I recently came across an article in New Jersey with the headline “Colleges that are probably better than Harvard.” I followed the link in the article to the original posting (http://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/colleges-that-are-probably-better-than-harvard/) and while I can definitely agree that Pomona and Swarthmore are both excellent schools, I just don’t know how many students can pass up the chance at Harvard if given the chance. I think there are a lot of strong arguments in the article.
It is absolutely true that to a certain extent, Harvard has the most hype and prestige branding, but is not necessarily the “best university in the US.” There are many measures of best, and Harvard is not all the best things for all people. I went to school across the river in Boston, and everyone up there knows: the hardest part about Harvard undergraduate is getting in. Because it’s really freaking hard to get in, but once you’re there, Harvard is notorious for grade inflation (a disproportionate number of Harvard students get As). There are absolutely, 100% schools that are not Harvard that provide more rigorous academics, or are better than Harvard in certain areas. And then there are things that Harvard flat out does better than other schools. Now, IMO, I think there are Harvard gradate programs that just cannot be beat, but those programs don’t usually trickle down to undergraduate.
So that is to say: prestige is not always equal to academic rigor or relative “best” quality. The Ivies like Harvard are no doubt academically excellent and superior institutions, but that doesn’t mean “lesser” schools can’t be “better.” But the question becomes: “better for what?” Pomona may, indeed, be better than Harvard for a particular kind of student for a specific major or reason. At the least, it may be just as good as in terms of long term life & career outcomes. All the Pomona econ grads I know are doing pretty darn well for themselves, ten years out.
Or field specific: I have a journalism degree from a ranked journalism school that is Not Harvard. Many excellent journalists went to Harvard, but they don’t have an actual journalism major, so it’s not necessarily the “best” school for journalism (Columbia doesn’t have undergraduate journalism, either, despite being home to the best JO graduate program in the country). For me, BU was “better than” Harvard for journalism, because I wanted that practical major curriculum (and a merit scholarship).
I think the point of the article is that you don’t HAVE to chase the prestige of Harvard, because you can get just as good, if not a better academic & social experience elsewhere. Harvard is still a great school, but your life will not end if you don’t go there.
As relates to this topic, when the Boston Globe asked then candidate, now Massachusetts Governor, Charlie Baker to take the Proust Questionnaire, he responded as follows:
Q: What is your greatest regret?
A: Not going to Hamilton College. I never really felt comfortable at Harvard.