I would have personally chosen Stanford in half a heart beat, but nonetheless Harvard is still a great school.
@doubleslit I know the feeling. I had the choice of a few BS/MD programs, Cornell, UNC, UVA, or Johns Hopkins. My parents really wanted me to choose one of the more known schools but I ended up at Union College in their BS/MD Program. My choice was based on the fact that I didn’t want to have to deal with the pressure of taking MCATs and applying to medical school. You have your reasons for your choice and as far as I can tell both choices are exceptional so enjoy your summer and get to school ready to work and prove your parents wrong, also make sure to have some fun 
Econ does not participate in dual concentrations but you do econ as a secondary field if you majored in physics. Of course if you want to be an engineer, major in engineering at Harvard. If your parents want you to be an engineer and that’s not your desire, then ever more reason Harvard was right.
Buyer’s remorse is real. Had it with nearly every major purchase I made including my choice of college (NOT HARVARD!). I love my alma mater, my F-250, it all worked out with that one house (talk about buyer’s remorse) and all those other “what have I done” moments that passed.
Boston in the Fall. Palo Alto can’t touch that.
@doubleslit Now that is it May 2nd, have you found inner peace? A little thing to share along the same line…
My D has been set on her attending her #1 choice school since she fortunately got in a awhile back. No question, ever, even asked a few times to be sure, always 100% set on Plan A. Then last night, at 9:09pm PST, she sits down next to me and says she thinks she is having Fomo regarding another school on the east coast. I was like, really, at 9:09pm on May 1st? I asked her what she was thinking, but on the inside I was thinking, “Are you flippin’ kidding me?!!!” (But on the inside I also used the real word.)
So I stressed about it for a couple hours, did some emergency research, considered double committing for about 5 minutes, checked in again before bedtime to see if she was ok letting things ride, took her unenthusiastic “ya” and let it go.
With the light of a new day, it seems Fomo has long passed. It’s like last night never happened. I think May 1st is stressful whether you are 100% sure or not. Hope your Fomo vanished too.
So forget engineering and focus on your passion - physics. Do well at Harvard and you’ll likely get into the PhD program of your choice. Stop worrying.
I think your parents need to get over themselves
Having read so many posts of students with immigrant parents, there’s a similar line of thinking running through most of them. I think it’s very difficult mind set to understand for many of us who are not first generation in this country.
OP - go with your gut. You’ve clearly got a whole lot going for you to even have those choices. Please move forward with YOUR decision and enjoy your time at Harvard. Best of luck to you - I think you’ll be very successful in life.
“…go all the way to MIT?” It’s a 20 minute leisurely stroll down Mass Ave. or two stops on the T. Your parents are being childish for dissing your choice. I would tell them to grow up.
This isn’t meant to sound as hard as it might, but OP needs to do a little growing up, too. He/she described wanting the variety H would offer, isn’t 100% set on engn. Likes physics, wants to keep the engn option open, and explore IB. Makes sense.
In contrast, his parents want him in ME. And ME at Stanford. This disagreement could have happened at S, too, they might freak if he took a couple of econ courses or had a summer opp in finance. Or discovered he hated engn, a couple of years into it.
To me, it’s their vision vs his. This isn’t like choosing Nowhere State, weak in those interest areas, over a tippy top.
Breathe. If you chose S, because that’s your parents’ choice, you could be kicking yourself for not going with your own preferred decision. You can get what you want at H.
And yes, MIT is practically across the street.
Imagine your future resume, with depth as well as breadth - and a few MIT courses on it, as well.
I would tell your parents that if you do go IB after Harvard, it will likely be much more lucrative than a MechE major. It’s just a fact. Maybe that will sway them.
Seriously, this is like being mad about the color of car you chose. Personal choice…not terribly relevant. This is as good a time as any to break out from their complete control/expectations. Trust me, they won’t be hiding their heads in shame bc you went to Harvard!
@doubleslit
This is one of the funniest problems I have ever seen on cc:. Hopefully your parents will voice their deep shame in front of some other parents. I can just imagine the entertainment value of a parent complaining to the other parents that their kid was admitted to Stanford, but shamefully chose Harvard (or vice versa would be just as good). I would just want to grab a popcorn and watch the fireworks.
As you may know, Harvard allows students to take some classes as a cross registrant at MIT. You just need to choose classes with ~20 minutes between them to get there. I have heard they have some profs who are quite familiar with physics at MIT. lol It could be an excellent experience.
A few thoughts on your case of “regret”:
- I doubt that there are many (any?) 18-22 year-olds whose intellectual and professional development has been stymied because Harvard's course offerings lack sufficient breadth and rigor.
- It sounds as if your parents are concerned about reputation and "prestige" in your choice of school. If that is the case, then they should be thrilled with your decision. Globally, Harvard is the most recognized and esteemed name in the realm of higher education, challenged for that lofty perch only by Oxford and--to a lesser extent--Cambridge. Stanford is a relative newcomer on the global prestige scene: Before the tech boom, it was considered a good school, a fine school, the best private school in the Pac-10, a shining example (like Duke) of how a university could combine academic excellence with competitiveness in big-time college sports. Harvard, by contrast, has been cranking out Presidents, Supreme Court justices, thought-leaders, and business heavyweights for centuries.
- In terms of potential career earnings, you provisional plan to combine a STEM education and training in economics is sound. The average Harvard-educated investment banker, private-equity guru, hedge-fund manager, management consultant, or CEO makes vastly more than does the average engineer. Very few indeed are the engineers who get rich from founding successful tech companies or from rising to the top at established tech firms.
Encourage your parents to speak to a college advisor who speaks their native language. Any competent and stand up advisor will eloquently shame your parents of their ignorance. If everything you wrote is true, you should be congratulated for getting into these prestigious institutions and you should have the intellect to articulate to your parents that you will succeed in life regardless if you went to H, S or state school.