harvard freshman dorm tour

I'm a freshman at Harvard, living in the the famous Harvard Yards. From small dorm rooms to luxury commons spaces, here's what my dorm life is like.

• I'm a freshman at Harvard, and I live in Lionel Hall, which is in Harvard Yard. 
• I have three suitemates; we all share a common room and a bathroom.
• When I'm a sophomore, I'ill move into Harvard's house system. 

After growing up in a suburb of Chicago, I recently moved to the East Coast to study as an undergraduate at Harvard University .

About a month ago, I moved into my freshman dorm . I've enjoyed it here so far and wanted to share my experience with dorm living at the college .

Almost all Harvard freshmen live in Harvard Yard.

The land that is now Harvard Yard was purchased in 1637, making it the oldest part of the university. The John Harvard statue and some academic buildings are located here, and it's home to most freshmen on campus.

Dorms are scattered throughout the yard, but it's all very walkable.

I'm a proud resident of Lionel Hall, one of the smallest dorms for Harvard freshmen.

Halls are the individual buildings on campus, and they house anywhere from 15 to 250 people. Lionel has about 35 residents, and we're tucked away in a courtyard near the perimeter of campus, so we don't get many tourists in our area. It's very close to Annenberg, the freshman dining hall, and the Science Center, which is great for a STEM-leaning student like me. 

During weekend sports competitions, our building competes as a team against the other freshmen halls on campus. Go llamas!

I've gotten to know most of the students at Lionel.

Our proctor and peer-advisor fellows host study breaks every week, bringing us together for food and activities. Harvard also pays for social events for our building. This month, we're going to a Red Sox game against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Because Lionel is so small, we've built a pretty strong community.

We can't pick our roommates, but the roommate form tends to work out pretty well.

Over the summer, incoming freshmen fill out a detailed roommate form that helps the school decide where students will live and who their roommates will be. 

The school tries its best to pick arrangements where students mesh well. It seemed to have worked in my case — my roommate and suitemates have been great so far.

Almost all freshman suites at Harvard have a common room, usually shared between three to five students.

Four people live in my suite. We use the common room to hang out with friends, keep supplies, and do work. 

All common rooms at Harvard have a desk, a chair, and a side drawer for each of the suitemates. Every suite sets up the common room differently, but it's a private space that connects the bedrooms and bathroom to the rest of the building.

My desk is useful, but it seems like most people get their work done in the libraries and other study spots around campus.

Although my desk is a good place to study between certain classes, the libraries are really great; two of them are open 24 hours a day and on weekends.

Students often meet up outside their dorms to study in small groups or pairs. But if I don't feel like leaving my dorm, I do my work here. 

My room is off the common room; I live in a double for the first semester.

Since our suite has three bedrooms, we'll each spend one semester in a double and the other in a single. I'm in the double first. It's on the smaller side, but it doesn't really bother me because there's so much to do and so many other spaces on campus that my roommate and I are almost never in the room. The singles are about the same size, and each room has a closet for storage. Some people in other dorms decided to debunk their beds, but we lack the space to make that convenient, so we're keeping our beds arranged as pictured. 

We're right next to a busy road, so we hear the occasional siren in the morning. The room itself is all right. It's nothing too special and I don't spend much time in it, but it's a place to sleep.

Our dorm has an en suite bathroom, which is fairly common for freshmen.

I'm glad I have a private bathroom; it's helped my transition to college life feel more comfortable. I don't have to carry around a shower caddy or worry about gross things in a larger shared bathroom, but it does mean my suitemates and I are responsible for the cleaning.  

It's very common for halls to have a collective common room as well, but Lionel does not.

While we don't have a common room, lots of other buildings do. I don't go into these spaces much, but they provide a place to meet for activities and hangouts.

After my freshman year, I'll move into the upperclassmen houses, which are even better.

After freshman year, students move out of Harvard Yard and get sorted into houses, which are 12 communities on campus that all have their own cultures, dining halls gyms, and activities. 

Generally, the rooms and dorm life get better as the years progress, and each house has access to its own laundry rooms, lawns, and common areas.

