With May 1 approaching quickly, I’m deciding between Harvard and Princeton for undergraduate degree in CS and would appreciate any advice! Both would provide access to bright peers and an interdisciplinary curriculum, and both cost the same. Sharing specific pros and cons below:
Harvard
Pros:
World-renowned
#1 ranked on USNWR for world
Can concurrently major in CS
Cons:
Not highly ranked for CS
Teaching and interaction with professors is limited
If “theory based” is a con on both, why didn’t you select a school that isn’t theory based? I assume you were accepted to schools other than these two.
You are trying to put the weight of a decision onto metrics that do not warrant it- especially using USNWR!
How important is CS to you? Is it your primary focus, or just a good major? If you are really a CS person the decision tips to Princeton. If you aren’t sure, the decision tips to Harvard.
Have you visited both? which feels more like your place? That should get double weighting.
In the end, what will make this the “right” decision for you is making the decision, and owning it - even when (inevitably) you run into things that are disappointing. BOTH places will have good and parts to your experience, b/c that’s life.
tl;dr- imo you are trying to read tea leaves and put the responsibility for making the decision on supposedly ‘objective’ factors. That time is done. You have 2 choices, both of which can be the right decision. Take a deep breath, trust yourself, and pull the trigger. Get the sweatshirt and don’t look back.
I have recently seen people struggling with this decision to lean Harvard :-). People who are sure of their choice without much struggle seem to lean Princeton.
So therefore …
BTW, you will need to work a bit harder at Princeton other things equal. It is considered a little bit more intense.
You’ll get an excellent education at both schools. Are you intending to work in the tech industry or another field after graduation? You might visit the career center at both to see what opportunities there are. Graduates from both go onto amazing places. So there is no wrong choice.
I’m not sure what the CS curriculum is like at Harvard but have you explored both extensively? At Princeton you can choose between the AB or BSE options for CS. If you go BSE you’ll have to take all of the BSE pre-reqs just like all of the engineering majors and it will greatly limit your flexibility in other areas and also be very rigorous early on as you adjust to college. The AB option will be more flexible and will allow for more opportunity to get Certificates (minors) in other areas you might be interested in. If you do change majors you can always get a CS Certificate.
What other areas might you explore besides CS? Did you pick CS because of long range job opportunities? I mean if you end up with AB in Math or Physics and a Certificate in CS from Princeton you most likely will not have a problem getting a job as a Software Engineer.
I wouldn’t let Harvard’s CS ranking be a negative, though silicon valley companies rarely look at where you went to undergrad as factor in hiring, you’d be able to get an interview with a CS from Harvard. Getting the job would of course depend how you did on the interview, not where you went. If you can take any CS classes at MIT, that should seal the deal for Harvard.
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Also, historically a better CS program, even though Harvard has made efforts in recent years, I believe Princeton has a better offering as far as course selection.
