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Most Harvard students have felt out of their depth at some point — maybe that’s a good thing.

In results from the Healthy Minds Survey, which Harvard administered in spring 2025 alongside over 100 other universities nationwide, over 60 percent of respondents felt their peers were more intelligent than themselves. Approximately half of respondents expressed a fear of their peers realizing the volume of knowledge or ability they lacked.

While Harvard should acknowledge students’ socio-emotional wellbeing, feeling intellectually challenged is a core aspect of the Harvard experience. The College can make this experience what it is — an exciting opportunity for growth, rather than a reason for excessive self doubt and fear.

Yes, imposter syndrome on campus is a valid concern. The term “imposter syndrome” describes an internalized feeling of inadequacy experienced by high achieving individuals, often in competitive or esteemed environments. Elitism within academic institutions like Harvard can heighten these feelings, especially for minority students, raising the question of whether the problem lies with the individual or the culture of the institution.

But at least some of the survey respondents were right in some sense. Many of their peers are likely smarter than them.

Harvard selects students with incredible capabilities each year to build a class of talented undergraduates. Students have diverse strengths, and for some of them it will be truly exceptional smarts. Take William James Sidis, Class of 1914. He was a child prodigy who read the New York Times before age two and graduated Harvard at age sixteen cum laude. I’m sure his classmates noticed in lecture. More recently, classmates of Bill Gates, Natalie Portman ’03, and Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas ’19 likely felt a little overshadowed as well.

While these are outlier examples, it is not unreasonable for Harvard students to perceive their peers’ impressiveness and feel humbled, both intellectually and socially. In fact, the challenge from brilliant peers is one of the best experiences the College can give to students. Realizing there is more to know and think deeply about should be — and is — a rewarding process. The survey results suggest this perspective is lost among some students.

Reported fear stemming from lack of knowledge or perceived intelligence is of concern, especially for marginalized students at Harvard. Recently, Harvard has deprioritized affirming spaces and resources for minorities on campus, from shuttering gender and sexuality offices to reducing funding for cultural affinity celebrations during Commencement.

Moves like these harm the University's ability to address imposter syndrome’s impacts: Being challenged intellectually is less fun when other aspects of the student experience are also uncertain. Given the documented realities of imposter syndrome and risk-taking among minority students, Harvard should prioritize resources for these students, not eliminate them.

More broadly, Harvard can improve student journeys with intellectual discomfort by making knowledge-building resources on campus more centered on community over solely academic excellence. The Academic Resource Center provides workshops for habits such as notetaking in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and reading efficiently. But these sessions are often formal, one-time events with little emphasis on the excitement and collaboration that can grow from an academic challenge.

There should also be more low stakes opportunities for students to take crash courses on different subjects. Courses can offer extra credit sections that extend beyond lecture material, providing students with the opportunity to inquire about an academic field more broadly. The First Year Seminars program — which does not use letter grades — is a good example of Harvard fostering classroom curiosity.

The College can even host casual events for students who want to build confidence in an unfamiliar area. Think "Forty Five Minutes of Philosophy” or “Get Curious About Coding,” with snacks included. Harvard can organize more robust semester-long groups, encouraging students to return each week and find camaraderie in working at different subjects with peers; it doesn’t have to be cut and dry.

If Harvard wants students to be comfortable being uncomfortable in academics, then the College needs to make them comfortable everywhere else. This way, a student’s intellectual discomfort doesn’t need to define their whole experience at the College. When students learn in an environment where they feel valued and recognized, facing academic challenges is less of a threat to their sense of belonging on campus.

And when growing your intellect becomes woven into regular social life, it is no longer something students have to do alone and out of fear of judgement. Admitting lack of experience with an intellectual area need not instill anxiety, and Harvard’s programming should reflect this reality.

A fulfilling college experience is not about being the smartest person in the room. What better place to learn that than Harvard?

Ana Cabrera Antkowiak ’28, a Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Currier House.