The phrase “It’s the Harvard of…” is commonly used to indicate that something is considered the best of the best.

Even though the school’s new president resigned after controversy surrounding her views on the Israel-Hamas conflict, allegations of campus antisemitism, and claims of plagiarism in her academic work, Harvard’s prestigious reputation might remain intact.

Norman Ornstein, a retired expert at the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute, stated, “The large number of highly qualified individuals who repeatedly apply to Harvard but aren’t accepted due to the limited number of spots available is unlikely to change.

However, the organisation is unlikely to come out unharmed, according to Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor who studies leadership at Yale’s Management School. He criticised the Harvard Corporation, the school’s main governing body, for not being transparent and communicative during the ongoing problems, and for not taking a stronger, clearer position.

“When your motto is ‘Truth,’ then your reputation takes a big hit if you’re making excuses for lies, fraud, misrepresentations, and plagiarism,” said Sonnenfeld.

“They should see this as a critical moment to say, ‘Someone we hired made some really bad choices that we didn’t know about. We take responsibility for not checking thoroughly, and they should have given President [Claudine] Gay the respect of a proper leave,” Sonnenfeld added.

Ornstein said that Gay’s resignation will not only make the university look bad, but it will also give ammunition to conservative lawmakers and right-wing groups who want to expose problems at top universities.

Ornstein continued, “The people behind this have clear reasons. This is a deliberate attack on experts, leaders, and higher education,” and it’s likely to keep happening.

One student who applied early to Harvard and got in said his view of the university has changed because of the scandals, but he still intends to start there in the fall.

Joshua Rodriguez Ortiz, a 17-year-old student in his final year at Billerica Memorial High School, was very happy last month when he got accepted to Harvard, a university he really wanted to go to for a long time.

But as a Latino and the first person in his family to go to college, he felt sad when Gay, who was the first Black president of the school, left. He believed Harvard could have done more to support her when she faced criticism that he thought was influenced by conservative politics.

“It’s really disappointing for many people from minority groups, especially Black students, to see her leave like this and Harvard not doing enough to help her,” said Rodriguez Ortiz, who hopes to go to Harvard one day.

Emily Osorio, a 17-year-old from New Orleans, has applied to Harvard and is waiting to hear back. However, being a Latina and the first in her family to go to college, she’s worried about what she’s seen happening to Gay lately.

“If this happened to a woman of colour like me, who is very qualified, then how will other students like me be treated and welcomed at Harvard?” Osorio asked.

Tamar Gelb, head of college advising at Maimonides School, a private Jewish school in Brookline that serves students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade, says she hasn’t noticed any significant changes in how students are applying to colleges this year.

According to her, Maimonides students have always considered the Jewish culture on campus and views on Israel when applying to colleges, and the prestige of a Harvard education still attracts those interested in applying. So far, the few students who have been accepted haven’t changed their plans to attend.

“I think everyone understands that the situation is constantly changing; it’s been changing since October 7, and it will keep changing,” Gelb said in an interview.”

Mimi Doe, who co-founded and leads Top Tier Admissions, a company that helps students with college applications, mentioned she noticed something peculiar this year.

Some students accepted to Harvard through early action are still applying to other Ivy League schools instead of committing to Harvard right away, which is different from what happened in the past.

“It’s interesting to see that this year some students are applying to other Ivy League schools even after getting accepted by Harvard in the early action round,” Doe remarked. She doesn’t think this reflects a bigger trend in Harvard’s admissions or enrollment.

“The advantages of Harvard’s reputation will always outweigh any concerns,” Doe added.

In Cambridge, a few students at Harvard are worried about how things are going on campus and they’re not happy with the people in charge at the university.