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Harvard’s ongoing fight with the Trump administration and its refusal to oblige the White House’s demands drew positive reactions from prospective members of the Class of 2029 as they arrived on campus this past weekend for Visitas, the College’s annual admitted students’ weekend.
Visitas — which fell on April 27 to 28 this year — came amid Harvard’s public battle with the Trump administration over its federal funding, which was conditioned on a set of demands from the White House to the University.
After Harvard refused the demands — which include eliminating diversity programming on campus and limiting student protests — the Trump administration froze more than $2.2 billion in grants to the University. Harvard sued the Trump administration last week, alleging a campaign to “punish Harvard for protecting its constitutional rights.”
Several admitted students said they were following the news, citing Harvard’s fight with the White House as a factor that increased their excitement for the school.
Christina Adja, a prospective freshman, said that while she was initially hesitant about coming to Harvard over concerns about campus culture, its response to the Trump administration made her want to commit to the school.
“They did what they felt was right,” Adja said. “I liked that they stuck to their own values, which motivated me to come here today and really consider it more seriously.”
Kevin B. Martinez, a prospective Economics concentrator from Illinois, said it was “great to see Harvard stand up to Trump compared to other universities.”
“If anything, it gives me a sense of security coming here knowing that Harvard has that educational integrity,” he said.
Caitlin Riordan, a prefrosh from Massachusetts, described Harvard’s response as “standing up for its academics and its community values.”
“In the current environment with so many other schools just going along with the demands, it was really good to see Harvard stand up for its values,” Riordan said.
Still, Harvard’s fight with the White House is far from over, as the Trump administration continues to pressure the University to comply with its demands.
The Department of Homeland Security threatened Harvard’s eligibility to enroll international students unless it submits information on international students’ disciplinary records and protest participation. The letter, sent to Harvard on April 17, came with an April 30 deadline.
Christopher I. Lee — a prospective Chemistry concentrator from Georgia — said that while the White House’s targeting of international students doesn’t directly affect him, he hopes to “see Harvard succeed” in its legal fight.
Other students expressed more measured enthusiasm for Harvard amid the federal demands to universities across the country.
“I do think Harvard and the President have stood up to his actions, which I’m really honestly proud of,” Sophie C. Nguyen, a prefrosh from Maryland, said.
“I am just concerned about the state of higher education on a national level,” she added. “But I do think Harvard has taken a lot of steps to combat that.”
—Staff writer Cassidy M. Cheng can be reached at cassidy.cheng@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @cassidy_cheng28.
—Staff writer Claire T. Grumbacher can be reached at claire.grumbacher@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @clairegrumbachr.
