<p>^ i live in irvine also. haha</p>
<p>@phear_me: Use of the word "dominates" implies that MIT is not just better than HYPS, but that it is significantly better. For engineering, yes you can make that claim. But for economics, not really. Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford all have top economics departments. The same goes for physics and math. Finally, HBS is generally considered better than Sloan for business. I'm not trying to bash MIT here. I just don't think you can say it blows HYPS out of the water.</p>
<p>Phear_me, I agree that MIT should be thrown in the mix. If you are going to include HYPS, you must as well include MIT when talking about the best school. About whether or not MIT "dominates engineering, etc." I agree with you if you mean that it is one of the best and unbeatable, but matchable, in those subjects. I do not agree with you, if you mean that it is the <em>only</em> one who "dominates engineering etc." Stanford's engineering is considered peer to MIT's (and so are other schools, but not HYP) and HYPS's science and econ are peer to MIT's. Thus, they all "dominate" in economics and science and Stanford also "dominates" in engineering.</p>
<p>Granted, MIT is the top ranked school in US-NEWS. But in no way, MIT dominates engineering, because Stanford and Berkeley are just as good.
Stanford ranked higher than MIT in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and Industrial engineering by 1995 national research council ph.d programs ranking. Besides, Stanford has made a lot of great technology advancements in recent 3 or 4 decades, at least as many as MIT, if not more. Think about this: which is better? Silicon valley or route 128? Who is driving Silicon Valley? Who is driving Route 128? </p>
<p>For math, Princeton is the best in the world. MIT may be as good as Harvard and Berkeley, if not worse.</p>
<p>For physics, Berkeley=Caltech=Harvard=MIT=Princeton=Stanford</p>
<p>For economics, Chicago is the best.</p>
<p>So no dominance here.</p>
<p>I look at MIT has the best engineering school hands down, but I am not sure if its fair to compare it to HYPS in the sense that they are more diversified. If you are into engineering MIT wins, if you are into the sciences/math it becomes more of a toss up and if you want any other discipline (poli sci, history, English, foreign language) HYPS wins. So maybe I am wrong, but I think HYPS for that reason are probably better Universities since they have a wider range of excellence and for this reason Cal Tech does not belong on this list. If you don't know what you want to do with your life pick HYPS, if you want to be an engineer or something related than pick MIT....yet by no means would MIT "blow" these schools out of the water overall.</p>
<p>Also to the last poster, I don't think you can honestly say that economics at Chicago is better than HYPSM....that seems like a stretch.</p>
<p>The use of the word dominance implies exactly that ... dominance -- which is very misleading.</p>
<p>Uchicago and MIT are tied this year for numero uno -- Econ.</p>
<p>Stanford engineering isn't that far behind MIT engineering. </p>
<p>Princeton arguably has a better grad program for math, with Stanford right behind it.</p>
<p>And the hard sciences? Stanford is easily MIT's Peer institution.</p>
<p>Well, here's how college faculties rank each other in their same Ph.D. disciplines:</p>
<p>Arts & Humanities
- Eng /Span /Fr /Ger /Hist/ Art/ Ling/ Phil/ Music/Lit</p>
<p>1 UC Berkeley
2 Princeton
3 Harvard
4 Columbia
5 Cornell
6 Yale
7 Stanford</p>
<p>Biological Sciences
- cell /neuro /pharma /genetics/ phys /biochem</p>
<p>1 Stanford
1 MIT
3 Harvard
4 UCSD
5 UC Berkeley
6 Yale</p>
<p>Engineering
- Civ / Aero /Mat / Bio / EE / Mech / Chem / Indu</p>
<p>1 MIT
2 UC Berkeley
3 Stanford
4 Cal Tech
5 Princeton</p>
<p>Phy.Sci & Math
- Astro /Geo /Chem /Phys /Math /Stat /Comp /Ocean</p>
<p>1 UC Berkeley
1 MIT
3 Cal Tech
4 Princeton
5 Harvard
6 Cornell
7 Chicago
8 Stanford
9 UCSD
10 Washington
11 Texas
12 Yale</p>
<p>Soc & Behavioral Science:
- Hist /Soc /Antro /Geo /Econ /Poli /Geo /Psy</p>
<p>1 UC Berkeley
2 Stanford
2 Michigan
2 Harvard
5 Chicago
6 Yale
7 UCLA
8 Princeton</p>
<p>Based on this, I just <em>don't</em> understand how Berkeley should ever be mentioned in the same breath with these other universities!!! It is simply not on the same level.</p>
<p>
[quote]
if you want to be an engineer or something related than pick MIT....yet by no means would MIT "blow" these schools out of the water overall.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>MIT blows these schools out of the water? including Stanford? NO way.</p>
<p>Let's talk about some of the technologies that changed our life.</p>
<p>1) internet
It is Stanford people that dominate the technology related to internet. Stanford people have made much more major milestone contributions than MIT to internet, including TCP/IP protocol, google search engine, altavista search engine, 56k modem, DSL broad band internet connection, multiprotocol internet router, and SUN work station.</p>
<p>2) microprocessor
No microprocessor, No PC. Stanford ph.d. Ted Hoff invented it.</p>
<p>3) radar
The foudation of radar is klystron, invented by Stanford graduates Russell Varian and Sigurd Varian. Over the horizon radar was made possible by a Stanford prof: Oswald Villard</p>
<p>4) GPS
The GPS technology has been dominated by Brad Parkison's GPS center at Stanford</p>
<p>5)gene cloning and bioengineering
made possible by Stanford's Cohen Stanley and UCSF's Herbert Boyer</p>
<p>6)laser
Stanford people are major contributors to laser technology</p>
<p>I don't know what MIT has done, but I have no doubt that it is comparable to what Stanford has done in the field of engineering and science. Frankly, neither school is substantively better in engineering, at least to the point which it would be even a <em>small reason</em> to pick one over the other. You're talking about #1 versus (#2 or #3 on some rankings). It does not matter at that level of excellence. I would pick based on fit and other criteria at that point.</p>
