The biggest obstacle, he said, is convincing Harvard students of the importance of completing the forms.

"It's been a challenge to get people to realize why it's important," he said. "It's not that people don't want to do it, they just don't know why to do it."

While most residents of the United States--including most students' parents-- received the form through the mail in March, the census is just getting underway at Harvard and other group quarters across the country.

Bright said he has spent more than 100 hours organizing distribution and collection of forms, getting approval for postering and tabling and hiring student enumerators to help collect forms and answer questions.

Clinkenbeard said about 40 Harvard students currently serve as enumerators for the College, earning $15 per hour.

Enumerators are responsible for answering students' questions, collecting completed forms, replacing lost forms and checking off the names of respondents.

"We trust them to track down their fellow students and remind them to do their forms," Clinkenbeard said.