Alexandria Durrant ’28

Being one of 21 former military members accepted into the undergraduate program, attending the Rising Scholars Program (RSP) was one of the best decisions I could have made before starting at Harvard. RSP was intense, especially the three-hour Monday to Thursday mathematics lectures (fun fact: mathematics = my special phobia). However, that is the beauty of such a program. It allowed me to make a smoother transition to Harvard by exposing me to the various types of teachings and the true expectations of Harvard students. Even for someone a bit older and with more life experience than most of my cohort, I continue to gain invaluable knowledge from professors and the students themselves. I was constantly being reminded that I am never the smartest in the room, and I was able to establish connections with others who were equally eager to embrace all that Harvard had to offer.

The summer, being a lot slower in pace than my freshman semester, allowed me to learn what it meant to go at my own pace first, to equip myself a little more for the work to come so that when it did, I felt ready to tackle it. Although I struggled through the fall semester (it happens, keep going), I knew I had access to a plethora of resources and a supportive community that could help me when needed, all thanks to coming to RSP.

If you’re hesitant about joining or need a sign from the heavens to convince you, this is that sign (or your conscience, or a scary ghost; whatever will persuade you to join because, yes, you should join).

Attend RSP; you will not regret it!