In the spring of freshman year, I'll participate in Housing Day.

On Housing Day, I'll be assigned a house and will live there for the rest of my time at Harvard. Although you can live in off-campus housing later on, most students don't choose this option. Houses build a strong sense of community for undergraduates.

For now, I hope to get the most out of my freshman experience with my current resident hall and my fellow classmates.

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First-Year Living

As a first-year student, you'll live in one of the residential neighborhoods called yards, which are located at the geographic and historic center of college life.  , first-year student housing.

First-year students are required to live on campus, and the College and the First-Year Experience Office share the goal of ensuring that every first-year student will be able to live in Harvard-affiliated housing. We also recognize the importance of the first year in building a sense of class identity.

First-Year Housing Questionnaire

The summer before you arrive on campus, you'll be asked to complete your First-Year Housing Questionnaire. Your Resident Deans will take great care in reading your questionnaire, which helps in assigning your suitemates and entryways for the year. You will be asked to describe yourself, your habits, and your preferences honestly and completely.

One of the most rewarding experiences for first-year students is the opportunity to be a part of a close-knit residential community. Your dorm's entryway will be made up of between 20 and 40 students who will share your floor or another designated area within a building.

Accommodations

Accommodations range from eighteenth-century buildings, which housed the earliest Harvard students as well as George Washington's troops, to our newest twentieth-century accommodations in Canaday Hall. Most dorms have suites with two to four bedrooms and a common room and house between three and six students. A few have private bathrooms, but most share bathrooms with other suites. We assign students to suites rather than to specific bedrooms. In almost any suite, you should expect to share a bedroom for at least part of the year. Some dorms contain doubles, usually one fairly large room with a shared bath. Very few singles are available. All dorms and Harvard Yard are smoke-free. 

Housing Assignments

You will receive an email with your housing assignment at the end of July or the first week of August.

Several dorms feature amenities like printing, laundry rooms, kitchens, common rooms, and music practice rooms. All first-year students are welcome to use these spaces, even if they don’t reside in that particular dorm. You can view this interactive map to see each dorm’s resources. All dorms are a short walk to Annenberg Dining Hall, the Harvard Yard Mail Center, classrooms, libraries, and the Malkin Athletic Center.

Common Rooms

You may reserve yard common rooms for your own social events, but not for events hosted by student organizations. Learn more about  hosting events in the dorms .

Some first-year dorms have kitchens for student use, but all first-year students may access them. To find the kitchen nearest you, use this  interactive map . Kitchens are equipped with stoves, sinks, and ovens. Students may  borrow kitchenware  from the First-Year Experience Office, free of charge, for three days at a time. 

Music Practice Rooms

Reserving time.

Music practice rooms must be reserved in advance by logging into the FAS RoomBook online reservation system and selecting the "First-Year Music Room Reservations" template.

Guidelines for Use

Musical instruments (including voice) should be practiced in designated music practice rooms in order to maintain reasonable noise levels in entryways.

Only first-year students are permitted to use the spaces.

Rooms are available from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm

Limit the use of rooms to an hour at a time and no more than three hours a day.

Disinfect all surfaces after use with sanitizing supplies provided in each space.

No food or drinks permitted.

Students may use the heater(s) and air conditioners, but please power off after use.

Drums and amplifiers are not allowed in any music practice room.

Do not store your equipment in the music practice rooms.

Music room windows must remain closed at all times.

Please always be considerate of your neighbors.

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Yamaha AvantGrand hybrid pianos  are available in each of the music practice rooms. These volume-controlled pianos can be played acoustically or silently with headphones. You must supply your own headphones if you prefer to play silently. If you encounter an issue with one of the pianos, please contact us .

Accomplished players who are interested in performance-grade pianos are also encouraged to inquire about practice pianos in the  Department of Music .

All dorms  are equipped with printers for student use. Installing and printing to Crimson Print requires that your device be on either Harvard's wired network or Harvard Secure wireless. For installation instructions, please see the  Set up and print with Crimson Print  article.  Costs  range from $0.03 - $0.15. 

