<p>I think Harvard just because you mentioned not wanting the intense workload - for which Swat is notorious. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these. Truth be told, I think any of the top 10 schools will give you the same opportunities.</p>
<p>nicks, re your post #18:</p>
<p>"Yes, you're obviously right, no one who goes to Williams can possibly succeed without their (sic.) father's money." Nice strawman argument.</p>
<p>"I'm not saying that [Harvard and Yale] aren't good schools...." Boy, I bet they're breathing a sigh of relief in Cambridge and New Haven now that they've been deemed OK by nicks.</p>
<p>"...when there were only Ivy League schools...." There were a few other colleges before this country was a country, you know.</p>
<p>You wrote so much, but said so little. I'm impressed. </p>
<p>If my argument is so poor then why don't you refute it. Show me how those who take the "less obvious" path have to rely on their "family fortune(s)." They're your words not mine after all.</p>
<p>You know, you're very insightful. Clearly the entire point of my above post was to say that Harvard and Yale were OK schools. You really saw to the center of my argument there. Well done!</p>
<p>Hey TourGuide and nicks, could we please take the arguing somewhere else? There's a student here that needs guidance on where to go; let's stay on topic please.</p>
<p>Me personally, I tend to agree that since you like Swarthmore more and seem to feel you're going to have a better fit there, you should go there. Don't worry about the name, it only really matters for graduate school, as others have said.</p>
<p>Go with Swarthmore, the better undergraduate school.</p>
<p>As others have said, you seem to like Swarthmore better than Harvard.</p>
<p>And won't it be just as gratifying for your mother to say that you were not only accepted to Harvard, but turned it down?</p>
<p>Wow. Thanks for the help, folks. Just to be sure--I'm not looking for anyone to make the decision for me or even to "guide" me, exactly--I was just curious about what opinions might be out there about either school. Thank you all for sharing; this is really helping me sort out how I feel about both schools.</p>
<p>Having spent a lot of time on both campuses during my undergrad years, I would not consider either Swarthmore or Harvard to be laid-back places.</p>
<p>Harvard gives you more freedom than does Swarthmore to control the intensity of your workload from semester to semester. But both schools attract highly motivated kids who work hard.</p>
<p>I was a Harvard transfer, but it might help us to know where you're transferring FROM, and why, so that we can talk about those aspects that drove you to apply.</p>
<p>Just out of curiousity...what were your stats? Those are some amazing school and I commend you on having made it that far. Can you please share what about your profile helped you get there?</p>
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<p>it might help us to know where you're transferring FROM, and why, so that we can talk about those aspects that drove you to apply.</p>
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<p>I'm in a community college right now, so I really don't have a choice but to transfer.</p>
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<p>Having spent a lot of time on both campuses during my undergrad years, I would not consider either Swarthmore or Harvard to be laid-back places.</p>
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<p>More accurate than "laid-back" might be "non-competitive," I think. From what I've heard, at least, Harvard attracts more cutthroat resume-builders (like yours truly) than Swarthmore does. I know I can hack it in either environment, but, by nature, I like to keep the competitiveness low-key, and prefer the company of the same.</p>
<p>BTW, I narrowed it down to Harvard and Swarthmore because, from my options, I think they both represent the best of what each type of school has to offer-- Harvard with the biggest big name and resources, and Swarthmore with the strongest academic reputation for undergrads.</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
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<p>Just out of curiousity...what were your stats? Those are some amazing school and I commend you on having made it that far. Can you please share what about your profile helped you get there?</p>
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<p>SAT:
W 800
CR 800
M 660</p>
<p>SAT II:
Lit 730 (?) -- (Can't remember)
Spa 770
US Hist 700 (?)</p>
<p>GPA 3.93 (more or less)</p>
<p>Background/Extracurriculars:
-Did a few years in the Coast Guard after h.s.
-Work as an english tutor and completed an Americorps contract.
-Presented a paper at an undergrad Lit conference.
