<p>MIT and Harvard are very different schools and in each case they are not for everybody. I would not even try to say which is better. D visited both, applied to both, but I never could have convinced her to attend MIT. She was relieved to get me to stop pushing MIT on her when she got rejected. I loved it while she did not. At least admissions makes the right decisions.</p>
<p>Jashper - I don’t get your need to try and put Harvard down and elevate MIT. They are both great and you made the right decision for you. It was wonderful that you had such terrific options.</p>
<p>I’m bumping this because it’s once again time for “Harvard vs.” threads, and I’m seeing so many people saying stuff like “GO TO HARVARD, it’s “HARVARD”” - an argument I strongly disagree with.</p>
<p>Amusingly enough, last year I wrote:
<a href=“There%20are%20still%20some%20things%20that%20suck%20though,%20like%20the%20lack%20of%20professor-led%20tutorials%20in%20Economics,%20our%20historically%20crappy%20spring%20concert%20selections,%20etc”>quote</a>.
[/quote]
And since then, the tutorials have been brought back in Econ, and the spring concerts have gotten much better (last year: ratatat, this year: kid cudi + wale). I guess Drew Faust is listening.</p>
<p>Sometimes I really think more about my parents and relatives than myself. I should indeed keep the advice “Don’t go to (***) because people in rural China will be impressed by your degree” in mind. </p>
<p>What should I do if I can’t visit the campus due to financial problems? My impression of all ivies & other top schools is blurry. All I know is that they have great academic programs, great professors and wonderful peers from whom I can learn a lot. I can probably have an idea of the climate if I keep track of the weather forecast online. I’d like to go to a school where I can mingle humanities with biology/chemistry and from my understanding, all schools fit the criterion (perhaps MIT is not).</p>
<p>Yale’s is probably better this year (and historically is better). I guess the counter-argument is that Harvard students can go see much better live music normally, since pretty much every tour plays in Boston or Cambridge.</p>
<p>It’s not academically competitive at all between students – people don’t talk about their grades, everyone is working to beat their own standards, not their classmates.</p>
<p>It can be pretty stressful, depending on how you choose to set up your semester and what mindset you bring to your classes. A lot of us love that, though…I loved being challenged and getting better and better at what I was doing (especially writing papers and singing) through hard work and practice.</p>
<p>Hmm… I’m choosing between Harvard and Princeton, so this is pretty helpful. I’m a very nerdy person who doesn’t like to party too often. But I have a very strong extracurricular interest (musical performance). Where do you think I would be likely to fit in better? Also, does Harvard place a strict limit on the number of classes one can take? Princeton limits to 4/semester, at least for non-engineering freshmen, which seems a bit restrictive to me… or is it normal? I think Princeton has the more rigorous physics program (physics is my intended major), but am I wrong in feeling that I would have the same academic opportunities at Harvard? Is the undergrad focus as poor as some say?</p>
<p>If you have access to $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ thorough family and have connections in Wall Street firms, do not go to Harvard as you may be hired from any place you go. However if you are poor and smart and have no $$$$ and no connection, Harvard is the place for you where you will be hired by the most elite firms in Wall Street.</p>
<p>If you have already decided that Wall Street is where you will end up, go to Wharton, as you will learn more finance there in college vs. liberal arts program at Harvard (including economics). However if you are not sure about finance and want to explore, then Harvard is the place for you.</p>
<p>physicshobo - Congratulations on H&P. As many will tell you, you cannot make a bad choice. </p>
<p>My daughter is a H frosh planning to concentrate in physics. Both H and P are top five physics programs so I suspect you will have equivalent opportunities. Both will prepare you well for getting into a top program for grad school if that is your desire. 1st semester frosh at H are limited to four classes, but you can go up after that. My D is taking five classes this semester with the fifth being research. It was easy for her to get the research assignment (she is working with antimatter). The first prof she approached (not one she knew before) took her in. She has no problem getting time with her physics professors. I suspect that the complaints you read about here are more related to the larger concentrations. </p>
<p>Your self description sounds a lot like my D. She considers herself to be a nerd, is social, but not a partier, and has a very strong performing art EC which she is very involved with at H. </p>
<p>I think your decision should be based more upon which school/environment fits you better for where you want to spend the next four years. The only ivies that D applied to were H and Columbia because of her desire for being in an urban environment, combined with the strength of their physics and her EC.</p>
<p>Performing arts was basically my whole life at Harvard, and I was deliriously happy. You sound like a very good fit to me.</p>
<p>I would say maybe 5% of Harvard students don’t adjust well to being small fish in such a big pond. I think these people would have been happier not at one of Harvard’s close competitors that have a similar atmosphere, but as full-ride superstars at a lower-ranked school. For some people, that is the right choice.</p>
<p>i know someone who went to princeton and his brother went to harvard (a while ago, maybe 20 yrs ago) and he said his brother hated harvard and he loved princeton.</p>