Harvard vs. Stanford?

<p>I got into Stanford EA, was full ridden to Duke, and hopefully (and sadly likely (black male)) will get accepted to Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. And for Stanford, I got practically no money, nor do I expect any from HPY, even though I do have the highest African American SAT score in GA state. So money wise, both Harvard and Stanford are pretty even with me in terms of money. I too have been battling this same question but for me in terms the type of education (I LOVE Stanford's education system with the quarters and I even love the Core Curriculum), food, weather, and environment (more entrepenueral (bad speller I be, lol) and less cut throat), I want to go to Stanford. But everyone pushes me toward Harvard just because of name. After stepping on both campuses for at least one week periods, I personally am choosing Stanford for everything but the prestige (and that to most people, except for those where I live, is relatively equal at both colleges), but to a lot of other people Harvard's environment would be the best (and I do know people who love their Harvard). Your best bet would be to visit the two colleges on weekends not just including the Admit Weekends and spend time with the undergraduates, sneak into a few classes, try the food, see the dorm. Pretty much experience the campus away from the peppy tour guides, and I can garuntee you your choice will be clear. The two colleges are like Coke and Pepsi. Both are excellent colas with tons of prestige (Coke may have a little more), but nobody can taste them for you. Try them and see which one you like more because you will be sipping it down for the next four years.</p>

<p>That is incredibly good advice.</p>

<p>As I sort through the "friedfun" post, the bottom-line advice to cross-admits is to visit before deciding. </p>

<p>I note that the poster, who applied SCEA to Stanford, is not yet a cross-admit, although he apparently expects to be on the basis of his URM status.</p>

<p>Certainly visiting schools where you have been admitted before deciding where to enroll is the smart thing to do. </p>

<p>Among other things, you will not only be choosing the city and school where you will live for four years, but friends and associates you will have for a lifetime, and perhaps the place where you will meet your future wife or husband.</p>

<p>Byerly, you seem ridiculously well informed about Harvard...is there any info about the yield for cross admits? I was told, for example, that among Harvard&Yale admits only 25% go to Yale. Would be very interesting to see comparable data for other universities.</p>

<p>friedfun2001, i know you can go anywhere u want, but for a full ride, i could paint myself entire body blue and watch games at cameron indoor with no problem</p>

<p>Check out this site for an excellent paper on student preferences as evidenced by enrollment after acceptance.</p>

<p><a href="http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/papers/1287.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/papers/1287.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Well that's fairly clear then: Harvard's no1 all the way. Some surprising results below though - Cal Tech much higher than I'd expected, Princeton and Stanford not quite as high as I'd expected.</p>

<p>Here is a link to a December, 2005 update of the September "Revealed Preference" study UKRUS cites:</p>

<p><a href="http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/hoxby/papers/revealedprefranking.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://post.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/hoxby/papers/revealedprefranking.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>As for cross-admit data, I am familiar with but not at liberty to disclose precise school-by-school numbers, but can report that, as far as I know, Harvard continues to claim 3/4 of cross admits from it principal SYPM rivals, and a higher rate if all Ivies are taken into account.</p>

<p>Fairly often, "losses" are to flagships and other schools offering athletic fullrides and other tuition reductions in the nature of "merit aid", which Harvard cannot match, since it awards only "need-based" financial aid.</p>

<p>Apart from those foruntate few wise enough to see beyond the figures and appreciate the value of a tutorial based education only Oxbridge can offer eh ? ;)</p>

<p>Mind me asking how you're so well informed btw? Just curious!</p>

<p>Interesting additional data in Byerly's report: an arts/sciences major division. Very surprisingly Harvard is 1st in sciences in 3rd in arts. Does a majority plan to major in sciences? Because those seem to be dominant in the overall score - MIT is 3rd overall, 3rd in sciences but outside the top 20 in arts.</p>

<p>I heard that if you get into Stanford early, you get on some sort of giant list and you're less likely to get accepted into Harvard and vice-versa. This true?</p>

<p>In some cases, at some schools, there may be a little bit of "Tufts Syndrome" at work, but my sense is that it seldom occurs to anyone at Harvard that a kid admitted there will go elsewhere, and that when it happens they are surprised and distressed!</p>

<p>*** is tufts syndrome?</p>

<p>EDIT: nevermind, got it</p>

<p>That would be untrue, evilmonkey.</p>

<p>The ivies share names, but Stanford does not.</p>

<p>who should worry most about the ivy name-sharing?
at the end of the day, would you be better off applying to two ivies than four because of name-sharing?</p>

<p>how do you guys know that ivies share names?</p>

<p>is it a fact?</p>

<p>if it is, im screwed</p>

<p>All I know is there are many kids who get into multiple ivies.</p>

<p>Of course Ivies don't share names - nor do any colleges (except maybe some public schools amongst one another - I'm not sure). Thats absurd - read whatshisnames 'A For Admissions' - these guys are way to busy for your conspiracy theories. Seriously - don't worry about it its a myth.</p>

<p>Phew, thank god.</p>

<p>maybe my opinion is biased since i luv harvard, but i'd say go with harvard</p>

<p>Everyone with an opinion is biased.</p>