still I am glad it is legal because while I may not like it, I don't think criminalizing it solves any problem and in fact creates a whole new set of problems.

[kubiac]

I wonder if the statistics hold true, or close to it, across all Ivy League schools.  That's quite a large number of self-proclaimed atheists compared to the general population of about 2%.

 

I'm too lazy to research it right now.  Just thinking out loud (in writing?).

According to Wikipedia citing Pew from 2012, 34 percent of "younger millenials" considered themselves "religiously unaffiliated."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_the_United_States#Tables

[Delirium]

Thanks for sharing, it was a very interesting read.

[LucyStoner]

Porn, atheism, pot.... sounds like very typical private college stats to me.

 

Looking at the website, I find it interesting that male graduates are making more money. People always say that the pay gay relates to women leaving the workforce for kids, but that is not the case here.

Well it also relates to chosen profession. From the link, a lot more woman than men are starting in non-profit management and education and more men than women in finance and tech/engineering. The only basically even category for profession listed was consulting.

 

I've hired ivy leaguers to work entry level jobs at non-profits. They got the same low pay as the rest of us. It was part of the gig. A high non-profit salary for someone with 5-10 years experience is less than you start at in many fields.

[Reefgazer]

I bet this depends on what area of the country you hail from.  Someone making $40K in Iowa can live a better lifestyle than someone making $40K in NYC.  I didn't perceive my family as lower middle class when I was growing up until I moved to NYC and realized that $40K bought a lot in my rural hometown, but next to nothing in NYC.

Getting back to the OP, I was most surprised by students' perceptions of their SES by family income. I was surprised by the chunk of kids with family incomes <$40k who thought they were upper middle class and the chunk of those with family incomes between $80k and $125k who thought themselves "working class".

 

[creekland]

39% from MA, NY, CT, or DC.  That's roughly 4 out of 10 from just 4 areas out of 51 (more when you add territories and foreign countries). 

 

That's not what I would expect from all the "hype" about the place, but fits perfectly with the lack of appeal in our general area (PA).  I've yet to hear from a single student who wants to go to Harvard from our school (regardless of whether they'd make it in).  Even our Stanford acceptee (Stanford has the lowest admission stats) had no interest in applying to Harvard.

 

Overall - interesting to look at with nothing else really standing out as "unexpected" by me.

[poppy]

39% from MA, NY, CT, or DC.  That's roughly 4 out of 10 from just 4 areas out of 51 (more when you add territories and foreign countries). 

 

That's not what I would expect from all the "hype" about the place, but fits perfectly with the lack of appeal in our general area (PA).  I've yet to hear from a single student who wants to go to Harvard from our school (regardless of whether they'd make it in).  Even our Stanford acceptee (Stanford has the lowest admission stats) had no interest in applying to Harvard.

 

Overall - interesting to look at with nothing else really standing out as "unexpected" by me.

 

I think that is statistic is related to the 25% legacy placement.

 

I will say, I am from PA and Harvard seemed vaguely mythical at the time. Now I live in Boston and know a few Harvard grads from the undergrad program. And they are all  pretty amazing. Creative doers.  Which is most definitely not the case for all the prestige universities around here....... so perhaps that, too, accounts for the higher rate of interest in areas where people are more likely to meet Harvard alum.

 

[creekland]

I think that is statistic is related to the 25% legacy placement.

 

I will say, I am from PA and Harvard seemed vaguely mythical at the time. Now I live in Boston and know a few Harvard grads from the undergrad program. And they are all  pretty amazing. Creative doers.  Which is most definitely not the case for all the prestige universities around here....... so perhaps that, too, accounts for the higher rate of interest in areas where people are more likely to meet Harvard alum.

 

Maybe.  I can't think of anyone locally IRL who is a Harvard alum.  In this area if Harvard were used in a sentence, it wouldn't have a positive feel to it, so anyone associated with it would likely stay mum.  That's also probably why/how our youngsters catch the vibe.

 

Where I grew up (NY) it was fairly common for kids to apply to and attend Harvard though no one from my year did.  It's totally different here.  I thought "here" was the anomaly, but now I'm wondering if that's the case.

 

[umsami]

Re: atheism/agnosticism, back when I was in college (late 80s), it was quite normal.  There were very few mega churches, etc… and if you grew up Mainline, for many, going to church was more social than belief.  There was nothing that I can recall being preached about 3:16, etc.   People were very much cultural insert faith, but very few believers, or if they were, that was something to keep hidden. I remember among many of my friends, the belief was that they were "too smart" to believe in man-made religion.  This was the era when virginity was something to be gotten rid of, to be ashamed of…even among women.

 

As for voting for Obama, both he and Romney were Harvard alum.  Part of it may be the desire to be seen in history supporting the "right" candidate….the first biracial President, etc…rather than the establishment candidate.  Although Harvard draws heavily from the NE corridor, I'd be surprised if 80% really are Dems, through and through.  

[Muttichen]

I was actually staggered by the percentage of legacies.  Much, much higher than admission books/counselors/ etc. would lead you to believe.

 

It said 20 percent of white students are legacies.  You'd have to know what percentage of students are white to make that meaningful.  It's probably much lower than you think -- many kids are Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern ... I was just at my son's wedding.  He and his new wife are both Harvard grads and many of their friends were there.  I'd say less than ten percent were white.  Of course that's their friends and not a random sample, but it gives you an idea.

[Luanne]

I swear I am not a pot head. I am not obsessed with pot-related threads. I do not smoke pot.

But this has to be the 5th or 6th time I've read posts in different threads about your no-good ex and how pot ruined his life.  So, as a non pot head, I just want to say: I doubt this guy would have been awesome and mature without pot.  Your story doesn't make me think pot is bad. It just makes me think he is a loser.

 

He isn't the only person I have been around who smokes pot.  They are all the same.... immature, irresponsible, and not fun to be around at all.

 

[kiana]

You know, I did have an ex who smoked pot regularly -- as a matter of fact, we were engaged, and he broke it off. A large part of it was paranoia due to the marijuana usage. But -- I learned that his father was an alcoholic, who drank himself to death after losing two wives to divorce and contact with all of his children due to alcoholism. His grandfather was also an alcoholic, and his father had run away from home very young to get away from it. I can't really blame the pot itself for what seems to be an intergenerational pattern of substance abuse and troubled relationships.

 

I still don't smoke myself and favor legalization (although, clearly with restrictions on selling to children, operating vehicles under the influence, etcetera). I have other friends who occasionally indulge on a Friday night and manage their lives just fine.

[Scrub Jay]

He isn't the only person I have been around who smokes pot.  They are all the same.... immature, irresponsible, and not fun to be around at all.

 

 

The people you have been around are all the same.  Your experience does not equate truth for all.

 

[Jenny in Florida]

He isn't the only person I have been around who smokes pot.  They are all the same.... immature, irresponsible, and not fun to be around at all.

 

 

I'm sure it seems that all of the people you know are smoking pot are that way.

 

Something I have learned in the last decade or so is that there are a lot more pot smokers out there than I was aware of. According to one study I saw recently, almost 40% of people in the U.S. admit to at least trying marijuana. So, I'm sure there are at least a few folks you know and approve of who smoke, but you don't know it.

 

[Χά�ων]

He isn't the only person I have been around who smokes pot.  They are all the same.... immature, irresponsible, and not fun to be around at all.

 

Pot is legal in Colorado. Must be a state full of losers.