<p>I looked at the majors the two are good at and found them pretty similiar(at least in USnews). Someone said Stanford emphasizes entrepreneurship while MIT looks more at research. Is that so? These two are my dream schools but I just can't distinguish between them.</p>
<p>The two colleges are very different. I suppose that at some level, as for example if you are majoring in Computer Science, you’re likely to find analogous coursework. Stanford has depth in many fields – theater, music, English, etc. etc. These are in addition to business, science, engineering, etc. etc. MIT’s focus is much more narrow. Think of Stanford academics as a mix of MIT and Harvard, and indeed if you are a student at MIT you can take courses at Harvard.</p>
<p>The college vibe at Stanford and the type of student who attends is very different from that at MIT.</p>
<p>You need to visit both schools to understand and internalize the difference.</p>
<p>All this said, they are both extraordinary colleges. You would be very fortunate indeed to get accepted to both should you decide to apply to both.</p>
<p>I suggest taking a look at the weather patterns of Cambridge, Mass. versus Palo Alto, Cali. But joking aside, MIT has a very strong science/engineering program. If you know you want to be an engineer, MIT is probably a given - it is the best known name in the field. Stanford is more of a well-rounded school, where you will be among the best in any field. Its athletic program is also much stronger. </p>
<p>As fogcity said, you should visit both and get the vibe from both. The difference is also one between level of “urban-ness”. That is, in Cambridge, you are in a huge city and several other big cities, including NYC, is within travel distance. Compare this to the wide open spaces in the West. I’m not saying that Palo Alto is a small city, but it also does not have NYC as a neighbor.</p>
<p>Note that MIT does have significant offerings and majors in humanities and social studies, but fewer than 20% of undergraduates at MIT major in those subjects. MIT also has an undergraduate business major that Stanford does not have.</p>
<p>When I was applying to colleges, my primary decision came down to MIT and Stanford, so I visited both campuses when comparing the two and ultimately decided on Stanford. One could write pages comparing the two. I’ll limit it to 3 areas, where they differ.</p>
<p>Department Strengths – I was mostly interested in engineering. Both schools have some of the best tech programs in the world. USNWR ranks them as #1 and #2 for both undergrad and grad engineering. In CS, they are tied for #1. While they both are excellent for entrepreneurship, as well as research, Stanford has more of a history of emphasizing entrepreneurship and start-ups, which relates to how Silicon Valley formed in the area that surrounds Stanford. I did a program that combined a grad degree in tech + a grad degree in business to foster this tech entrepreneurship, and was able to enter it before getting my undergrad degree through their coterm program. Like the OP said, I believe MIT has more of an emphasis on research, as can be seen in that a larger portion of MS students receive research funding to pay for their degree. While there are exceptions, Stanford is generally stronger in non-stem fields (english, psychology, etc.).</p>
<p>Location – Stanford is located in Palo Alto. It has a moderate temperature all year round (compare to the northeast) and less rain (no snow). As mentioned earlier, it is located in the heart of silicon valley, which has numerous options for tech students and graduates. This makes the cost off-campus living extremely high. MIT is located in Cambridge, which has a harsher climate. While there a good number of opportunities for tech grads, I don’t think it is on the same level as Silicon Valley. Most admitted HS students live much closer to one school than the other.</p>
<p>Student Body – A good portion of the student body choose tech fields at both schools. However, MIT has roughly triple the percentage of engineering students as Stanford. While Stanford has a larger portion of students in non-STEM fields, including triple the number in social sciences. Stanford also has larger portion of pre-med students. This can be good or bad, depending on perspective, what fields interest you, and whether you want to be around a lot of similar persons. Stanford also has more of presence in sports + related activities and various other non-tech fields. I believe it also has a more diverse student body (not just race), as admissions makes a strong effort to admit students with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. While visiting the two campuses I found the Stanford students to be friendlier, more helpful, more active/athletic (for example, full of people biking to class), and more laid back. However, this may have just been subjective experiences on one particular day that would differ on another.</p>
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What a contrast with
Seems to me that the OP, unable to detect any differences between the two, is a plausible candidate for neither.</p>
<p>Thank your guys! I think I know a little more about the two now. I would like to have a camp visit if I can. But I’m just too far away from the two schools. Well, MIT gives me the impression of a research focused university, and Stanford a diverse one. But I think MIT has also a strong business major, especially the production/operation. Is that so?</p>
<p>But I also see from USNews that MIT’s business major is good, if only slightly weaker than that of Stanford.</p>
<p>Don’t base you’re judgements on US news rankings. A lot of it is based on strange categories. I would you use it to get a general grasp of how strong the program is.</p>
<p>To picklechicken37: Thanks. Then what should I use to judge the major strength?</p>
<p>
I don’t see a business major on MIT’s lists at [Majors</a> & Minors | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/discover/majors]Majors”>Majors & minors | MIT Admissions) and [MIT</a> Course Catalog: Schools and Courses](<a href=“Welcome! < MIT”>Welcome! < MIT) . MIT does offer a Management Sciences major with a concentration in business analytics and operations research. And Stanford offers a degree in Management Sciences & Engineering, with some business related concentrations.</p>
<p>Yes, I do believe the OP is talking about the management program in the Sloan school. Specifically, the production and operations program, which is top ranked by US News (take it as you will):
[Production</a> / Operations Management | Rankings | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-production-operations-management]Production”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-production-operations-management)</p>
<p>There are many things you can do to try to differentiate between the two schools. Some quick ideas are to: read through college guide books (Fiske, Princeton Review, Insiders Guide etc.); try to find some alums of the schools to speak with or interview with; do online tours; consider the very different locations; consider that Stanford has D1 sports if that is important to you; look at the range of majors offered at each school; read the school newspapers (they are typically online and can help to give a sense of what is going on at each school). </p>
<p>As we all know, they are both amazing academic institutions but no matter how strong a student you are, they are both reach schools for almost anyone. While it is fine to consider Stanford and MIT, make sure your college list includes some other less competitive schools that you would enjoy attending as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for advise! I have an idea of how to look now.</p>