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If you’re a fan of floor-to-ceiling windows and a vibrant House community, getting housed in Leverett will be like winning the actual lottery. Leverett (Lev for short) is a great place for rabbit lovers, people who look good in green, and anyone who wants to be associated with National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman ’20, politician Pete Buttigieg ’04, and SNL’s Colin Jost ’04. Home to around 475 “bunnies,” Leverett has historically been one of Harvard’s largest Houses — proof that bigger really is better.
Live Laugh Lev
The best part of living in Lev? The community, hands down. For Leverett, lots of people means lots of friendly faces. Considered a bubbly and wholesome House, Leverett is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and inviting community for everyone (so get excited).
Every Thursday, Lev House Committee (HoCo) hosts weekly steins in the Rabbit Hole, with the Faculty Deans, Dan Deschler and Eileen Reynolds ’86, personally swiping students into the preceding Community Night dinner to create a welcoming atmosphere. Themes for the Steins have ranged from “Franken-steins” to “Valen-steins.” HoCo co-chair Mira H. Jiang ’26 claims that Lev is the only House to host weekly steins, as they are committed to fostering a strong community within their large group of residents.
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Yet another incredible feature of living in Lev is getting to know Deschler and Reynolds, who HoCo co-chair Hayden S. Graham ’26 identifies as “the most incredible and inspiring people that you would meet.” Graham recalled a memorable moment when he and his former HoCo co-chair were up late hiding eggs for their Easter celebration and saw Deschler, who is a surgeon at Mass Eye and Ear, up at 3 a.m. prepping for work. You’ll either find this aspirational or interpret it as a harrowing sign that maybe being pre-med is not for you.
Lev isn’t shy about welcoming you, and it certainly has no problem showing affection. The dhall is the site of one of Lev’s best celebrations, the Lev Love Feast, which Graham says is “probably the highlight of the year.” Lev spares no effort in completely decking out the room, decorating the dhall with everything from balloon arches to mini heart-shaped cacti for each student. In their commitment to spreading Lev love, this year, HoCo had ’Leventines,’ where Leverett students wrote notes to one another and had them delivered to their dorms for Valentine’s Day.
Your Levstyle
When we say Leverett is big, we mean it — it’s super spacious! Leverett is composed of McKinlock Hall and the F and G Towers, where you will have plenty of room, regardless of the layout of your future home base. Incoming sophomores should feel optimistic about their chances of living in solitary bliss (a single) or being the go-to hangout room (doubles, plus a common room and ensuite bathroom). Graham says that even if students don’t get a single as sophomores, they will definitely “have the most ginormous common room.” These “ginormous common rooms” are Flyby-verified, as we saw first hand not just the size but also
the versatility of Leverett rooms. With great natural lighting and walls with plenty of space for decor, you can make your room into the
burrow of your dreams, whether that’s a postmodern minimalist refuge or a greenhouse safe haven. (Fun fact: Maia J. Hoffenberg ’26 went viral just for posting pictures of her dorm on Sidechat; do we really have to say more to convince you of Lev dorm rooms’ beauty?) When asked what her thoughts were on living in Lev, Tova L. Kaplan ’26 said simply, “We love Leverett,” so much that she and her roommates chose to live in the exact same room! Given that this room includes three very comfortable doubles with a beautiful common room and an ensuite bathroom — seriously, how did they get that as sophomores? — it’s not a mystery why they decided to return.
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What makes Lev, Lev?
The name “Leverett” comes from the French “leveret,” meaning “young hare.” Appropriately enough, the green and gold House crest is decorated with bunnies! Besides being a great play on words, Leverett’s courtyards also act as a home to many rabbits, making the House’s title a fitting choice. You can look forward to joining the wildlife on the many lawn chairs Lev has for the warm summer months (or as soon as it gets above 40 for some of you).
Leverett isn’t just a great habitat for these bunnies; it’s a cozy home for its students, too, even if they’re bunnies in name only, with common spaces that more than measure up against those in the other Houses. Lev’s beautiful Library Theater is a popular space that students in Lev (and only Lev) are able to book for any event. Student orgs like AADT and Ghungroo often practice in the Library Theater, so count easy access to great entertainment among Lev’s perks. With speakers and multicolored lighting, the Library Theater is objectively a great place to have access to, whether you’ll use it to watch a movie with some friends or just stop by to marvel at all the amazing student performers that choose to practice there. The more artistically inclined should also take advantage of the music practice rooms and beautiful art displays in Lev, either to find inspiration or to just stare wide-eyed (like a few unnamed Flyby writers). The Rabbit Hole, meanwhile, is a social space where students can participate in Leverett’s weekly steins each community night, unwind at the pool table, or stress bake in the kitchen. These community-oriented spaces, in addition to the F- and G-Hutches on the ground floor of each of the towers — that are suitable for gatherings of any variety (cough cough) — help make Lev a great place to live, as there’s always more to explore.
Last but certainly not least, one cannot truly appreciate the Lev life unless they recognize that the “dhall is, like, the hub of community” in Leverett, as Jiang puts it. This isn’t only because it is the site of many House events, but also because it is guaranteed to be where you run into your roommates, crushes, and future best friends. From socializing at everyday meals to commiserating with fellow bunnies (and a gazillion other STEM concentrators) at weekly Math Nights, the Lev dhall has the best of Berg with none of the long lines. You can especially look forward to seeing Bon Lee, who is there to greet all Lev students at the swipe station (and turn away any interlopers!).
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Lev(el) With Us
If you had to personify Lev into a character from popular culture, what would it be?
MHJ: Kind of bubbly, like very cutesy. Imagine a bunny in human form, so Judy Hopps, maybe. “Zootopia.”
Leverett is one of Harvard’s biggest Houses. Do you think that makes community harder to form?
MHJ: Honestly, that was my worry coming into Leverett. I’ve heard “big House — it can be easy to get lost,” but I really found that that
isn’t the case because, between the weekly steins, all the dinners the faculty deans host… there’s a lot of place in the House for people to gather.
What was your initial reaction to getting Lev?
HSG: I remember we could see from our window people coming in. We saw Cabot, we saw Lowell, eventually we saw Leverett. We had no idea who was coming, but eventually Leverett came up. They were wearing their green bunny ears — unmistakable. It was so festive. I just remember jumping up and down. We were all, I think, the most elated we’ve ever been.
When it comes to living in Lev, you’ll find that there’s truly nowhere else you’d rather be. With location, amenities, and intensely proud community, you’re bound to love your new home. In fact, people love Leverett House so much that the structural integrity of floors throughout the Yard have been put to the test by the (literal) hops of excited future bunnies as Leverites dorm-stormed, so much so that even Graham was worried. Guess that goes to show that once you lev here, you’re going to lev it!
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