Note: The student mentioned throughout this article agreed to be interviewed by the Independent under the condition that they remain anonymous in print. In order to respect their wishes, the Independent has replaced their name with the pseudonym Jane.
The December date of early acceptances marks a routine pattern each year, and the Harvard Class of 2027 was no exception—forming Facebook pages, Instagram groups, and many virtual friendships. For many, it was an exciting time, with everyone open to meeting new people and getting to know their future classmates. By March, it was clear that one student stood out. With a blue verification check (that later disappeared) and a sizable following of thousands, this student was unusually active in group chats and appeared to have quickly made many friends. “They seemed to be online 24/7,” recalled first-year Elson Bankoff ’27. Nat C. ’27, who preferred not to disclose their last name, described them as “seemingly the most social person at Harvard.” Who was this new, rising star?
As it turns out, they were a fake student. Soon after arriving on campus in August, the new first-years became suspicious of the person they thought was their friend, and acquired many pieces of evidence in order to form their case. The Class of 2027 used platforms like Sidechat and Instagram to circulate news of this “fake freshman,” citing screenshots of edited images, stories about interactions with Jane, and supposed confirmation by Harvard administration. However, the administration has yet to provide a comment for this story. To this day, Jane has disputed these claims and remained steadfast in their allegation that they were a student all along.
“My parents went to the Ivy League,” Jane asserted, discussing their choice of choosing Harvard. “I could have gone to Stanford or Yale, but [Harvard was] just a bit different, because I decided to go a different path rather than my entire family.” They looked at the applications and decided Harvard was going to be a challenge. “Harvard is the toughest school on here,” Jane concluded. “Let’s give it a try. I actually did the early action round and I got the acceptance in December.”
Upon arriving on campus for the second time (the first time being Visitas in April), the “fake freshman” quickly solidified their relationships, interacting with “all of us that did pre-orientation,” Nat C. observed. Jane became a microcelebrity, unfazed by their fame.
“There’s people who went up to me, saying ‘Oh my god, are you [name redacted]? Oh my god, you’re Harvard famous!’” Jane recalled, describing their early interactions with fellow members of their class. “I am social. It’s a new experience…How else are you going to get the connections and move forward in life and meet new people with different experiences? Because every person you meet, I feel like you learn something new every single day.” After making it onto Dean Khurana’s Instagram, helping students move in, and attending a variety of Harvard events, it seemed that this student was integrated well within the Harvard community.
Then the rumors started spreading. Despite every single one of their social media accounts listing Harvard in the bio, countless posts on their own (and family members’) accounts, and even their old high school’s account alleging that they are a part of Harvard’s Class of 2027, multiple pieces of evidence surfaced which suggested that this individual did not actually attend Harvard. In the interview, the Independent presented Jane with the evidence, citing their inability to provide proof of acceptance or a verified Harvard ID, their absence from the printed or online registry, and their absence from on-campus dorm living (a requirement for all first-year students unless under extenuating circumstances).
“I’ve heard those untrue accusations about my actions on campus, particularly regarding accessing certain facilities. I want to clarify that I always swiped my own ID… and, you know, I never photoshopped anything, which is kind of annoying. But I guess [people] say that because I do photography and all that,” they said. While Jane did confirm they were not in a pre-orientation program, apparently already having “dropped out” despite being on campus at the time they were being run, they declined to elaborate on which one or why.
Social media also perpetuated allegations of sexual misconduct. In the document being circulated on Sidechat, students anonymously gave testimonies that “[They] sexually assaulted two people on campus,” and “[They] walked with me and my drunk friend home who threw up in my dorm, and the proctor asked who [they were], [the proctor] couldn’t find [their] last name.” Jane declared that these allegations were all very untrue. “I find that really offensive if I’m being honest. I would even say the opposite, actually, that there were like a couple of students who reached out to me, before we even got on campus, and asked to hook up.”
Jane elaborated on the situation that she had called “really annoying,” explaining that “one night, I was walking back from Wigg [a first-year dorm]. One person had their arm around me. And they’re like, Hey, I like you…And then they like, kiss me. And I kiss back, obviously.” Jane also admitted to sexting a Harvard freshman, but maintained that she did not engage in physical sexual relations with them.
After some time, when the rumors regarding their status as a student became commonplace, Jane completely disappeared from campus. By August 30th, they were gone, entirely hidden from the public eye. In a few texts sent to various friends sourced from a group chat, Jane promised to return in time for convocation and the rest of the school year. In their words: “I had to leave campus on [August] 30th due to family issues in New Jersey…I received a difficult call from Harvard during my time in New Jersey…about the rumors, etc…That [call] led me to withdraw [as a student from Harvard].”
When asked to comment on the fact that they were not actually ever accepted or enrolled, Jane declared, “I will not be willing to comment on that. No, that was a conversation between [Harvard administration] and me. And I don’t want to comment on that.” At the time of the interview, “Harvard” remained in their Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter bios. The “fake freshman” explained that it was because they “deleted their socials.” Two days later, “Harvard” was replaced by “MA.”
In terms of future plans, they confirmed that they would not reapply to Harvard. “I wouldn’t transfer back to Harvard. Can I see myself maybe still forging the connections that I had? Maybe, because again, I’ve no hatred towards them. But the people that I was close with, I don’t know if they’d still talk to me.”
In several conversations the Independent had with various Class of 2027 members, it became clear that one final question had to be answered: Why did the “fake freshman” do it? With this in mind, a segment of the recorded interview has been transcribed below:
MT: Hypothetically speaking, if you had faked being a Harvard student, what did you gain? Why would you be compelled to do something like this?
Jane: As to why there really isn’t a why, I don’t understand why someone would do that. I feel like my only reason would be my father. But again, I’m not gonna go into that. Sorry, what was the other part of the question?
MT: Hypothetically speaking, what would be a motivation to act in that way?
Jane: There is none.
Mia Tavares ’27 (miatavares@college.harvard.edu) once saw the “fake freshman” wandering the halls of Lowell during Visitas and promptly exited the building.