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• Video projectors and screens

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Harvard visitor center tours.

All tours are 45 to 60 minutes long. Registration is required in advance for both in-person and virtual tours. Weekly tour registration will be available every Friday. You can download the Visit Harvard mobile app on iOS and Android devices. During business hours you may purchase a Self-Guided Tour Map for $3 available in multiple languages.

For information about Harvard College Admissions tours for prospective students, visit their website .

Official Historical Tour of Harvard

The free, student-led public walking tour through Harvard Yard provides a history of the University, general information, and a unique view on the students’ individual experience. 

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Explore Harvard with our free mobile app, featuring a collection of self-guided walking tours. Whichever tour you decide to embark on, you’ll be sure to learn something new.

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Historical Tour of Harvard

Learn the history behind well-known spots across Harvard’s campus! Each stop highlights iconic buildings, traditions, alumni, and much more.

Harvard Public Art & Culture Tour: Allston

Explore vibrant public art in Allston! You’ll encounter can’t-miss installations along Western Avenue and learn the stories behind them and their artists.

Harvard Public Art & Culture Tour: Cambridge

Discover a new side to our campus through an art-filled adventure! Explore outdoor art, famous architecture, renowned cultural institutions, and more.

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Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery

The Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery Walking Tour Experience explores Harvard University’s entanglements with the institution of slavery through a 10-stop tour around Harvard’s campus.

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Harvard Art Museums: Gallery Tours Options: in-person, self-guided, staff-led

Harvard Museums of Science & Culture: Virtual Tours Options: virtual, self-guided

Frequently asked questions

General tour information.

The Harvard University Visitor Center offers several different types of tours. For our in person tour offerings on campus, we provide the Official Historical Tour of Harvard. All tours are provided to the public for free and to private groups for a fee. Our tours typically run 45-60 minutes.

To view the schedule and register for our free public tours (virtual and in person), please visit our Eventbrite page . To request a virtual or in person private tour, visit this link .

We also offer a free self-guided historical tour through the Visit Harvard mobile app, which you can download on iOS and Android devices. You can take this self-guided tour on campus or from the comfort of your own home.

Information About Free In Person Tours

The in person Historical Tour of Harvard explores Harvard Yard. Tours depart from the Visitor Center which is located at the front desk in the Smith Campus Center. Our address is 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138.

Registration for our in person tours must be made in advance. Registration is made available starting the Friday before your tour week. Parties of up to 14 persons can register for a free in person tour. Parties of 15-60 are encouraged to submit a request for a private tour .

Registered tour goers should arrive at the Visitor Center at least 15 minutes before your tour to check-in. Tours depart from the Smith Campus Center and end in Harvard Yard.

Information About the Visit Harvard Mobile App

Visit Harvard is a free mobile app by the Harvard Visitor Center that features a collection of self-guided tours centered around the Harvard University experience. The Visit Harvard mobile app can be downloaded by anyone with a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, to be enjoyed from wherever you might be visiting, whether it’s in-person at Harvard or from the comfort of your own home.

What tours are being offered in the mobile app? Currently on the app, visitors can take a mobile version of our popular in-person and virtual tour, the Historical Tour of Harvard.

How long is the mobile tour? This self-guided tour takes place across 14 mapped stops through Harvard’s campus. At a standard walking pace, it will take between 45-60 minutes to complete the 1 mile long tour.

Can I take the mobile tour in-person or virtually? The mobile tour is designed to be accessed in-person on Harvard University’s campus, starting at the Harvard Visitor Center, located at the Smith Campus Center in Harvard Square (1350 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA). It can also be viewed from the comfort of your own home. Simply download Visit Harvard in the app store, select the Historical Tour of Harvard, and begin your journey!

Where can I download the Visit Harvard mobile app? You can download the Visit Harvard mobile app on the Apple App Store and Google Play . There is also a desktop version of the app you can access here .

Learn More About the Harvard College Admissions Process

For more information about Harvard College Admissions, please visit their official website . Their contact information can be found here .

