I am an International applicant and I am currently deciding between these two colleges. Since I don’t have any other resource to get to know these two colleges better I thought i’d ask for the opinion of those who are currently attending/have knowledge about these institutions and see what they have to say. Finances aren’t a problem since both colleges have given me a full ride.
A little about myself: I am not quite sure about what i want to study at college though I’d prefer Economics/History/Government or maybe something else related to the Humanities/Social Sciences. I am not an extremely outgoing person, but still I do enjoy a lively environment and the company of other people. I like to keep a small yet close social group. I would want to receive an education which best helps me prepare for life after college in a way that I graduate a better person overall. After college i don’t intend on pursuing a job in the corporate sector or otherwise and want to return back to my country to do something related to comm work either independently or through an NGO. Flexibility in choosing my courses matters a lot to me because I would want a diverse educational experience. I am more of a summer person though I am willing to compromise depending on which college is the better fit. A thing about Harvard is that it seems more welcoming( i got a LL) and the aid is also marginally better in that it’ll cover my extra expenses. I am looking for an inclusive community where the students value their academics AND life outside the classroom as generally I like to keep a good balance between my academics and cocurriculars/interests(though depending on the academic rigor i don’t know how that’ll work at college)
Since i won’t be able to visit either colleges my information is limited and since this is a decision which will determine how I will be spending the next four years of my life- at a college far away from home- it is quite important to me. Any information would be highly appreciated!
Firstly, HUGE congratulations on your acceptances to both of these schools as an international! That is an extraordinary achievement, and just goes to show what a wonderful person you must be. I know you will succeed at either of these colleges based on what you have said, so I wouldn’t worry about making a ‘wrong’ decision here - you really can’t.
For the areas of study you have described, Harvard is arguably the stronger of the two, given the more economics/humanities focus you have outlined above. In general, Stanford is more STEM oriented than anything else, which is not to say that it doesn’t have excellent offerings in the humanities or anything, but is just a sort of cultural element of studying in the silicon valley. Regarding the freedom of courses, both institutions have comparably structured curricula to my knowledge - not as open and free hand as Brown, nor as prescriptive and core-centric as UChicago, but just somewhere in the middle, maybe toward Brown on the spectrum.
Lifestyle is a big one here, and it’s really a matter of who you are. I think my Stanford friends have a better work-life balance than do my Harvard friends. There is a more “school pride” sort of culture at Stanford with sports etc. but ultimately I think a noticeable plus that leads to ‘happier’ people at Stanford is the weather. Boston is COLD. Like, SERIOUSLY cold, so unless you love snow and winter and ice, you may find the winters quite unbearable at first (depending on what sort of climate you’re used to in your home country). But a good winter jacket solves most of that so certainly don’t make your decision based on it, but weather and lifestyle are notable considerations for four years of your life.
Either school will give you an amazing education and prepare you for the next chapter and help you grow as a person. Job prospects and the like are also identical between the two - both well known, both brand name diplomas that will catch someone’s eye and help push you forward for opportunities. So whatever you decide, know that it’s the right decision! Because you absolutely can’t go wrong. Good luck!
I’d generally agree with @Senior2016M - both are great, you won’t go wrong with either, Harvard probably has an edge in the subjects you’re interested in, Stanford has better weather. One other thing to consider is, since you’re planning on returning to your home country, how the relative networks of each school compare there. I would guess you might find that among the people you’re going to want to work with / get to know, there may be more with Harvard connections.
I wouldn’t base my decision on evidence-free statements like “Stanford is the future; Harvard is the present”. There is no wrong choice here.
Thank you for the response!
Generally speaking, Harvard is more well-renowned in my own country as compared to Stanford. However, school name and prestige doesn’t matter to me that much. An overall educational experience which aligns better with my interests is definitely my priority.
As far as the weather is concerned though i don’t know if i should base my decision entirely on it. It has admittedly been a concern of mine as i don’t like cold weather(particularly if it’s cold AND wet). I’ve heard Boston winters can be brutal, and where I come from the weather can get pretty hot(>40 °C) in the summers and can go as low as 0 °C(minimum) in the winters.
Why did you apply to Stanford? And why did you apply to Harvard? The reasons may still be the same for choosing one of them. Pick one and don’t look back. You will never know “what if”.
Well to be very honest with you, as an International applicant asking for a lot of aid my choice of colleges was limited. Even among them i never thought I’d get into either Harvard or Stanford let alone both so i never really considered this question up until i got into Stanford, and now that i have to make this decision about how and where to spend the next four years of my life I thought i’d seek help from those better informed than me so that i have more information before making this decision.
As far as the aid is concerned I have to pay for health insurance and my travelling expenses at Stanford which is ~5k $ p.a. and nothing at Harvard.
My son had to decide between Stanford and Harvard (and a few other top schools) a couple of years ago, and the choice between these two particular schools wasn’t hard for him. Although Harvard arguably still has, in the world at large (and in non-tech fields) a bigger name, the undergraduate experience struck us as less desirable. Aside from obvious differences like the weather and immediate surroundings, Harvard just seemed less friendly and less interested in making the undergraduate experience great (and fun). My son wanted a top-notch education at a school where undergraduate life was a priority and where he’d have a reasonably good chance of being happy on a daily basis. He struggled a lot between Stanford and Yale, but Harvard was always beneath them in his rankings. He ultimately chose Stanford and hasn’t regretted his choice. That said, I think it really depends on the individual. Harvard has a lot to offer, and some people prefer the atmosphere (and even weather) there, which is very different. On the surface, it seems more dynamic; Cambridge is definitely a more crowded, urban, and stimulating place than Palo Alto, and its access to Boston is much easier than Palo Alto’s is to San Francisco. But both schools attract similar students and professors, so intellectually you should be able to find what you want at either. Weather wasn’t a huge factor for my son when he made his decision, but it’s a big one for him now—he loves Stanford’s climate and now complains when there’s prolonged rain, which there was for a while this year. Since he’s been to the East Coast many times before in the summer and winter, he has a real basis for comparison on that score. Good luck with your decision—both Harvard and Stanford are great schools with big names and extensive alumni networks, so you really can’t go wrong either way.
I’m also an international student who had to make this decision last year. Ultimately, I chose Stanford and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It’s true that Stanford is more STEM oriented, bur it also has an amazing humanities department. The people are friendly, the weather is nice (I thought it was hot, but it’s not), there’s tons of olympic athletes (I love sports, so I really take pride in Stanford’s athletics) and the academics are World renown.
I’m obviously biased towards Stanford, but maybe making a pro and contra con list would help. If you need any help, don’t hesitate in asking me.
Degrees from both, interview for Stanford. I recall recently reading about an obscenely high proportion of Harvard grads going to Wall st jobs. That says something. I am in STEM, fondest memories of Stanford were humanities, but long ago (70’s). Good people at both, edge to Stanford.