How can I find out which notable people graduated from Harvard?
I keep hearing about how a lot of famous or successful people went to Harvard, but I honestly don't know many specific names. I'm a rising senior and thinking of applying there, so it would be great if someone could share examples of alumni from different fields like science, politics, tech, and the arts.
Does anyone have a good list, or maybe some interesting stories about Harvard graduates? I feel like hearing more about where grads ended up might help motivate me as I work on applications.
Does anyone have a good list, or maybe some interesting stories about Harvard graduates? I feel like hearing more about where grads ended up might help motivate me as I work on applications.
6 months ago
•
42 views
Luis Nario-Malberg
• 6 months ago
Advisor
Harvard’s alumni network is genuinely impressive and seeing the variety of well-known graduates in different fields can be a great motivator.
For politics, a few of the most prominent names would be John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States), Barack Obama (44th President of the U.S.), and Al Gore (former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner). In science, George W. Bush earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, and notable biologist E.O. Wilson, who helped shape ecology as a field, was also a graduate.
The tech sphere includes people like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. You might know that Gates left Harvard to found Microsoft and Zuckerberg also left after creating Facebook, but both credit their time at Harvard for inspiration and connections. It’s worth noting that even though they didn’t finish, their Harvard experience played a part in their success.
In the arts and entertainment, notable alumni include Natalie Portman (Oscar-winning actress), Conan O'Brien (comedian and talk show host), and Rashida Jones (actress and writer). There are also Pulitzer-winning writers and influential musicians who studied at Harvard.
One especially interesting story is about Yo-Yo Ma, the renowned cellist who graduated from Harvard in the late '70s. He has since become a global ambassador for music and culture, using his platform to promote international understanding.
If you want a broader list, Harvard’s alumni website and Wikipedia both have organized directories of well-known graduates across disciplines. You might even discover some less famous but equally inspiring figures who used their Harvard backgrounds to impact academia, public service, or startups in unique ways.
Learning about these stories is a good reminder that Harvard doesn’t produce a single kind of graduate, and you can use your time there to pursue just about any passion.
For politics, a few of the most prominent names would be John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States), Barack Obama (44th President of the U.S.), and Al Gore (former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner). In science, George W. Bush earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, and notable biologist E.O. Wilson, who helped shape ecology as a field, was also a graduate.
The tech sphere includes people like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. You might know that Gates left Harvard to found Microsoft and Zuckerberg also left after creating Facebook, but both credit their time at Harvard for inspiration and connections. It’s worth noting that even though they didn’t finish, their Harvard experience played a part in their success.
In the arts and entertainment, notable alumni include Natalie Portman (Oscar-winning actress), Conan O'Brien (comedian and talk show host), and Rashida Jones (actress and writer). There are also Pulitzer-winning writers and influential musicians who studied at Harvard.
One especially interesting story is about Yo-Yo Ma, the renowned cellist who graduated from Harvard in the late '70s. He has since become a global ambassador for music and culture, using his platform to promote international understanding.
If you want a broader list, Harvard’s alumni website and Wikipedia both have organized directories of well-known graduates across disciplines. You might even discover some less famous but equally inspiring figures who used their Harvard backgrounds to impact academia, public service, or startups in unique ways.
Learning about these stories is a good reminder that Harvard doesn’t produce a single kind of graduate, and you can use your time there to pursue just about any passion.
Luis Nario-Malberg
Mooresville, North Carolina
Harvard College, Class of 2018, A.B. in Philosophy
Experience
5 years