Harvard Dorm Tour // First Year of College 2022

Dylan, a new student in the class of 2025, shows us her room in Wigglesworth Hall - one of twenty residence halls for current first-year students! Every first-year residence hall at Harvard College offers slightly different rooms, amenities, and living arrangements. Stay tuned to learn more about residence halls and residential life at Harvard College!

Fast Facts about Financial Aid at Harvard

Tour of dunster house music practice rooms.

Harvard University

2024 harvard university dorm tours and info, what percent of freshman live on campus.

According to our research, 100.0% of freshman live on campus at Harvard University?

What type of housing does Harvard University provide?

The below table outlines the different housing options available at Harvard University, and how what percent of students are estimated to live in each type of university housing.

What are the dorms like at Harvard University?

You’ll have to watch the CampusReel videos to see for sure. However, Harvard University dorms are similar to most college housing options. Most on-campus residence halls include singles, double, and suites. Floor plans vary from residence hall to residence hall. CampusReel hosts dorm tours of Harvard University, and every one is different. As you’ll see, every dorm room is decorated in a unique and fun way - students are creative with their setups to make Harvard University feel like home!

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What are the dimensions of Harvard University dorm rooms?

The Harvard University dorms dimension depend on the residence hall. This information is usually contained in one of the dorm room tours of Harvard University on CampusReel. Supposedly the average dorm room size in the U.S. is around 130 square feet, and Harvard University likely has dorms bigger and smaller than this.

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Life in the Residence Halls

Living in one of our four residence halls is a great way to connect to the Harvard Griffin GSAS community.

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The Office of Residential Life oversees four residence halls—Child, Conant, Perkins, and Richards, all of which are located in the North Yard of Harvard's Cambridge campus. The halls are Harvard’s most convenient and affordable graduate housing option. Each building has unique qualities, which you can find in the Residence Hall Tour section.

The halls are a brief walk to libraries, laboratories, and classrooms on the Cambridge campus and to Harvard Square. Free shuttle service is available from the Square to the Longwood Medical Area. In the halls, you will find a community-based environment where residents are encouraged to meet one another, enjoy a variety of events, and dine together in Commons at Lehman Hall. Each floor has a resident advisor (RA), graduate students who live in the halls to help residents adjust to residence hall living, aid in emergency situations, and serve as liaisons with the Harvard Griffin GSAS administration.

The Harvard Griffin GSAS residence halls not only offer comfort and safety but also fun throughout the year! RAs host floor and community events, including residence hall–wide Halloween and Thanksgiving parties, talent show competitions, wine and cheese nights, weekend breakfast and brunches, potlucks, and finals study breaks. The Graduate Residence Hall Council (GRHC) is a voluntary, student-run organization that fosters a sense of community among hall residents by organizing various social activities throughout the year. The GRHC also oversees recreational and media equipment.

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Freshmen Say Noise From Harvard Yard Encampment Not Disruptive, Despite DSO Email

Harvard College Dean of Students Thomas Dunne warned in a Saturday email that noise from the pro-Palestine encampment has “disrupted” freshmen living spaces, but many students who live in adjacent dorm buildings said the weeklong protest in Harvard Yard has not been a disturbance.

In more than 4o interviews and conversations with freshmen, nearly all said the encampment has not significantly changed their daily lives or prevented them from studying during reading period, a week when undergraduates submit final projects and prepare for exams.

Before the College’s final exam period began Thursday, students living in eight freshman dorms bordering the Old Yard occupation — Grays, Hollis, Holworthy, Matthews, Massachusetts, Stoughton, Thayer, and Weld Halls — prepared for their end-of-year assessments with a view of the more than 50 tents occupying Harvard Yard.

Guzalkhon Khaydarova ’27, a resident of Holworthy Hall, said she can see the encampment from her suite’s common room window.

“I don’t feel disrupted by what’s happening in the Yard, and people I know also didn’t have complaints about it,” Khaydarova said.

Many students said sound from the encampment — primarily music and chanting — has not thrown off their study plans during reading week, which falls just before final exams begin.

