survey results

Survey Results

Class of 1989 15th Reunion Survey

June 2004

Are You…

Female42%

Male57%

Other (some people want

a third option)

1%

What is your race?

African American

3%Asian11%

Caucasian78%

Other4%

Native American

0.2%Hispanic

4%

In what region do you live?

US total90%

Australia/ Oceana

0.4%Americas (non-US)

2%

Southeast Asia0.2%

Middle East1%

Europe5%

Africa0.2%

Asia2%

Of the 90% who live in the US…

MidAtlantic9% Midwest

9%

Northeast43%

West24%

Northwest3%

Southwest4%

South8%

Where you live can best be described as:

Rural4%

Suburban40%

Urban56%

Degrees you have:

AB43%

JD11%

Masters16%

MBA10%

MD8%

PhD9%

Other3%

How many friends do you see socially on a regular basis?

(not counting a significant other or family)

03%

11%

2 to 426%

5 to 935%

10 to 2027%

More than 208%

My friends tend to come from:

Childhood7%

High School11%

Harvard17%

Grad School12%

Work19%

Activities *9%

Parents of my kids' friends

9%

Other 2%

Church/ Religious Activities

3%

Neighborhood/

Community11%

*sports, volunteering, hobbies, etc.

When I think about my relationships with friends,

I wish I saw more or was closer to the

friends I have.42%

I am generally happy with my friends

and my relationships

with them.44%

I wish I had more friends.

14%

Which best describes your marital status?

Engaged3%

Married67%

Never married22%

Separated1%

Widowed0.2%

Remarried2%Divorced

5%

Do you currently live with a significant other?

(spouse, life partner, boyfriend/girlfriend etc.):

No23%

Yes77%

How did you meet your current (or most recent) significant other?

At work or school

30%

Through friends

29%

Online3%

Other7%

At some kind of activity*

8%

At Harvard14%

At a bar/nightclub

/party4%

Through parents or

family3%

At a religious event

2%

*(e.g. volunteering, sports, hobby, etc.)

How many children do you have?

041%

120%

229%

5 or more0.5%

40.5%

310%

How many children do you want?

011% 1

7%

250%

324%

5 or more2%4

6%

What three qualities do you consider most important to encourage in children?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

MostImportant

2nd MostImportant

3rd MostImportant

Intellectual curiousity

Tolerance and respectfor othersSense of responsibility

Creativity

Religious faith

Self-discipline

Hard work

Politeness and manners

Thrift

Would you encourage your children to go to Harvard?

Yes85%

No15%

What job/career considerations are most important to you?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Mostimportant

2nd MostImportant

3rd MostImportant

Work that I enjoy

Allows me time to spend onother priorities (familyinterests, etc.)Work accomplishessomething sociallyimportantEnjoy the people I work with

Financially rewarding

Advances my career

How satisfied are you with your current job?

Very Satisfied43%

Somewhat Satisfied

37%

Somewhat Dissatisfied

9%

Very Dissatisfied

3%

Not currently working (at

least for pay)8%

On average how many hours a week do you spend on your job?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Of respondents who spend more than 51 hours/week on their job:

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

JD MBA MD PhD MA Other

What is your annual income?

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

No income (not currently working)

Less than $25,000

$25,000-50,000

$51,000-100,000

$101,000-200,000

$200,000+

If you're not currently working what best describes your situation?

Unemployed and looking

for work10%

In school16%

Raising children

50%

Other 12%

Not sure what I want to do

next6%

Retired2%

Don't need or want to work

4%

Which category describes your current career?

0 20 40 60

Non-Profit

Health (Teaching, Research. Pharmaceutical)

Government

Consulting

Journalism/Media/ Communications

Business (Services)

Information Technology (Software)

Entrepreneur

Education (Primary/Secondary)

Other

Education (College/University Faculty)

Banking/Finanical Services

Law (Firm/Private Practice)

Health Care (Doctor, Nurse, Other Direct Care)

Why did you choose this career?

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

It is what I most want to do.

I didn't really choose. It just kind ofhappened.

It is financially rewarding.

Family business or obligation.

In terms of your career are you…

About where you thought you

would be.53%

Ahead of where you thought you

would be.11%

Behind where you thought you would be at this

point in your life.36%

In the next five years I would like…

To be in the same career.

