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Harvard, Other Ivies, Address Advising

"The second year is when people can slip through the cracks," Laurans says.

A dinner giving sophomores a chance to meet with their adviser is arranged, but is not mandatory. The idea is more of a fireside chat, says Laurans.

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But where Yale's advising falls short in the first and second years, it seems to compensate in departmental advising. Once students finally select their major in their third year, there are few complaints for those who take initiative.

"The general sense is that people are very happy with advising in their major once they reach junior year. Our studies show that student satisfaction is quite high," Laurans says.

But still, faculty major advisers are hit or miss, and unless students take steps to acquire a faculty adviser they know, major advising can be disappointing.

"Concentration advising is totally great. It has a lot to do with the strength of your relationship with a faculty member," Strom says.

Advising vs. Teaching

Though it excels in first-year advising, Brown seems to have a different problem than Yale--a decline instead of an increase advising quality through the years.

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