Why Harvard Secretly Cares Most About Your 150-Word Roommate Note

Everyone spends months on that big 650 word personal statement but they totally ignore the short prompts. Harvard has this tiny 150 word question about the top three things your roommate should know and it is secretly the most important part of your room application. Why? Because admissions officers are tired of seeing perfect students who are actually boring in real life.

They use this prompt to see if you will fit into the campus culture. If you just list your awards again you are going to look like a tool. They want to know if you bring a coffee maker to share or if you have a weird obsession with 80s movies. It is about being a human being instead of a walking GPA. I have seen students with lower scores get in just because their roommate essay made the reader laugh or feel like they actually knew them.

Don't be afraid to be a little bit messy. Talk about your late night snack habits or how you always lose your left sock. This is the only place where you can drop the "professional" act and just be you. Honestly most applicants try way to hard to sound smart here and that is the biggest mistake you can make. If you can show them you are kind and fun to be around you are already halfway to Cambridge.