71%

To switch careers.

23%

To retire or stop

working.6%

About how many hours a month do you spend on the following activities:

0 100 200 300

0

1 to 5

6 to 10

11 to 15

16 to 20

25 to40

41+

Exercise/Sports/Outdoors

Dining out

Attending artsperformance andcultural events

About how many hours a month do you spend on the following activities:

0 50 100 150 200

0

1 to 5

6 to 10

11 to 15

16 to 24

25 to 40

41+

Spending time withfriends

Spending time withfamily

Reading

About how many hours a month do you spend on the following activities:

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

1 to 5

6 to 10

11 to 15

16 to 24

25 to 40

41+

Online (not workrelated)

Interest/Hobby

Going to the movies

About how many hours a month do you spend on the following activities:

0 50 100 150 200 250

0

1 to 5

6 to 10

11 to 15

16 to 24

25 to 40

41+

Watching television

Volunteer Work

Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?

0 100 200 300 400

Bisexual

Heterosexual

Homosexual

Neversexual

Today

In College

Please describe your level of experience with each of these in 1989:

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Coffee

Dieting

RecreationalDrugs

Constantly

Often

Sometimes

Occasional

Never

Please describe your level of experience with each of these in 1989:

0 100 200 300 400

Alcohol

Casual Sex

Cigarettes

Constantly

Often

Sometimes

Occasional

Never

Please describe your level of experience with each of these today:

0 100 200 300 400

Coffee

Dieting

RecreationalDrugs

Constantly

Often

Sometimes

Occasional

Never

Please describe your level of experience with each of these today:

0 100 200 300 400

Alcohol

Casual Sex

Cigarettes

Constantly

Often

Sometimes

Occasional

Never

Which of the following best describes your religious affiliation:

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

At Graduation Today

Agnostic

Atheist

Buddhist

Catholic

Jewish

Muslim

Protestant

Never think aboutreligionOther

How important to you are your religious beliefs:

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

VeryImportant

Important SomewhatImportant

SomwhatUnimportant

Unimportant

To what group/organization do you feel the strongest connection:

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Strongest Connection

Ethnic Group

Group with a sharedinterestHarvard

High School or PrimarySchoolGrad School

Neighborhood orCommunityPolitical Initiative orMovementProfessional Group orUnionReligious or SpiritualGroupVolunteer Group orSocial ActivismWorkplace

Which of these best describes your personal idea of success:

0

50

100

150

200

250

Most Important

Being a good spouseand/or parent

Being successful inyour career

Being true to God

Being true to yourself

Doing well financially

Having good friends

Helping encouragesocial change

Approximately how much do you give to charity each year?

AlmostNothing

1-2% ofmy

income

3-5% ofmy

income

6-9% ofmy

income

10% ormore of

myincome

Which kinds of organizations do you support charitably?

International aidagencies

Healthorganizations

Environmentalorganizations

Social serviceorganizations

Artsorganizations

Organizationsand causes

Harvard/Radcliffe

Local charitiesand non-profits

What are major causes of stress in your life?

0 50 100 150 200 250

Parent

Other

Weight

Spouse/SignificantOther

Kids

Self

Money

Lack of Sleep

Work/Boss

How happy are you with…

Your CareerChoices

Your Family &Personal Life

Choices

Your LifeOverall

Very Unhappy

Unhappy

Somwhat Unhappy

Somewhat Happy

Happy

Very Happy

The 2001-03 tax cuts are good for America.

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agreenor Disagree

Disagree

StronglyDisagree

Gay and lesbian couples should have the same marriage rights as others.

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agreenor Disagree

Disagree

StronglyDisagree

The U.S. should pay more heed to advice/needs of other countries and the U.N.

StronglyAgree

Agree

Neither Agreenor Disagree

Disagree

StronglyDisagree

Vouchers are a good idea for helping reform U.S. education

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agreenor Disagree

Disagree

StronglyDisagree

The Patriot Act has gone too far in undermining important civil liberties.