“I haven’t noticed anything. It hasn’t bothered any part of my daily routine,” Thayer Hall resident Paul Jeon ’27 said, adding that he has a direct view of the encampment from his dorm.

Helen Yan ’27 also has a view of the encampment from her dorm in Matthews Hall, but said the volume levels are not much different from typical Yard noise such as when tourists mill about the Yard or when the Harvard University Band decides to spontaneously perform.

Yan said she “doesn’t notice much of a disturbance” from the encampment, adding that the Yard has always been “fairly loud” and “typically has a lot of things going on.”

“I feel like I’m more disrupted by the music festival that’s going on behind my dorm,” Khaydarova said, referring to last week’s Arts First festival that took place in the Science Center Plaza.

The Office for the Arts at Harvard did not respond to a request for comment.

Students also noted that the encampment is quiet during the Yard’s quiet hours, which vary by dorm but span at least from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weeknights.

“It’s quiet during the night,” Khaydarova said, adding that when there is music or chanting during the day it typically lasts “only for 30 minutes or an hour.”

The students’ comments stand in stark contrast to the statements released by Dunne and the leaders of Harvard Hillel and Harvard Chabad, the two largest Jewish organizations on campus.

Harvard Hillel President Nathan B. Gershengorn ’26 wrote in an email Sunday that freshmen have been disrupted by the encampment.

“Today, there are Jewish students who have shared that they are renting hotels off-campus or feel unable to study in their rooms,” Gershengorn wrote.

Some Jewish freshmen said the encampment has prevented them from going about their daily routines and served as a distraction during the most important studying period of the semester.

Amelia M. Heller ’27, who serves as Hillel’s communications chair, said she can hear music, drumming, and chanting at “random” intervals during the day from her room in Wigglesworth Hall.

The noise has led her to study at the Widener and Lamont Libraries instead of her room.

“You make little changes and it’s like, ‘Okay, I’ll just walk a different way to class or I’ll study somewhere else,’ but the little changes add up,” Heller added. “In a time where routine is especially helpful, it’s hard when that routine is constantly changing because of something out of your control.”

But most freshmen did not express any major concerns with the ongoing encampment, which stretched into the start of the College’s final examination period on Thursday.

Yan said she has heard people talking and some noise, it has not “been something that would impede on my ability to do my work or that kind of thing.”

Adaolisa A. Mba ’27, who lives in a freshmen dorm outside the Yard, said that when she walked past the encampment, it was “so chill, like nothing.”

“Barely noises being made,” she added.

College administrators, however, are still intent on disciplining students for their involvement in the encampment.

More than 30 students participating in the encampment were called on Monday to appear before the Harvard College Administrative Board. The College has not announced a timeline for concluding its disciplinary process.

The protesters in the encampment have also not signaled how long they intend to remain in the Yard, but some members chanted “no divestment, no Commencement” during a rally on Wednesday.

—Staff writer Madeleine A. Hung can be reached at [email protected] .

—Staff writer Azusa M. Lippit can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X @azusalippit or on Threads @azusalippit .

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You’ve landed the internship. Now you have to find housing.

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Congratulations on accepting your summer experience offer! The catch? Now you have to figure out where to live! Below are some resources and websites to help you find housing during your summer internship in another city:

University housing: Many universities offer summer housing options for interns, even if you aren’t a student at that particular school. Check the housing department website of universities in the city where your internship is located. They might have a dedicated program for interns, or you could inquire about vacancies in their dorms. Pro tip : Some colleges and universities run these offerings through their conference and events offices, so be sure to include those key words in your search parameters if your initial search isn’t getting a lot of results. Generative AI can also be extremely helpful in identifying the colleges and universities in a city or area.

