Harvard (The Long Run)

Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States, established 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The name Harvard comes from the college’s first benefactor, the young minister John Harvard of Charlestown (The President and Fellows of Harvard College). Upon his death in 1638, he left his library and half his estate to the institution (The President and Fellows of Harvard College).

According to the Harvard homepage, there were 6.699 students enrolled for the academic year 2017 – 2018, as well as there were 13.120 graduated and professional students. In Harvard Extension School were 16.192 students enrolled and that made a total of 36.012 students.

If one wants to learn at Harvard, he or she must pay for the education. If one is in the lucky position and received a scholarship for Harvard, he or she must, despite this, pay an average of $ 12.000 annually for the education. According to the homepage, fiftyfive percent of Harvard College students receive need-based scholarship aid. The price which must be paid from the students depends on the annual income of their parents. This grants also students from families with lower incomes an education at Harvard.

The word “Veritas” which can be read in the Harvard University Shields stands for the Harvard motto. “Veritas” is the Latin Word for “truth”.

Harvard has an excellent reputation all over the word. If one says that he or she has a degree from Harvard, one automatically assumes that this person is a specialist in his or her field and very clever and well educated.

In Edith Wharton’s short story, the narrator as well as Halston Merrick went to Harvard together. This shows that they are both well-educated men of the higher social class.

Sources:

• The President and Fellows of Harvard College. “Harvard at a Glance.“ The President and Fellows of Harvard College. 2019. Web. 05. Nov. 2019. < https://www.harvard.edu/about-harvard/harvard-glance>