Comparison · 9 material differences
Harvard Club of Boston vs Harvard Club of New York City
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 Harvard 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…
Harvard Club of New York City
Harvard University and Radcliffe College degree recipients, current and former faculty, fellows, officers and University appointment holders of at least one full academic year…
What the records say
- 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; Harvard Club of New York City: Dues category is set by home and professional address: Resident/Professional (the five boroughs), Tri-State, Non-Resident East, and Non-Resident West and International.
- 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.; Harvard Club of New York City: $573–2,864 a year.
Side by side
| Harvard Club of Boston | Harvard Club of New York City | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.) | 1865 (Founded in 1865 by a small group of alumni; the first meeting was held at the Mercantile Library Building on Astor Place and four members attended. A constitution was adopted in 1878 and the club was incorporated in New York State in 1887.) |
| Headquarters | Boston, United States | New York, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Back Bay clubhouse at 374 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston; the club's current site lists no other location | Single clubhouse on West 44th Street, Manhattan, with entrances at 27 and 35 West 44th Street; members are drawn worldwide and dues categories reflect distance from the club |
| 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 | Harvard University and Radcliffe College degree recipients, current and former faculty, fellows, officers and University appointment holders of at least one full academic year, current and former University-wide board and committee members, and former full-time students in good standing in a Harvard degree programme for at least one full academic year. |
| 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. | Members are Harvard-affiliated by degree, faculty appointment or University service, plus spouses and life partners admitted in reduced-rate categories. Dues bands are set by years since undergraduate degree and by whether the member lives or works in New York City, the tri-state area, the eastern states, or further afield. |
| Qualification | ||
| 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 ↗ | Dues category is set by home and professional address: Resident/Professional (the five boroughs), Tri-State, Non-Resident East, and Non-Resident West and InternationalWhichever address is closest to the club determines the categoryverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | No |
| 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. | Applicants apply online in the category matching their Harvard affiliation. The club verifies the affiliation and contacts the applicant with membership information in about three weeks. There is no published requirement for proposers or seconders. A separate route exists for the graduating class of the year and for Harvard summer students. |
| 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. Admission turns on verifying a qualifying Harvard affiliation rather than on a published selection or ballot. |
| 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. | $573–2,864 a yearResident/Professional category (residence, business or employment in the five boroughs of New York City), banded by years since undergraduate degree: under 4 years $573; 4 to under 6 $859; 6 to under 8 $1,289; 8 to under 10 $1,910; 10 or more $2,864. Excludes taxes.verified 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 ↗ | Dues are annual and exclude taxes; the club states there is no food and beverage minimum spend. Initial dues are prorated to the fiscal year ending 30 June and thereafter may be paid quarterly, half-yearly or annually. |
| 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 ↗ | $250–2,864 one-timeEntrance fee applies to all membership categories and equals 100% of a full year of dues, subject to a $250 minimum. Payable in full or in three instalments over two years, the first due on membership activation. No entrance fee applies to Signing Privilege Membership or to widows'/widowers' privileges.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Ongoing; dues may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually | Annual, on a fiscal year ending 30 June; dues payable quarterly, half-yearly or annually |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | More than 250 member events a year, virtual and in person, from wine dinners to faculty discussions and holiday events | Clubhouse open daily, closing to members at 11pm; talks, performances, art classes, wine tastings and other member programming through the year |
| 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. | The club maintains House Rules governing technology use in the clubhouse; specific terms are not published in full |
| 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 | Not documented |
| Spouse and partner programming | Yes | Yes |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Partial |
| 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 · Harvard Club of New York City