-Was very lucky to get some killer recommendations from some very nice instructors.</p>
<p>I've been really lucky so far; I think what really helped me get into those schools was having some experience in the real world that set me apart from the crowd (I think, anyway).</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>yale .</p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptances. That's a heck of an accomplishment. I empathize with you in that you want to give your mother bragging rights, especially given her current situation and past sacrifices. </p>
<p>If you are concerned about job or graduate school placement, bear in mind that HR officials are knowledgeable about any number of schools and programs. If it comes down to an applicant from Harvard and another from Swat--or even a lesser-known school--the employer will select the one with more experience and accomplishments. To that end, Swat has some exceptional resources for faculty collaboration. And when you apply for grad school/fellowships/internships/jobs, those faculty will be able to write you a much better rec that those at another university. It is entirely possible that you, as a Swat grad, will outplace Harvard grad in the grad school admissions process or in employment apps. </p>
<p>Incidently, Swat's harder to get into as a transfer than Harvard is simply because their retention rate is so high. I know a girl who turned down Princeton for Swat, and never regretted a second of it. </p>
<p>You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. And it doesn't seem like you personally care so much about prestige--you want to go to a good school, and you want to do something nice for your mom. Who could blame you? You've certainly earned it. But your posts seem to stand in direct contrast to some of the others on this thread, ex:</p>
<p>"harvard, dont listen to the rest of these kids on the board who will say take what you want over harvard, these kids have never been accepted and their opinions are worth nothing"</p>
<p>vicfromqueens, go wherever it is you think you will learn the most. As a transfer student, you have a better idea of what you want from your education and I think you are sensible enough to know where to best invest the next few years of your life. Harvard may give you brand-name recognition on the street, but Swat will in all likelihood offer you more opportunities as an undergraduate. </p>
<p>As for Harvard, there's always grad school.</p>
<p>PS: I hope your mom feels better.</p>
<p>Thanks, Pip-pip.</p>
<p>You articulated exactly what I've been thinking. If I was just interested in getting a degree to get a job, Harvard would be a no-brainer, but I'm looking at going to grad school, and Swarthmore might be better preparation for that (and anyway, big-time physicists probably don't spend much of their time working with undergrads).</p>
<p>And I'm not too worried either way--I figure college is what you make it no matter where you go. If I can make the most out of Podunk Community College, I'm sure I'll do okay at Swarthmore or Harvard :)</p>
<p>Thanks again for your help.</p>
<p>It frustrates me the way some of the users talk here. They really sound like they have no idea what they are talking about.</p>
<p>Just choose the one you want to go too, DO NOT choose Harvard just because of the name and prestige. Both schools have much prestige surrounding them, and are considered equally academically by most. </p>
<p>Choose the one you want to go too, it is as simple as that.</p>
<p>If physics is important to you, and a career goal, which school will offer the best research opportunities.</p>
<p>"Incidently, Swat's harder to get into as a transfer than Harvard is simply because their retention rate is so high."</p>
<p>Downright false information. I was accepted to Swat a year ago as a transfer with 3.6 GPA. Their transfer acceptance rate has hovered around 20-30% for a few years for applicants with 3.6 GPA and above in strong curriculum (they used to weed out weaker apps in a pre-app process, now that they've stopped selection % might drop to like 15%, if the number of apps remain the same). More generally, it depends on the year. But I don't think selections %s should make your decision. </p>
<p>Realistically, yes, Harvard offers more prestigious opportunities. But what you need to think about is you, and how successful you can realistically hope to be. You're not going to be able to use all the resources at either place. So go where you think you'll accomplish the most.</p>
<p>I would think that Yale would be a mixture of what you seem to like best about Harvard and Swarthmore. (laid-back undergrad focus, not as many gunners, but still with a big name)</p>
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<p>simply because their retention rate is so high. </p>
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<p>This has already been partially debunked, but I'll add a second point. The number of accepted transfers at top-ranked schools has far more to do with the school's policy for designing the class than it does with the retention rate. Many schools, including Harvard and Stanford, deliberately save some number of spots in the class to make room for incoming transfers. These schools believe that transfers add something important to the mix of the university. Harvard's graduation rate is second to none.</p>
<p>OP, have you had a chance to visit either campus?</p>
<p>"Downright false information. I was accepted to Swat a year ago as a transfer with 3.6 GPA."</p>
<p>Check the College ******* Guide. It's 5% acceptance rate.</p>