<p>I have been debating with several people over the controversy between Harvard and MIT, and have still not been able to find a definite verdict as to the better school overall. So I guess my question is: for a student who enters college with absolutely no idea as to his or her intended major, which school (Harvard or MIT) would be the wiser/best choice??? and essentially the better school...
Are they perhaps equivalent in quality? I am very curious as to your thoughts. thanks...</p>
<p>My strong advice is get into both before you start thinking about this -- otherwise the question is entirely irrelevant. Why would you possibly spend time on something like that before it becomes a choice you have to make?</p>
<p>...I am already in to MIT and West Point and am having a nearly impossible time choosing between the two...what are other people's thoughts?!</p>
<p>if you have NO IDEA what your major will be, harvard is clearly better because MIT is math/science oriented, whereas harvard is liberal-artsy</p>
<p>in general though, the "laypeople" are more impressed by harvard (elitist and snobby) than by mit (nerdy)</p>
<p>Last I checked, West Point and Harvard were not the same. Have they merged quietly?</p>
<p>lol^^^^^^^</p>
<p>quite possibly...however, I was partially alluding to the irrelevance of your statement...I asked a simple question and you didn't answer it (whatsoever)...but hey, we need those type of people around here...they keep us thinking :)</p>
<p>Well, the thing is that the "answer" to your question depends on the person, so there really is no definite answer. I'd pick MIT over Harvard, but Caltech over both ;-). And besides if you have absolutely no idea, I guess if you pick one, you could cross-register at the other in case you mess up.</p>
<p>That's an interesting choice, MIT vs West Point. I know a young lady choosing between West Point and U Chicago, and I thought she was a rarity. </p>
<p>Do you have to work out for months before showing up at MIT?</p>
<p>Schools mentioned here are fairly different and are excellent school in their own right. My feeling is that MIT students are fairly motivated and focus in their study,may be they already know the general direction they want to pursue. Once I visited my DD during Thanksgiving, and saw in the dorm every person study. Her friend at Harvard used to say that at Harvard your dormmate will urge you to play, while MIT your dormmate will urge you to study.</p>
<p>In any case you could cross register at MIT and Harvard. My DD did this during her undergraduate year and part of her research at grad school was carry out at Harvard.</p>
<p>As to West Point vs MIT, why not you consider ROTC at MIT? There is an institude for soldier nanotechnology at MIT doing a lot of cool stuff. So that if military is in your blood, you could help your country win the war , save your comrade and without expose youself to be shoot at. Also you could end up manage military research or military/industrial complex better than Harvard graduates.</p>
<p>There's no absolute answer to that question, because everyone has different priorities in a college experience. In some abstract sense, the academic quality of the two schools is virtually identical -- top-notch professors, top-notch students. But the student environments are somewhat different, and that's what you'll need to base your decision on.</p>
<p>Personally, having gone to MIT for undergrad and Harvard for grad school, I feel like I made the right choices in the right order. Someone else might feel differently.</p>
<p>if u r undecided, go to harvard, bcoz ull regret that after goin to MIT u feel to study english literature......it will b a bizaare, so harvard is better.</p>
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u feel to study english literature......it will b a bizaare
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<p>What language is that last post in?</p>
<p>My feeling is that if you literally have no idea what you want to do, then Harvard is a better bet -- people who come to MIT as a general rule know they enjoy some math/science/engineering field. Most of us also enjoy the humanities, but they come to mind second when thinking about what fields to go into. My thoughts are that you'll get top-notch math, science and social science at both schools. You'll get top-notch engineering at MIT and OK engineering at Harvard. You'll get top-notch liberal arts at Harvard and OK liberal arts at MIT. Pick your poison.</p>
<p>Another way is look at your strength. Normally most of people has lmited strength which somewhat limit the dirction and interest. You will be only interested in fields that you could do well. I have a niece, she is a model student and got into all the top schools but she wasn't sure what she want to do. So she went to Harvard. Four years later, she is still a model student, could do Ph.D. in biology or medicine or law. She got into top school for all of them, finally she had to choose. So she chose Harvard Law School. She did well there and thereafter, but I wasn't sure she is too happy either.So it is all up to individual, someone never know what he/she want.</p>
<p>Two thoughts. First, both schools are very difficult to get into so if you're interested in both I'd suggest you apply to both .. if you're in the 1-2% of applicants to both that get into both then deal with the choice. Then I'd suggest visiting both schools ... they are both AMAZING places ... and so very different ... and I'd guess in less than an hour on each campus you will have a strong preference for one over the other.</p>
<p>About how many people go to both CPW and Harvard Prefrosh weekend? I'm thinking about doing that if I'm admitted to MIT.</p>
<p>Well, most (~2/3) MIT admits come to CPW, and I assume most Harvard admits go to prefrosh weekend, so probably a lot. :)</p>
<p>They're extremely different places :/ If you go to either with an open mind perhaps you can grow to like both, but probably not</p>
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Once I visited my DD during Thanksgiving, and saw in the dorm every person study. Her friend at Harvard used to say that at Harvard your dormmate will urge you to play, while MIT your dormmate will urge you to study.
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<p>Your DDD is fortunate. :D</p>