I'm undecided between Stanford and...

Colleges & Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>...Dartmouth.</p>

<p>Which would (or did) you choose and why?</p>

<p>Both of the financial aid packages are similar.</p>

<p>Thanks! This is definitely one of the toughest decisions i've ever faced.</p>

2

<p>I’d choose Stanford!</p>

3

<p>Given absolutely no other info, I’d pick Stanford.</p>

4

<p>**Stanford **
LOL</p>

5

<p>I’m planning on pursuing a major in the sciences.</p>

<p>An extensive study abroad program is very important.</p>

<p>My parents like Dartmouth better since it’s an Ivy League school.</p>

<p>Any ideas on how I can convince them into thinking otherwise?</p>

6

<p>Easy. If they are 100 students cross-admitted by Stanford and Dartmouth, 82 would go to Stanford.</p>

<p>[collegiateMatchups.JPG</a> (image)](<a href=“collegiateMatchups.JPG]collegiateMatchups.JPG (image)”>collegiateMatchups.JPG (image))</p>

7

<p>I can’t emphasize this enough - when considering schools roughly in the same ballpark in terms of “prestige,” the ivy league label or any other perceived boost in prestige should NOT be a factor to take into consideration. </p>

<p>I say this because, in picking a college and looking to maximize your happiness at a certain institution, perceived prestige for similarly placed schools WILL NOT actually have any utility for you. All the other factors - location, vibe of the students, specific curriculum offerings, matter so much more and WILL make a difference for your life at a certain school. </p>

<p>With schools that have such similar reputations (and, if anything, Stanford having probably a stronger rep), the decision should not come down to a certain label (in this case, D being an ivy). What sort of benefit will you draw from going to an ivy? Unlike a schools academic offerings, its sports scene, the types of student groups on campus, the location, etc., you can’t get any sort of real benefit from going to an ivy league school in comparison to one of D’s direct peers. Again, There just isn’t much utility here. If you were deciding between, say, Dartmouth and Colby College, then the situation might be different. Dartmouth’s reputation offers its graduates opportunities that are probably more diffcult for Colby students to attain. For the schools you mention, though, FIT should be THE factor you consider.</p>

<p>If you really need to convince your parents that Stanford is a great school, pull out rankings, show them Stanford’s financial status, do whatever superficial stuff you have to do to prove the (not hard) point that Stanford is an amazing school, and on par with any school anywhere. For your personal decision here, though, one school’s status as an ivy league college should not be that important a factor in your final decision.</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

8

<p>Stanford has 16 nobel winners, Dartmouth none.
Stanford has 4x larger endowment.
Stanford has a better student:faculty ratio.</p>

<p>On the other hand, Dartmouth graduates make more than those of any other college.</p>

<p>Use whatever stats you want to convince them either way.</p>

9

<p>

</p>

<p>If so, tell them that Stanford has perennially been ranked higher than Dartmouth on USNews. Even though that’s not a good reason to pick Stanford over Dartmouth per se, if one ascribes to your parent’s logic it would be.</p>

10

<p>Another concern. I want to ultimately live and have a career in the east coast, will it hurt having a west coast degree? I’ve heard that employers give preference to graduates in their geographic region. Is this true?</p>

11

<p>If you were talking about excellent but relatively regionally known colleges such as Pomona, Harvey Mudd or Reed, then you might be a potential disadvantage on the East Coast early in your career (later on your alma mater matters far less). However, you are considering Stanford, which is recognized worldwide as a top tier institution. </p>

<p>I’ve got an Ivy League degree and I would never expect it to provide any inherent advantage or disadvantage relative to Stanford here in New England or anywhere else. Besides, it’s what you do with it that really matters…</p>

12

<p>The only schools I would consider along with Stanford would be Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Chicago.</p>

13

<p>According to 2009 US NEWS ranking of the departments (graduate school ranking, they don’t do undergraduate science department rankings) , Stanford is #2 in math, #1 in biology, physics, chemistry, and computer science, and #2 in earth science. None of Dartmouth’s science departments is in top 20 ( I would bet almost none is even in top 40). </p>

<p>When comparing Stanford with Dartmouth, you are comparing one of the few best of the best in the world with one of the average good schools. </p>

<p>See
[Best</a> Science Schools - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/sciences.html]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/sciences.html)</p>

14

<p>Dartmouth is 2/3 undergrads, Stanford is 2/3 grad students. Consider Dartmouth and then Stanford.</p>

15

<p>[Top</a> 2000 Ranked Universities for Highest Overall School Score](<a href=“http://www.stateuniversity.com/rank/score_rank.html]Top”>http://www.stateuniversity.com/rank/score_rank.html)</p>

<p>Is this a good ranking website?</p>

<p>I’m trying to look for others besides US NEWS and Forbes (absurd!).</p>

16

<p>First, I wouldn’t consider rankings too much – visit both schools and see which feels better for you. So, let me ask, have you visited before?
Second, that ranking, though it lists Stanford at top, seems a bit sketchy, it lists Harvard at number 24, which is just funny (and kind of awesome).</p>

17

<p>in no ranking system should northwestern ever be ranked above harvard and yale…</p>

18

<p>^^True. 10 char</p>

19

<p>Yeah. Columbia’s also not even in the top 50 in that ranking system.</p>

20

<p>My younger s is also choosing between these two schools- they both have the same calendar and vacations. My older son goes to Dartmouth and his good friend goes to Stanford-both are getting excellent educations-friend at Stanford loves his computer science program;my son loves his economics program; You can’t go wrong; Both schools have happy personalities and seem new and exciting. California weather is nice/Dartmouth has its own ski mountain. It may come down to location and whether you want to go to a college or a large university.</p>