• Boston: Tufts offers summer housing and charges by the night. Emmanuel College offers summer internship housing in Saint Julie Hall, and charges per week.
• New York: New York University charges by summer session . The City College of New York offers housing at an apartment-style residence , and charges per night.
• Washington, D.C.: George Washington University charges by week. American University offers housing in several dormitories and charges per week.
• Third Party websites with more comprehensive lists of university offerings: For the Boston area, try: the Intern Housing Hub . For New York, see: the Intern Housing Hub . For D.C., try the National Academy of Social Insurance

Intern housing websites: There are websites that specialize in finding housing for interns. These websites often connect you with apartments, sublets, or rooms in shared houses specifically for interns. Try searching for “[city name] intern housing” to find some options.

• Kopa.co : Find monthly rentals and roommates by city.
• EHS Educational Services (NYC) : Sort by borough or price.
• Intern Housing NYC : Community living with individual rooms. The flat fee includes: utilities, WiFi, furniture, appliances, kitchen supplies, regular cleaning and anything else you would need upon moving into a new place.
• FoundStudy: Provides student housing in dense urban cities such as New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Providence, and San Francisco.
• Washington Intern Housing Network (WIHN ) : Fully furnished intern and student housing.
• Washington Intern Student Housing (WISH) : Includes a community/mentor model.

Social media groups: Look for Facebook groups for interns in the city or for your specific company’s intern program. These groups can be a great way to connect with other interns who might be looking for roommates or subletting their place.

Apartment listing websites: General apartment listing websites like Apartments.com or Zillow can also be a good resource but be sure to filter your search for short-term rentals or sublets, as most leases are for a full year.

Your internship company: Some companies offer housing assistance to their interns. Check with your HR department or internship coordinator to see if they have any resources or recommendations.

Going to be abroad? Check out student accommodations through Amber Student .

Here are some additional tips for finding housing:

• Start your search early: Housing can get competitive, especially in popular cities. The earlier you start looking, the more options you’ll have.
• Consider your budget: Factor in the cost of rent, utilities, transportation, and food when determining how much you can afford to spend on housing.
• Think about location: Decide how close you want to live to your internship and what kind of neighborhood you’d like to live in.
• Be safe: When considering a place to live, be sure to meet the landlord or roommate in person and do your research on the neighborhood.

Disclaimer: Harvard University and the Mignone Center for Career Success do not endorse any of the sites listed above specifically. This is simply a list of resources that can be considered when searching for living accommodations for the summer. Other resources include the Harvard Summer Housing website managed by Harvard College Housing .

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Harvard Hall Final Exam Locations Changed as Harvard Yard Encampment Enters Second Week

Final examinations originally scheduled to take place in Harvard Hall were relocated to buildings outside of Harvard Yard amid the ongoing pro-Palestine encampment, marking one of several location changes likely caused by the Yard encampment.

In a Tuesday email to Harvard affiliates, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Registrar’s Office announced updated locations for the final exams of 25 courses. Though the office did not explain why the exams had been relocated, the move comes as the pro-Palestine student encampment in the Yard — which has steadily expanded to take over the lawn between University Hall and Harvard Hall — entered its seventh day.

Harvard Hall has also become a location for protesters to study and gather outside of the encampment area as the demonstration coincides with finals period and students balance exam preparation with their activism.

Harvard spokespeople did not respond to a Tuesday request for comment on the changes.

The decision to move final exams out of an academic building in the Yard reflects administrators’ growing concern about the encampment and indicates that the demonstration has begun to interfere with the College’s regularly-scheduled programming.

As the encampment enters its second week — expanding from 23 to over 50 tents — its presence right underneath the John Harvard statue and immediately outside the offices of top University administrators has not gone unnoticed, and College administrators have initiated disciplinary action procedures against student protesters.

On Monday, more than 30 student protesters were called to appear before the Administrative Board, an administrative body responsible for the application and enforcement of Harvard College policies.

The changes in final exam locations are among a string of other last-minute moves by the College and University to relocate events originally scheduled to take place in the Yard — changes that have been announced just days, or sometimes mere hours, before the events began.

The location changes also affected a rare town hall between members of the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — and voting members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The meeting was set to take place in the Faculty Room in University Hall, which protesters camp and chant directly in front of.

On Tuesday morning, just hours before the town hall, the meeting was relocated to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, well away from the Yard and the encampment.

