There's an old saying that advising at the top Ivys can be compared to a swimming lesson: at Princeton, they walk next to you in the pool, teaching you to swim, and at Yale, they walk beside the pool, coaching you from the sidelines.

At mother Harvard, you are thrown from the high dive and wished the best of luck.

Whatever the relative level of independence at these three schools, the first person to carry a first-year's towel at Harvard is the proctor, a resident graduate student or officer of the University in each entryway or hall who is the "front line" of the advising system.

Many schools use upperclass students this way. But Harvard has characteristically chosen this more expensive method to care for its young, the argument being that older, more experienced adults have more to offer-both in wisdom and in safety-to novice Harvardians.

Harvard considers this system a distinction, and it certainly brings with it a diversity of personalities and experiences, compentencies and commitments. Some proctors will make you feel at home, others will make you wish you were homeless. Either way, they are the first to open the door and hold out the welcome mat to you for this, your college experience.

Proctors and RAs

Sarah Burmingham Drummond says she has "firebreathing enthusiasm for freshman. "

A 1997 graduate of the Divinity School and an alumna of Yale, Drummond is entering her third year as a proctor. Recently married to an official in the office of admissions and financial aid, Drummond will soon be ordained as a minister. She is a mentor at the Divinity School and the director of the prefect program.

"It's one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had," says Drummond in a voice bubbling with enthusiasm. Drummond says she sought the position because she wanted the opportunity to work closely with first-years.

Another proctor, Carl Stan McGee, is a third-year student at the Law school. A Rhodes Scholar who lived in France for a year, he resides in Mower with his partner John H. Finely IV '92, whose grandfather was master of Eliot House.

He shares Drummond's enthusiasm. The real joy of being a proctor is being in an academic setting with students who me still enthusiastic about being at school," he says.

At other schools, the likes of Drummond and McGee are not often found in the residence halls. Most institutions-Columbia, Cornell, New York University, Johns Hopkins and Brown, to name a few-primarily use older undergraduates, with adults supervising at a distance and academic advising usually done outside the dorm.

At Harvard, however, all proctors have at least a bachelor's degree-more than half of them are from the college-and serve as academic advisors. Many remain proctors for several years.

The most obvious difference between the two systems is age: proctors range from the early 20s to around 30, while RAs are but a year or two older than most first-years. No matter which system a given university uses, administrators say that those few years can make all the difference in the world.

Looking the other Way

Look at a Proctor's ID card and you will immediately notice the difference between an RA and a proctor. In the lower right corner, where first-years have the word "College" emblazoned in black, proctors'- cards instead announce their status as "Officer" of the University.