Comparison · 9 material differences
Harvard Club of Boston vs The 'Quin House
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026 Private club
Mmuench55 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Harvard Club of Boston
The club states its mission is to be "the social, intellectual, and athletic hub for Harvard alumni and our affiliated community in the Greater Boston area", and its published…
Private club
The 'Quin House
The club describes itself as "a club for the interesting and interested" and "a diverse community of leaders, creators, innovators, and influencers", and says that no matter one's…
What the records say
- Minimum age — Harvard Club of Boston: No published minimum age; The 'Quin House: The club is for adults aged 21 and over.
- Geographic restriction — Harvard Club of Boston: Fees are set by the ZIP codes where an applicant lives and works: Resident 1 within 15 miles, Resident 2 within 16 to 50 miles, Nonresident 51 or more miles within the United States, and International outside the United States; The 'Quin House: Non-Resident membership requires working and living outside a 50-mile radius of Boston.
- Annual dues — Harvard Club of Boston: Figures come from the club's own dues schedule PDF headed "Harvard Club of Boston Annual Dues, Effective September 1, 2026", which lists an initiation fee and a monthly cost of membership for each category. Commonwealth members pay the same schedule as the equivalent Resident, Nonresident or International band.; The 'Quin House: The club states that membership is renewed on a yearly basis but does not publish dues; discounted two-year pricing exists for the Arts, Civic, Non-Profit category and a lower-priced Non-Resident category exists, neither of them priced publicly.
Side by side
| Harvard Club of Boston | The 'Quin House | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1908 (The club's timeline records that 22 alumni men started the Harvard Club of Boston in 1908 with annual dues set at $5.) | 2021 (The club states that The 'Quin House opened on 7 July 2021. Its building and lineage go back to the Algonquin Club, founded in 1886, whose clubhouse McKim, Mead & White completed at 217 Commonwealth Avenue in 1888.) |
| Headquarters | Boston, United States | Boston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Back Bay clubhouse at 374 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston; the club's current site lists no other location | Single 56,000 square foot clubhouse at 217 Commonwealth Avenue in Back Bay, Boston |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Wikipedia gives approximately 5,000 members across 40 countries; that has not been independently verified and carries no date. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters. Members have reciprocal access to more than 170 private clubs worldwide. | Single clubhouse; no chapters |
| Primary audience | The club states its mission is to be "the social, intellectual, and athletic hub for Harvard alumni and our affiliated community in the Greater Boston area", and its published eligibility extends to alumni of Harvard, MIT, Yale and the Fletcher School at Tufts, faculty and students of Harvard and MIT, medical residents and fellows at Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the direct relatives of member | The club describes itself as "a club for the interesting and interested" and "a diverse community of leaders, creators, innovators, and influencers", and says that no matter one's age, profession or creed, "if you're looking for your people, join us". |
| Typical member | Alumni, students, faculty, parents and affiliates of Harvard and MIT, plus Yale and Tufts Fletcher School alumni, together with a limited number of Commonwealth members admitted as friends and family of existing members. Fees are banded by age and by distance from the clubhouse. | Not publicly disclosed in numbers. The club characterises its membership as leaders, creators, innovators and rising stars, and reserves a discounted category for people working in the arts, civic and non-profit sectors who would otherwise be unable to join. |
| Qualification | ||
| Minimum age | No published minimum age | The club is for adults aged 21 and overChildren aged 16 and over may accompany parents as guests for meals and may stay overnight when a parent is also staying; children over 6 are allowed during specific family programming and weekend brunch in Cafe Q; members' children under 21 may only be on the premises with a parentverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Fees are set by the ZIP codes where an applicant lives and works: Resident 1 within 15 miles, Resident 2 within 16 to 50 miles, Nonresident 51 or more miles within the United States, and International outside the United StatesFees are also banded by ageverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Non-Resident membership requires working and living outside a 50-mile radius of BostonThe club describes it as an affordable option for those who need to travelverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | Yes |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | Yes |