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agreenor Disagree

Disagree

StronglyDisagree

Which columnist/commentator most closely echoes your own view of the

world:

Al Franken

Paul Krugman

Thomas Friedman

Maureen Dowd

Andrew Sullivan

George Will

Rush Limbaugh

Other

In April 2003 what best described your feelings about the decision to invade Iraq?

The right decision for the wrong reasons

14%

The wrong decision

because it was made

unilaterally27%

The wrong decision

43%

The right decision

16%

What do you now believe is the right thing for the U.S. to do in Iraq now?

Pull out U.S. troops as soon as

possible.29%

Stay in Iraq until the situation stabilizes

71%

Do you personally know anyone serving in Iraq?

Yes27%

No73%

Did you personally know anyone who was killed on September 11th?

Yes21%

No79%

Of which (if any) political party do you consider yourself to be a member?

Libertarian

Other

Green

Independent

Republican

Democrat

Your political views today vs. where they were in college are:

More liberal

More conservative

Unchanged

Who got your vote in 1992?

Other

Ross Perot

Was Not Old Enough/ Eligible toVote

Did Not Vote

George H. W. Bush

Bill Clinton

Who got your vote in 2000?

Other

Not Eligible to Vote

Ralph Nader

Did Not Vote

George W. Bush

Al Gore

Who will get your vote in 2004?

George W. Bush

John Kerry

Ralph Nader

Undecided

Do not plan tovote/Ineligible

Name your Ideal JobMy Current Job

Writer (novelist,playwright)Academic (professor)

CEO EntrepreneurialcompanyI dunno!

Elementary schoolteacherPro Baseball player

Rock star

Secretary of State

President of the US

If you could write in anyone at all in 2004, who would it be?

(Write-In Candidates with > 5 Votes)

Bill Clinton

John McCain

Colin Powell

Hilllary Clinton

Oprah Winfrey

Al Gore

Do You Prefer…

Yankees32%

Red Sox68%

Do You Prefer …

Google84%

Yahoo16%

Do You Prefer …

Fame24%

Fortune76%

Do You Prefer …

NPR64%

Your Favorite Music Station

36%

Do You Prefer …

Survivor30%

The Apprentice

70%

Do You Prefer …

Economist38%

New Yorker62%

Do You Prefer …

Return of the King

49%Lost in Translation

51%

Do You Prefer …

A good home-cooked meal

38%

Dinner at a good

restaurant62%

Do You Prefer …

Larry Summers

35%

Derek Bok65%

Would You Rather …

Thank the Acadamy for your Nobel

73%

Thank the Academy for your Oscar/

Grammy/ Tony27%

Should we Free Martha?

Yes45%

No55%

Do You Feel …

Young25%

Like an Adult66%

Middle Aged7%

Old2%

Which Signs of Adulthood Have you Experienced?

IRA/401k/(Some kind of retirement plan) Marriage

Mortgage Children

Grey hair Need to diet

Receding hairline Getting fired or laid off

Other Divorce

Compared to your weight at graduation your current weight is…

10 or more pounds lighter

1-9 pounds lighter

About the same

1-5 pounds heavier

6-10 pounds heavier

11-20 pounds heavier

More than 20 pounds heavier

I can't bear to look

You would describe yourself as:

Very Healthy18%

Healthy75%

Very Unhealthy

0%

Unhealthy7%

If you could choose only one tonight…

Good sex56%

Good meal6%

Good night's sleep38%

If you could only choose one tonight, would you prefer…

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Good Sex Good meal Good night'ssleep

Female

Male

If you could only choose one tonight, would you prefer…

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Good Sex Good meal Good night'ssleep

JD

MBA

MD

PhD

How would you rate your Harvard experience:

Best years of my life

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Horrible

How many friends from Harvard are you still in regular contact with?

0 1 2 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 19 20 ormore

If you're not planning to attend the 15th reunion how come?

Bad memories

Too expensive

Other

Family responsibilities

Just not interested

Scheduling Conflict

If you could make the decision about college again would you:

Still attend Harvard but

do it differently

57%

Go somewhere

else6%

Still attend Harvard and do it much the

same37%

If you could go back and do things differently what would you change?

Spend more time getting to knowprofessors

Get more involved in an activity

Study more

Socialize/Party more

Take a semester/year abroad

Choose a different concentration

Other (please specify)

Socialize/Party less

Study less