<p>I think Berkeley and Stanford are about equal for Grad. </p>
<p>Because we're talking about UG and Grad I think the only two in the running that are tops across the board are Harvard and Stanford. </p>
<p>MIT just doesn't have the presence in humanities and the Big 3 professional schools.</p>
<p>Having live under the great shadow of Harvard/MIT my whole life...</p>
<p>I'd personally would love to attend MIT over Harvard. **Harvard/Stanford **combination, hands down the best, with MIT trailing....maybe a distant third.</p>
<p>MIT is a titan in the field of science and engineering. Even that is an understatement.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm pretty sure piccolojunior (btw like your name) was kidding kwu. Weasel8488, I felt the same way about humanities, but then I took the AP English Exam, which is actually supposed to be a watered down version of real humanities. Oh man, made me respect how difficult it is to analyze writing and to write critically and coherently. Those people who say math and science are harder than humanities probably aren't humanity majors. It's good for us math/sci/engineering students to know that there's a definitive answer to your problem set.
[/quote]
rofl, I always thought the opposite - that "english" and reading skills and writing skills were most important (as the teachers always say, "when the hell will you use math in the future? and etc...). But generally it correlates; like those philosophy people are pro at math and etc.</p>
<p>but then I have no preference between humanities/sciences so idk. Never really felt like becoming inclined to a particular set of areas or subjects; all are, for the most part, equally boring and nothing is harder/boringer (except maybe biology).</p>
<p>To the original topic - I always had HYPS equal since I don't know anything about which major is good and which professor/nobel dudes are the best and etc...but most of you seem to go with Harvard/Stanford, so I'll agree (more of my cousins went to those over Yale).</p>
<p>bump
i love these HYPS arguments :)</p>
<ol>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Stanford
3.Princeton</li>
<li>Yale</li>
</ol>
<p>Pretty much sums it up.</p>
<p>hum. I think this would really depend on your interests/major, though I do think Stanford is the most well-rounded school out of the four listed (good academics/sports/social environment/weather/research)</p>
<p>Between these four, my personal thoughts would be:</p>
<ol>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Princeton or Stanford
NEVER. Harvard- way too overrated, pretentious, and liberal for my family.</li>
</ol>
<p>But we’re SLAC fans, so if we could only choose between these four in real life, it’d be hands down Yale for us.</p>
<p>You know, it’s interesting to see the statements on Stanford being superior. I think it’s a regional thing. People over here (CT/RI) don’t really regard Stanford as being the best.</p>
<p>Undergraduate-wise, all excel in great academics, internship opportunities, wonderful and brilliant peers and professors, incredible resources, and all offer what most graduates agree is the best four years of your life. However, they all differ in small ways, and know that before you read on, these schools are the four that I’d choose over any other schools in the world. So, this ranking is extraordinarily marginal:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yale (Residential colleges, Master’s Teas, shopping period, resources, Humanities, generally friendliest students, President Levin, school spirit, administration leniency towards any and all student activities, courtyards, library is narrowly eclipsed by only Harvard’s and Princeton’s, best academic calendar)</p></li>
<li><p>Stanford (From all I gather, second-friendliest students- I know, extremely subjective, weather, entrepreneurial feel, laid-back atmosphere, sports, housing, labs, Sciences, Engineering, many other Undergraduate departments, exceptionally well-run, the fact that there’s always something to do on campus)</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton (Undergraduate focus, nicest and most easy to navigate campus, largest per-student endowment, Engineering, preceptorials, strong academic program, dorm quality, professor accessibility, library system, Eating Clubs)</p></li>
<li><p>Harvard (Cambridge/Boston, resources, only 30% of courses have final examinations, dorms, professors, students- the ones that don’t take themselves overly seriously, every department is distinguished in its own way, the name on your diploma, the greatest library system on Earth)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>This is a question very few applicants must realistically face, and for those facing this dilemma it comes down to personal fit and preference. My high stat son was athletically recruited by all four, liked all, and surely would have been happy at any, but had a clear preference, which he now attends. Go Tigers!</p>
<p>I like Yale better, but all of these colleges are amazing haha. who cares about which is “better” or whatever.</p>
<p>This thread demonstrates a lot of misconceptions about Yale. Datalook’s rankings are completely off. If HPS are all so much better than Yale in every area, there shouldn’t be a reason for it to win a significant portion of Harvard’s admits (30-40%), split 50/50 with Stanford, and beat Princeton. Yale’s rep in the humanities is obvious, but it has extremely high-quality social science and natural science departments; engineering will also catch up as the science/engineering expansion at Yale continues. And nothing needs to be said about grad school and job placement.</p>