| Application process | Applicants review the eligibility categories and the published dues schedule, then select their affiliation and complete an online application form. The club verifies the applicant's university affiliation directly with the institution and a member of the team follows up to finalise details. The club's Become a Member page asks applicants to allow two to three weeks for review, while its membership FAQ says a membership is activated within 10 to 15 business days; new members then receive membership numbers and an electronic welcome package. Commonwealth applicants complete a separate application and need a member sponsor. | Membership is currently by invitation through a referral from a current member. Prospective members without a referral, and applicants for the Arts, Civic, Non-Profit category, are directed to contact the membership team by email. The club encourages applicants to include a spouse or partner on the information submission. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed as an acceptance rate. Eligibility is defined by university affiliation; the only published numerical limit is the 50 Commonwealth places reserved each year. | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate, member cap or waiting-list information, though it states that the Arts, Civic, Non-Profit category is limited to a select number of applicants. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Figures come from the club's own dues schedule PDF headed "Harvard Club of Boston Annual Dues, Effective September 1, 2026", which lists an initiation fee and a monthly cost of membership for each category. Commonwealth members pay the same schedule as the equivalent Resident, Nonresident or International band. | The club states that membership is renewed on a yearly basis but does not publish dues; discounted two-year pricing exists for the Arts, Civic, Non-Profit category and a lower-priced Non-Resident category exists, neither of them priced publiclyverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | $60–426 a monthPublished monthly cost of membership effective 1 September 2026. Resident 1: $135 (25 and under), $154 (26-30), $250 (31-35), $372 (36-40), $426 (41-74), $295 (75+), $385 (HCB plus HCNYC 41-74). Resident 2: $127 / $143 / $206 / $287 / $327 / $262 / $298. Nonresident: $113 / $127 / $159 / $190 / $218, $182 for HCB plus HCNYC. International: $60 / $79 / $94 / $114 / $133. Undergraduate students $85, graduate students $95, Harvard College faculty $125. The facilities renewal assessment is built into these figuresverified September 2026 · source ↗ | The club publishes the structure of its fees -- an annual renewal plus a one-time initiation fee, with discounted Non-Resident and Arts/Civic/Non-Profit categories -- but no amounts. |
| Initiation fee | $305–4,327 one-timePublished schedule effective 1 September 2026, banded by residence and age. Resident 1 (within 15 miles): $964 for 25 and under, $1,183 for 26-30, $2,280 for 31-35, $3,684 for 36-40, $4,327 for 41-74, $2,763 for 75+, $3,843 for a combined HCB and Harvard Club of New York membership aged 41-74. Resident 2 (16-50 miles): $862 / $1,053 / $1,754 / $2,661 / $3,143 / $2,369 / $2,801 on the same bands. Nonresident (51+ miles, USA): $761 / $920 / $1,242 / $1,622 / $1,958, with $1,520 for HCB plus HCNYC aged 41 and over. International: $305 / $532 / $773 / $1,012 / $1,239. Students $660; Harvard College faculty $960verified September 2026 · source ↗ | The club confirms that membership carries a one-time initiation fee but does not publish the amount; no reliable published figure was locatedverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Ongoing; dues may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually | Annual renewal, with a one-time initiation fee; Arts, Civic, Non-Profit pricing runs on a renewable two-year basis |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | More than 250 member events a year, virtual and in person, from wine dinners to faculty discussions and holiday events | Ongoing programming including speakers, book talks, culinary events, wellness activities and social events |
| Peer forums | Member-led Shared Interest Groups (SIGs), plus a Golf Society giving access to regional country clubs and a squash programme with leagues and clinics | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | The club describes itself as an electronic-device-friendly clubhouse and asks only that members not take phone calls in the restaurant; sound-proof phone booths are provided in the Member Commons. | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes a set of club rules as a separate document. |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | Partial | No |
| Member directory | Yes | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | Yes |
| Family programming | Yes | Partial |
| Spouse and partner programming | Yes | Yes |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Not documented |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Harvard Club of Boston · The 'Quin House