But proctors at Harvard say that while they may not be versed in students' prospective fields, they can usually act as go-betweens to those with the needed expertise.

"I only know one field among many others," says Allison Guagliardo '96, a proctor in Canaday and a student at Harvard Law School. "Our role, however, is to know where to find the answer, but not necessarily to know the answer itself. There are many resources here, and the Freshman Dean's Office is very good at making sure we know what they are."

Where Prefects Step In

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One such possible resource is upperclass prefects. Most entryways have two or three older students to serve as scouts in the Harvard wilderness.

Blomquist says that his prefects were able to provide academic help in some cases where his proctor could not.

"My prefects helped me find people that were in my concentration, which was very helpful, and who could steer me in the right direction," he says.

In addition to providing help with course selection, Tanner says that she's more comfortable approaching her prefects with a variety of concerns.

"[Prefects] serve a role that proctors can't really serve, because they're in a disciplinary position," Tanner says. "I would be more likely to go to a prefect with a non-academic issue than my proctor."