<p>Is it true that schools like HYSM prefer grad students who didn't go to their schools for undergrad so they can have a more diverse population?</p>
<p>If that's the case or if going to H undergrad hurts one's chances there for grad, then why are people so excited getting in undergrad? I am just wondering since someone brought it up.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm more interested in H grad than undergrad and I'm wondering if I'm making a mistake by choosing H undergrad when I could have gone to Penn M&T with wharton and engineering, then H for MBA or any other grad degree later on... so, how does going to H undergrad affects H grad admissions?</p>
<p>I actually read in PR's "The Truth about Harvard" that Harvard undergrads are accepted at a ridiculously higher rate to Harvard's grad and professional schools than students applying from other undergraduate, even those considered Harvard's peer schools.</p>
<p>Also, it's the end of May. Don't drive yourself crazy with "What if"s or "Could've, should've, would've"s. There's no turning back now. Spend your time getting really excited about the next four years because what other emotion is really worth it?</p>
<p>From Pages 10-11: "The Truth about Harvard" by Dov Fox, copyright 2004. A lot of info in the book is outdated, but here you go nonetheless.</p>
<p>"Harvard's highly regarded law, business, and medical schools, which accept fewer than 10 percent of all applicants, always take an excessively higher percentage of undergrads from Harvard than other top schools. Harvard Law School, for example, accepted just 555 of 5,900 applicants (9%) for its overall Class of 2004, but admitted 70 out of 169 applicants (41%) that year from Harvard College. Although Harvard undergrads tend to score well on graduate and professional school exams, the large numbers with which they are accepted to the university's post-collegiate degree programs follows in part from a special brand of confidence that admissions offices reserve for the graduates of Harvard College."</p>
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<p>Personally, I'm more interested in H grad than undergrad and I'm wondering if I'm making a mistake by choosing H undergrad when I could have gone to Penn M&T with wharton and engineering, then H for MBA or any other grad degree later on... <<</p>
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<p>Hey, take the bird in hand and go with it. Lightning may not strike for you a second time. I'm always amused by people who say they "plan" to go to XYZ college for undergrad and then on to Harvard grad/law/medical/business school - as though their admission to graduate study at Harvard was a sure thing. </p>
<p>If Harvard wants you now, GO! It will only help you later get into H or any other grad school.</p>
<p>I think Harvard undergrads make up the largest percentage of students at almost all of Harvard's graduate schools.</p>
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<p>When I was there two years ago, all of them, I think. (Not to mention most of the other top grad schools in the country.) There are no guarantees, particularly for law, business and med, but there's no question that slack is cut for H undergrads.</p>
<p>There is a MAJOR difference between admissions to the professional schools (med, bus, law, etc) and PhD programs.</p>
<p>For the professional schools, there is a significant advantage coming from Harvard College... but for many (but not all) PhD programs, there is a slight disadvantage... the reason is that the professional schools are completely separate entities with different facilities, professors, etc... whereas the the professors who teach at the College are identical to the professors who run the PhD programs... in both cases, its the FAS (Faculty of Arts & Sciences). As a general rule, undergrads are STRONGLY encouraged to go elsewhere for a PhD for the student's own benefit... to get a completely different perspective on the field from a completely different set of professors... this is incredibly important for your own professional development...</p>
<p>Now this is not true at every university, nor at every department within a university... you can definitely find departments who prefer their own undergrads... but as a GENERAL rule, they want you to go elsewhere for your own professional development.</p>
<p>I was an undergrad at Harvard in Physics & Astro, and got into PhD programs at Harvard, MIT, CalTech, Berkeley (chose Berkeley)... all of my professors at Harvard said I was highly qualified for Harvard, and accepted me because I deserved it... yet at the same time, strongly pushed me to go to to CalTech or Berkeley for my own good.</p>
<p>There is also that famous story of Feynman who was an undergrad a MIT... he wanted to stay for his PhD... but his professors "kicked" him out of MIT for his own good... and he went to Princeton for his PhD...</p>
<p>This is true. For a professional school such as business, law, or medicine, you will be at an advantage. For a PhD, you should go somewhere else to gain the perspective from another department. Staying within the same department from undergrad to grad is ok, but probably harder than coming from outside - and its on the whole much better for your own academic growth to learn through a different faculty. In general, for PhD's, one should ideally change places from undergrad to grad to post-doc to get a full breadth of academic diversity. I think it is this notion that would put you more at a disadvantage when applying internally.</p>
<p>jab93, I am a student trying to decide whether to transfer to Harvard. I'm interested in physics--would you mind sharing your experiences, in a PM or email?</p>
<p>"There is also that famous story of Feynman who was an undergrad a MIT... he wanted to stay for his PhD... but his professors "kicked" him out of MIT for his own good... and he went to Princeton for his PhD..."</p>