Other events scheduled to be held in University Hall were also moved to locations outside of the Yard.

The Detur Book Prize ceremony, which honors students receiving one of the oldest academic prizes at Harvard, announced two days before the ceremony that the event would move to Yenching Library from its annual location in University Hall. The updated event invitation did not explain why the ceremony was relocated.

The encampment — organized by Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine, a coalition of pro-Palestine groups demanding Harvard disclose and divest from investment and companies in Israel — began last Wednesday as an emergency rally that progressed into an occupation of the most visible part of the Yard.

In his second email to College undergraduates addressing the encampment, Dean of Students Thomas Dunne wrote on Saturday that the demonstration has disturbed students in freshman dorms trying to study for their final exams.

The University restricted access to the Yard to Harvard University ID holders last Sunday in apparent anticipation of demonstrations on Harvard’s campus. The closure was extended indefinitely last Friday, according to an email obtained by The Crimson.

It remains unclear for how many more days the encampment will continue.

—Staff writer Michelle N. Amponsah can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @mnamponsah .

—Staff writer Joyce E. Kim can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X at @joycekim324 .

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Killers of the Flower Moon Author, and BU Alum, David Grann Will Be BU’s 151st Commencement Speaker

Class of 2024 celebrated at largest-ever senior breakfast.

Organizers said Thursday’s event was the largest Senior Breakfast ever, with students seated on three floors of the George Sherman Union.

Amy Laskowski

Cydney scott.

Best-selling author David Grann (GRS’94), whose book Killers of the Flower Moon was recently made into an Oscar-nominated thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, will deliver the main address at Boston University’s 151st Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 19. 

The news was announced at Thursday morning’s annual Senior Breakfast in the George Sherman Union, which was attended by an estimated 2,500 students. University President ad interim Kenneth Freeman—assisted by a special celebrity guest—revealed this year’s honorary degree recipients at the breakfast, which is considered the official kickoff event of the 2024 Commencement ceremonies.

Organizers said Thursday’s event was the largest Senior Breakfast ever, and a far cry from how the graduating seniors started their BU careers in August 2020. At that time, the world was just five months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new Terriers spent their freshman year taking classes remotely or in person, but with strict masking and social distancing protocols in place. Senior Breakfast was most likely the largest gathering of the Class of 2024 ever, as their orientation had been via Zoom. 

When it came time to announce the Commencement speaker, Freeman pointed up to the screen, where Killers of the Flower Moon and The Godfather star Robert De Niro read off Grann’s name, describing him as “one of the great storytellers of our time.”

“A natural storyteller, David has a sixth sense for sniffing out a great story and a master’s touch for telling it,” the two-time Oscar-winning actor said. “With the blood of Terriers running through his veins, you’re lucky to have him as your Commencement speaker. Congratulations.”

(Read Bostonia ’s recent interview with Grann about his new nonfiction book The Wager: a Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, here . )

Grann will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the Commencement ceremony. Freeman also announced the other honorary degree recipients: Rev. Walter Earl Fluker (GRS’88, STH’88), BU’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Ethical Leadership (honorary Doctor of Laws); Claudia Goldin, a Harvard professor and 2023 winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics (honorary Doctor of Laws); and Kenneth Feld (Questrom’70), former trustee and chair of the Board of Trustees and chair and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment (honorary Doctor of Humane Letters). Fluker will deliver the Baccalaureate address at Marsh Chapel on Commencement morning.

Event emcee Jason Campbell-Foster, dean of students, kicked off the event, and Rev. Robert Allan Hill, dean of Marsh Chapel, delivered an invocation before seniors dug into a meal of fresh seasonal fruit, pastries, and roasted grape tomato and mozzarella strata. On the big screen were screengrabs of their freshman-year selves from their Zoom orientation. 

The morning featured live music and performances by the BU Jazz Combo, the Treblemakers, and the 30-foot-tall John R. Silber Symphonic Organ . One of the most popular parts of the breakfast was a visit from Bean, BU’s new golden retriever comfort dog , who enthusiastically greeted the seniors at their tables (no word if someone slipped her a sausage under the table). 

