As someone who got the chance to go on the Harvard Model congress trip this year, I would 100 percent recommend it to anyone who was considering trying it. 

First off, it’s an incredible learning experience. If you’ve ever been curious about how politics work, how diplomacy is done, or how bills and laws are created (and debated), HMC gives you a front-row seat to the action. You get to debate real-world issues in that affect millions of people around the world. Instead of just reading about politics in a textbook, you’re actively involved. You’ll learn how to argue your point, listen to others, and come up with creative solutions to hard real world problems.

Sofie Stehlikova is a Freshman student who went on the Harvard congress trip. Sofie claimed that she learned a lot on the trip to Boston. 

“I would totally encourage anyone considering doing it to try it, especially if you like debating. I’ll say you get as much out of it as you put in,” Stehlikova said.

“I had so much fun in Boston– I will definitely be doing it again next year,” Stehlikova added. 

Sophomore Jordyn Milburn was another participant on the Model Harvard Congress trip. Jordyn said that the experience helped her improve on her fear of public speaking and she got  more comfortable talking in front of people as the conference went on.  She had previously gone on the University of Chicago Model United Nations trip this year so she had an idea of what the sessions would be like prior to arriving in Boston.

“I decided to do this trip because I had so much fun in Chicago that I wanted to try this one too. I had a great time in both and felt like I learned so much on each one. They were both intense so I would recommend both trips you really can’t go wrong with choosing either,” Milburn said.

Like Jordyn said, HMC and Model UN don’t only teach you about politics but help you build very useful skills like public speaking. It forces you to go outside your comfort zone and speak your mind in front of large groups of people.

Whether you’re discussing climate change, healthcare, or international relations, you’ll learn how to express your ideas in the same way a real life politician would have too. It provides tons of insight on how our government works and gave me a new interest to maybe one day pursue politics. 

Sophomore Sophia House, said her biggest take away from the overall experience was how much she learned about politics.

“Before going to Boston I thought I had a pretty good idea of how our government worked. However going on the trip was kind of an eye opener. It was very realistic to an actual Congress session and I learned how much really goes into the process of making a Bill,” House said.

Going to HMC also gives you the chance to meet people from all around the world. While we were there we met people who had traveled from places like Australia, Spain, Vietnam, and more. We all made tons of new friends and great memories. Going gives you the chance to be surrounded by high school students who share your interests and passions. The diversity displayed also helped me think more critically and pushed me to see things from new angles.

Colleges and universities also love to see students who participate in events like this. It can be a great resume booster. Attending an event like HMC shows you’re serious about your education and are going beyond what is required. It shows that you have initiative, and it sets you apart from other college applicants.  

Attending Harvard Model Congress was a great opportunity I would suggest to anyone willing to go on the trip. Next year our school will be offering a Model Congress trip going to Georgetown. After experiencing this Harvard trip I will definitely be attending the Georgetown one next year and urge others to try it too. It is an amazing experience you definitely will not regret.