<p>If one were to pick between these two, does it all come down to a difference of personal taste? Can going to one over the other possibly hurt you in any way? Does the name “Harvard” give you a leg up in the business world as opposed to Wharton?</p>
<p>Oh, and so you know…I’m going to Wharton (Jerome Fisher program - Joint Degree in Management and Technology) next year. But off late I have been having some reservations (I won’t lie, the Harvard brand name is very very attractive & appealing), and have been thinking about possibly transferring to a good Economics program later on. Will this move be worth it? Or is it just a waste of time and money? Will this move be worth it? Or is it just a waste of time and money?</p>
<p>Wharton without a doubt, you'll be set undergrad. You'll get much better business connections at Wharton undergrad and you'll look promising to a number of school for grad (if you decide to go grad)</p>
<p>Also according to student surveys, the kids at Penn are much happier with their undergrad experience over Harvard.</p>
<p>If you're purely looking for an undergrad business degree, Wharton is almost surely the place to be. However, as an economics education, the Wharton degree is really quite marginal. Therefore, if you are actually serious about economics (as opposed to business), Harvard would be a much better option.</p>
<p>Essentially, I don't think I need to be concerned about getting an economics education vs an undergrad business degree because I've heard that students from both routes end up with the same jobs. </p>
<p>In that case, would a Wharton undergrad be on par with say Harvard/Princeton or Chicago economics degree?</p>
<p>I think if you were choosing between just Wharton and Harvard the arguments above make sense. However, because you are in the M&T program you would be giving up a lot more to go to Harvard for Econ. First, you're getting 2 degrees in four years, and the 2 degrees you will get from Penn (both very hands-on and based on the application of theory to practice, but combined with lib arts) are really very different from the 1 degree you will get at Harvard (theoretical and all econ/lib arts). </p>
<p>I would think less about the name recognition and worry more about what it is you want to learn and HOW you like to learn or learn best. Theory and practice are very different, but at Penn you get the marriage of the two. I think if you were choosing between MIT and M&T at Penn it would be a more comparable comparison. But to be in M&T and then want to go to Harvard for econ seems a little weird because they are so different.</p>
<p>whartonalum, to be totally honest with you, the only reason I would go to Harvard is because of my fascination with the name and my ^^^'concern about employers' doing the same.'^^^. I guess it is an ego hassle thing!? :( Kinda shameful actually lol :( </p>
<p>No other reason. Education-wise I think I will learn a ton more in M&T than I possibly ever will at Harvard. I just don't want to be left with that "what if" feeling. Am I being unncessarily stupid? Will it be completely worthless for my above stated reasons?
Thank you.</p>
<p>It all comes down to who you want to impress more- the guy on the street or the manager 500 ft up in a skyscraper? M&T grads are some of the most respected and sought after graduates out there. If you want people at social gatherings to say "ooohhhh- Harvard" then, well, good for you. If you want to have 5 employment offers before you graduate, well, you cant beat Jerome Fisher. Of course, Harvard econ is nothing to be ashamed of.</p>
<p>P.S. you'll probably have much more fun at Penn. A report by the Boston Globe a month ago said that according to a confidential survey of all the graduating seniors of 31 top colleges that the newspaper got a copy of, Harvard ranked 3rd to last in student happiness.</p>
<p>a-bomb: you need to base your decision on so much more than name. Don't just think about life after graduation - you need to think about the next four years first. If you said "yes" to M&T I am guessing it had something to do with how you felt on campus or how you felt you would fit in and enjoy yourself and whether you could really see yourself at Penn. Don't go second-guessing yourself because of name recognition. I'm sure you thought about this long and hard before you made your decision. Either way you will come out of both schools with a lot of opportunity - they will be different opportunities though with having an engineering degree on top of wharton vs. just an econ degree. But don't forget about the 4 years you need to get through first.</p>
<p>The answer is simple. if you want to work right after college, then MT, if you want more schooling, then harvard. harvard will offer an overall better undergraduate experience anyway. i heard penn can't even gaurantee housing for all students.</p>
<p>Thats rediculous...Penn is considered a much better school where its undergrads have more fun and are much happier. Plus Wharton is THE biggest name in business, and how can you deny getting an engineering degree along with your wharton degree. Engineering and business is one of the most powerful combinations you can have. Hell if MT wasn't so selective and speciailized, I probably wouldve shot for it too, but Im doin SEAS. Stick with good ole Jerome.</p>
<p>If I were you...and I, too have to consider this option--It would be a blessing to be ABLE to consider this option--I would pick Wharton. Sure, name is important--but it's about you. I'm a practical guy and Wharton's curriculum fits me better.
Once you get into the Ivy league, wharton and harvard are the same; it's about what you do in your four years, your personal traits, etc.
There is plenty of opporunity of growth in those 4 years at either college; however, the programs are vastly different, with different concentrations, requirements and opportunities.
But why are you even thinking about this? Get in first (that's the hard part)!</p>
<p>well first of all, the issue in question here is which school has a better economics department and is better for undergrad econ. I personally would think Harvard Econ is much better than Penn's. Harvard has one of the best Econ departments in the nation, and even this year, we have one prof winning a nobel price on his contribution to game theory. but in any case, i think a lot of times people tell themselves going to HYP is just for the name and that's bad, they're basically lying to themselves. Why go to an Ivy school afterall if you don't care about the name? undergrad education is probably best at an LAC. i'm sure you're going to wharton for the name as well. Name matters and you're not being unreasonable to say i want to go to this school because it has a better name. and that shouldn't be your only excuse for not going to HYP, "name doesn't matter to me, i think their names are overly inflated." </p>
<p>Personally, harvard or MT can't go wrong. but the overall undergraduate experience is a lot more important when choosing where to go for undergrad. I think harvard will offer me a much better overall experience than penn. I felt i belong to a part of the class of 09 the second i stepped on campus. all the freshmen lives in the yard, then move into houses with their friends. at penn, the roommates are made randomly where as at harvard, more time is spent on choosing roommates than admitting people. Penn is also a huge school. a big schools are always not as focused as smaller ones. hence caltech and MT are good school and program because they're small and focused. </p>
<p>Unless you had extensive experience with business related fields in high school, you should not specialize so early. there are other dual degree programs for MBA and MS at other schools where you can get it after undergrad. i personally think a person should explore his options in his undergraducy instead of picking a direction and such a specialized program so early. almost everyone in college change their majors, what makes you think you won't? but you'll never know if you went to MT if you could be better off in another field. that's another reason why i chose harvard. It has one of the bests, if not the best, chem, bio, math, and econ department in the nation and i can explore my options here.</p>
<p>I thought the OP asked about Wharton vs. Harvard Econ, rather than Penn Econ vs. Harvard Econ. Penn Econ is still a top 10 program, and certainly can hold its own. Harvard econ may have a few more "elite" scholars, but that doesn't make the undergraduate that much better.</p>
<p>People who go to Wharton can still double major with the college (or Nursing or Engineering). The Wharton requirements are more flexible than those of SEAS, at least.</p>