Class Gift committee members Amanda Brown (COM’24), Sage Winkler (CAS’24), and Yadira Cabrera (COM’24) then announced that the Class Gift—which supports programs like scholarships, student life, and athletics—has already raised more than $50,000; they encouraged their classmates to keep donating. 

Campbell-Foster returned to the stage to give a brief rundown of Commencement dos and don’ts (small purses only, pointy heels are not Nickerson Field turf–friendly, and a prompt 12:15 pm arrival, please), the Senior Week lineup, and the news that Michael Arellano (CAS’24) will be the Commencement student speaker.

Arellano was chosen through an annual process where a committee of faculty and staff appointed by the BU president selects a Commencement speaker from graduating seniors who offer to tell the story about how their time at BU shaped and inspired their lives. This year’s committee received 50 applications and the top five finalists were invited to deliver their speech in person to the committee, which selected Arellano based on their presentation about resilience and bonds between friends. 

Campbell-Foster then introduced and thanked Freeman for serving as president ad interim this year. BU’s new president, Melissa L. Gilliam , starts in July.

Freeman walked to the stage to the “I’m Just Ken” song from the Barbie soundtrack. “There’s always something to worry about, and the worry is usually justified, but at the same time, there are always things to be hopeful about and excited about, too,” Freeman said. “I’m optimistic about the future because of you… You, the Class of 2024, are imaginative, hardworking, kind, serious, and courageous. And you leave BU prepared to make a big difference in the world.” 

The honorary degree recipients were then announced.

New Yorker staff writer and best-selling author David Grann has written some of the most popular nonfiction books of recent years, among them The Lost City of Z, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, and most recently, The Wager: a Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder , which is being adapted for the screen by Oscar-winner Martin Scorsese and will star Leonardo DiCaprio. Grann is a winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best true crime book and a finalist for the National Book Award and the Samuel Johnson Prize. His stories have appeared in publications such as The Best American Crime Writing, the New York Times Magazine , and The Atlantic. He graduated in 1994 with an MFA from BU’s Creative Writing Program. 

Former School of Theology Professor Walter Earl Fluker (GRS’88, STH’88) is a well-known scholar of theory and ethical leaders, among them Martin Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59) and Howard Thurman (Hon.’67), Marsh Chapel’s dean from 1953 to 1965, the first Black dean at a mostly white American university. Claudia Goldin, the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard, is the former director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Development of the American Economy Program; her research covers the female labor force. Kenneth Feld (Questrom’70) is chair and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Monster Jam, Disney Live! and Disney On Ice, a BU trustee for 24 years, and chair of the board for 6 years.

During Senior Breakfast, Freeman also announced the recipients of the University’s highest teaching honors, the Metcalf Cup and Prize and Metcalf Awards for Excellence in Teaching . The top honor, the Cup and Prize, will be awarded to Yuri Corrigan , a College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of Russian and comparative literature. The Metcalf Award winners are Veronika Wirtz , a School of Public Health professor of global health, and Alexis Peri , a CAS associate professor of history. All three will be honored during the 2024 Commencement ceremony.

Find more information about Commencement here .

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Amy Laskowski is a senior writer at Boston University. She is always hunting for interesting, quirky stories around BU and helps manage and edit the work of BU Today ’s interns. She did her undergrad at Syracuse University and earned a master’s in journalism at the College of Communication in 2015. Profile

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Cydney Scott has been a professional photographer since graduating from the Ohio University VisCom program in 1998. She spent 10 years shooting for newspapers, first in upstate New York, then Palm Beach County, Fla., before moving back to her home city of Boston and joining BU Photography. Profile

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There are 2 comments on Killers of the Flower Moon Author, and BU Alum, David Grann Will Be BU’s 151st Commencement Speaker

“Grann is a winner of the Edgar Allen Poe Award….” His middle name is spelled “Allan.”

Correct. Our mistake. Thank you and we’ve fixed it. — The editors

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