I’m wondering why, since Harvard is top ranked for Physics and Math, isn’t it top ranked for Engineering?
Engineering is just application of physics and math.
Secondly, would it be worth studying engineering at Harvard instead of, say, Georgia Tech?
At Harvard, would the average Engineering Major salary be higher than the average Math Major salary?
This is true for most schools, but since the rankings are far off, I question this.
Thanks everyone.
I would jump for Georgia Tech over Harvard for engineering. Harvard is a top-ranked school, but I don’t think they’re known for their engineering program.
Engineering is one of those majors where employers tend to care more about your experience and if you can do your job correctly than the brand name attached to your school.
It isn’t top ranked for engineering because it hasn’t had engineering for very long. I don’t think its offerings are as broad as many more well established schools. If you are going to be an engineer after you graduate your salary is unlikely to be any higher than from a good engineering school.
Reasons to attend Harvard:
Great financial aid
You want to go to Wall Street (it’s pretty scary how many MIT engineers get lured by Wall St money - I suspect the situation at Harvard is similar)
You like the residential college system
(And you like Boston winters better than Houston summers so don’t want to go to Rice)
You love Boston/Harvard Square etc
You want the particular mix of people you might find at Harvard vs an engineering school
You want to be part of a young department that is still developing
@mathmom Not to mention Harvard’s liberal arts approach. (Well roundedness)
I wonder if the average salary for a Harvard Engineer major is greater than the average salary for a Harvard math major. (Because engineers typically make more than math majors, but Harvard is so highly ranked in math)?
Basically, I’m wondering which major I would/should do.
I feel like I’d be good at engineering because I am good at math and I’m a good problem solver, but I’ve only taken 1 year of physics in high school (in freshman year, just physics honors, not AP).
Would it be possible to succeed in Engineering with such a weak physics background?
I can’t believe I left off getting a liberal arts education - I was thinking about that when I was thinking about being around more non-engineers.
I had no physics in high school, took Physics 1 at Harvard and aced all my structural engineering courses in grad school. It really depends on how quick a learner you are. You may have to work harder to catch up, but you should be okay with engineering. There’s plenty of overlap between people who like math, and people who like engineering, but there is a difference. One will be much more theoretical, the other more practically oriented. Not all engineers tinkered with stuff in high school, but a lot did.
I think worrying about which will make the most money is wrongheaded. Either major can lead to paths where you will lead a very comfortable life.
^^ I agree. College is a unique time in your life, when you can “try on” different professions by taking courses in subjects that interest you. You don’t have to decide now, or even during your first year of college. So, I would just let go of the concept “which one would make me more money” and pursue your interests and see where it takes you.
FWIW: Employers are NOT paying recent graduates of Harvard more than graduates of any other top college. I’ve cited this example before, but I think it’s relevant to this discussion.
Actually if you think you might like to be an engineer, I would suggest starting with that as a your major - it’s (usually) easier to switch out of engineering than into it because of course requirements and sequencing.
@gibby @mathmom Thank you all for the advice.
There is a reason why people pay more for Harvard than their state flagship school. The connections 
Maybe in STEM, brand-name matters less, but if I’m looking into applied mathematics and want to go into business, I’d say Harvard would naturally give me more options than say the University of Florida.
If you are planning to practice in FL, you might still be better off with the U of FL degree.
Actually, because of Harvard’s generous financial aid, my daughter attended Harvard for LESS than the cost of our flagship state school. Ditto with my son at Yale.
While that may be true for the top 20% of graduates from Harvard, that’s not necessarily true for the bottom 20% at Harvard or the middle 50%. Just as course rigor varies among high schools, there are also varying levels of course rigor at different colleges. Harvard – rightly, or wrongly – believes they are teaching to the gifted and talented students of this world. So, to challenge those “best of the best” students, professors are encouraged to pour on the work. For example, some courses normally taught over an entire year at another college are taught during one semester at Harvard. Let’s look at Harvard’s LS2 (Evolutionary Human Physiology and Anatomy), which is the Bio course recommended for students interested in pursing medical school. The course is jammed packed with things you wouldn’t be asked to do at another college, like identifying every bone in the human body by week two in the course, something most college students don’t do until medical school! Yes, it’s a fabulous experience, but few students actually get A’s in the course. So, another student coming out of a flagship state college, which doesn’t have as high expectations may actually have a higher GPA and be in a better position for medical school than a student coming out of an ivy league school with a B or B- in their pre-med courses. See: http://scholar.harvard.edu/adamfrange/files/life_sciences_2_evolutionary_human_physiology_and_anatomy_syllabus_2012.pdf
I’m not clear what your priorities are. If you like Harvard and get accepted, major in math instead of engineering. Its math department is ranked 3; it’s engineering is ranked 28. If you like engineering, apply to strong engineering schools like MIT, Caltech, and Georgia Tech. If you want to earn a high salary, get an MBA.
I’d be happy with both math or engineering. @bicoastalusa even though Harvard’s math is higher ranked than it’s engineering, I’m pretty sure it would be easier to make more money with an engineering degree from H than a math degree from H.
@gibby is this a fair assessment?
I’m looking to actually have my COA at UF be 0 because of some NMF scholarship from the state.
As an EE/CS, I would disagree with you assertion that engineering is just the application of math and physics. Math and Science are the basis of engineering and specialization in the engineering fields go well beyond that. So just because you have great math and physics departments doesn’t translate right away to a great engineering department.
I would also agree that graduating from MIT in engineering would lead to more opportunities that Harvard in engineering.
I expect Harvard’s engineering school to be going up in the rankings over the next decade. They are putting a lot of money into it and stole lured their new dean from UCSB a couple years ago.
Harvard is pouring millions of dollars into its engineering. The ranking will rise, but I expect quite a bit of growing pains. There was a Crimson article about concerns voiced over the fact that engineering is across the river from the rest of campus. This is the problem Princeton engineering has. Maybe Yale, too? The science and engineering majors are physically separated from the other students and take more classes which add to the isolation that the engineers feel. One student was quoted as saying he regretted going to Harvard for engineering because all the internships were going to students from other schools.
Looks like Stanford would be a far better option for Engineering. I think I’ll EA there instead of HYP.
If you want an excellent engineering education in Boston, MIT and Olin are much better for that.
So the US news report ranking of math programs is based off of the graduate program which is generally an indication of how much research is being generated, the research strength of the faculty, and the placement of the graduate students. It does not indicate the strengths of other areas which use math. Pure math research is basically completely unrelated to engineering at this point. The others are right in saying that if you want to study engineering there are better, more established options. However, if you do wish to math then Harvard is probably one of the best places.
Just a comment and question on location mentioned:
I drive by the Engineering building at Harvard every day, on Oxford Street. RIght in the middle of campus. I know there was a proposal to move it: is that happening?
If it is across the river it is a short walk from the residential houses, which are mostly on the river.
@compmom, the Allston campus is slated to hold most of the SEAS programs along with R&D and other space starting in a few years. Maybe it will seem far away or maybe the fancy new facilities will make up for its distance. It is also relatively close to the Medical School.
One of my children is an athlete who crosses the river daily. Now that I’ve done this many times, Allston doesn’t seem as remote. I understand there will also be a robust shuttle system.
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/05/a-sun-bright-future-in-allston/