<p>Quite a number (8 maybe?) of my friends got into Stanford and MIT from my giantic high-school, so I am representing all of us to ask the following question:</p>
<p>Stanford or MIT?</p>
<p>Most of us would like to major in computer science, and few of us would like to major in physics.</p>
<p>Q1: Perhaps MIT does have a more prestigious programs in CS and physics. However, I feel that there would be more research and internship opportunities at Stanford because of its location in the Silicon Valley. Agree or Disagree</p>
<p>Q2: I believe MIT and Stanford offers different type of cool kids. MIT kids are more intense, focused and dedicated, whereas Stanford kids are more diversed, socially interesting and street-smart. Agree or Disagree</p>
<p>Q3: MIT programs require more work than Stanford programs in CS or physics. Agree or Disagree</p>
<p>Q1: Disagreed. Research and internship opportunities at MIT are boundless. You want to UROP, just email a professor and set up a meeting. I don't think many Silicon Valley companies would offer many internships and I don't think they would have, and even if they did, it would only be in the summer.</p>
<p>Q2: Disagree. You can't fit each school in its respective category and labeled a few adjectives on there.</p>
<p>Q3: Agreed. I think the depth of work at MIT is much more extensive and challenging and a degree from MIT in CS or physics definitely is respectable, not to say that one from Stanford isn't. But when recruiters look at a resume, and see that the person graduated from MIT, the company KNOWS they're getting someone with great problem-solving skills and a mindset that will contribute to the company.</p>
<p>and I also have the same dilemma: StanMIT =)</p>
<p>"But when recruiters look at a resume, and see that the person graduated from MIT, the company KNOWS they're getting someone with great problem-solving skills and a mindset that will contribute to the company."</p>
<p>Lol, and they don't for Stanford? If MIT has an advantage over Stanford, it's very slight.</p>
<p>about 1, besides on-campus urops, the boston/cambridge area is full of startups and tech companies, usually by or with alums, that're also possibilities for internships; while physics is a bit tougher, anyone with cs skills doesn't really need to worry, i'd say. silicon valley may in fact have more, but i think there's more than enough in either case, so s'moot.</p>
<p>and for 2, i could point out that if you do find mit to be full of all one sort of people (i don't, but you might) you don't have to look far to find others; i hear boston's a big city, with a lot of schools in it.</p>
<p>With regards to question 1 -- even if you go to MIT, that doesn't preclude getting a Silicon Valley internship over the summer. (Being an MIT EECS major does tend to open those sorts of doors with ease.) And during the year, I agree with everyone else that MIT's undergraduate research is unparalleled in its ease of access and popularity.</p>
<p>I talked to a guy who graduated from my high school in '75 on a flight I had this weekend (talk about meeting cool people randomly on planes). He declined to Stanford, and since left the field he majored in (Math), but he said that unless you stay in the field, Stanford will always have slightly more name-clout than MIT, as many people (laypeople, etc.) will not have heard of or be as familiar with MIT. If you know schools, then you will know MIT, but if you don't (and many won't), then Stanford is better for jobs.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Stanford will always have slightly more name-clout than MIT, as many people (laypeople, etc.) will not have heard of or be as familiar with MIT.
[/quote]
Is that so?</p>
<p>In India, EVERYONE knows MIT, but not everyone knows Stanford, or Princeton.. and Yale is virtually unheard-of. :-/</p>
<p>Who doesn't know about MIT? Now, if you said Stanford had more clout in terms of "I have a technical degree but I'm trying to get a non-technical job" or sth. like that, I might agree, but ... seriously, who hasn't heard of MIT?</p>
<p>I am pretty sure I heard about MIT, Stanford, Berkley, Harvard , Yale when I lived in Russia. So all these names are well known. At least they were back in 1993.</p>
<p>keep in mind that the guy was speaking of his own experience, these are not my views. And yes, he was speaking more or less in terms of trying to get jobs that weren't really in the field he studied. He wasn't very clear about this, but I guess it could be "non technical job w/technical degree"</p>
<p>
[quote]
I talked to a guy who graduated from my high school in '75 on a flight I had this weekend (talk about meeting cool people randomly on planes). He declined to Stanford, and since left the field he majored in (Math), but he said that unless you stay in the field, Stanford will always have slightly more name-clout than MIT, as many people (laypeople, etc.) will not have heard of or be as familiar with MIT. If you know schools, then you will know MIT, but if you don't (and many won't), then Stanford is better for jobs.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It might be true that the "layperson" doesn't know MIT as well as Stanford, but when applying for jobs, those employers will defiantly know! (Assuming you're not applying to be a McDonalds manger or the like)</p>
<p>No one can actually sit down an quantify which school has a better reputation...when it comes down to jobs and internships its going to be a matter of who the person is, not what school they're from.</p>
<p>on a reverse twist from the "getting a non-technical job with a technical degree", i'll toss in a data point about a friend who graduated last year with a degree in creative writing and then got a job as a sysadmin.</p>
<p>1) Uncertain. I think this really depends on the individual's personality - just how aggressive a person is in getting opportunities. In any case, I see the difference as being so small as to be negligible. </p>
<p>These schools are so different in terms of atmosphere that these questions are very irrelevant. The choice should vary from person to person. Both have an adequate reputation, so choice should be based on visiting and getting a "feel" of each place. Because if you like the atmosphere better, you will likely be happier, which helps in terms of doing better academically. And thats important because you know its grad school which is more important that undergrad.</p>
<p>And all of my relatives in India have heard of Princeton and MIT according to my parents. I'm not saying they haven't heard of Stanford, they never said they haven't.</p>
<p>I would also say that if you just want to go to a school that people around the world have heard of (which is not a particularly good reason to choose a program), then forget about both MIT and Stanford. Go to Harvard.</p>