<p>Obviously, most people agree, Harvard's not that pretty, most people judge the Harvard Yard based on the highly held academics, but once you're there..."where are the ivory towers?"</p>
<p>If Harvard had a Princeton or Stanford campus to go along with its prestige, then I think the rankings would change.</p>
<ol>
<li>Columbia <3</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>Dartmouth</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>U Penn</li>
<li>Brown</li>
</ol>
<p>hm. not that i really like harvard or anything (Princeton hopeful), but I'm surprised that, with it's reputaton, harvard isnt higher up on many people's list. I also noticed that, for the most part, harvard was either first or close to last on most people's lists. Any ideas for why that might be?</p>
<p>Oh, and based on a prestige/biomed/engineering/coin flip ranking system</p>
<ol>
<li>Princeton (strong undergrad, engineering, $$$)</li>
<li>Harvard (prestige, biomed, coin flip)</li>
<li>UPenn (If i got into vagalos/fisher. Like I have a chance.)</li>
<li>Dartmouth (above UPenn if i don't get into vagalos/fisher)</li>
<li>Brown (too untraditional, and this one guy i hate is going there)</li>
<li>Columbia (I would hate living in the city)</li>
<li>Cornell (IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE)</li>
</ol>
<p>most of the students that go to harvard go there because its HARVARD....and i hate that....plus its just not my style</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>hm. not that i really like harvard or anything (Princeton hopeful), but I'm surprised that, with it's reputaton, harvard isnt higher up on many people's list. I also noticed that, for the most part, harvard was either first or close to last on most people's lists.<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>It's fashionable, particularly with a certain segment here on CC, to profess to disdain Harvard. But it's all theory at this point --> rejecting an option that you don't yet have. And perhaps there is a defense mechanism of rejecting Harvard before it can reject you. </p>
<p>But when the fat envelope from H actually arrives, many change their tune and find they don't hate it as much as they thought they did. In fact it starts looking pretty good. Next thing you know they are happy Harvard freshmen. You see this happen every year here on CC - a large majority of those accepted by Harvard choose to go there, regardless of what sour things they may have said before.</p>
<ol>
<li>Penn (yeah I'm biased, I know. Nontheless, I couldn't be happier at another school)</li>
<li>Princeton (loved its campus and academics)</li>
<li>Harvard ("Hahvadh")</li>
<li>Cornell (Gorges!)</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Dartmouth (I Personally prefer a university rather than a quasi-LAC)</li>
<li>Columbia (its location)</li>
</ol>
<p>yeah; i have yet to hear an unbiased opinion about harvard's undergrad. its either.</p>
<p>"its harvard. of course its good."
OR
"OMFG IT SUXORZZZZZNOOB!!!!!"</p>
<p>anybody willing to provide an honest comparison between harvard and other schools? are there any unbiased/fairly balanced threads?</p>
<p>haha that would probably be true coureur, but i am so in love with Brown that I don't think i would give Harvard a second glance....okay maybe a SECOND glance but that is it. i swear :)</p>
<p>wish I could be as decided as you. i still can't erase the thought of harvard EA from my mind. even if i think naught thoughts about princeton.</p>
<p>If presented with a choice between Harvard and Cornell for Engineering, I would definitely choose Cornell. Cornell and Princeton have better engineering programs and resources than Harvard. This is an unbiased fact. I am also turned off by the reported grade inflation at Harvard (and Yale and Brown and, until recently, at Princeton). High expectations bring out the best in students, e.g. rigorous grading. Similarly, I would prefer U Penn for business.</p>
<ol>
<li>UPenn
2.Yale
3.Harvard
4.Princeton
5.Cornell
6.Columbia
7.Brown</li>
<li>Dartmouth</li>
</ol>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>anybody willing to provide an honest comparison between harvard and other schools? are there any unbiased/fairly balanced threads?<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>Yes, recently an '09 student who got into Harvard, Yale, and Princeton wrote an excellent, thoughtful, and detailed analysis of all three. It's long and spread over 4 threads, but well worth reading:</p>
<p>From what I've heard, the student life at Harvard is hardly much to desire.</p>
<p>wow, thats a nice analysis. it seems honest as far as comparing the schools. thanks.</p>
<p>only thing is, rigorous grading brings out the worst in med schools. just a note, don't know if its true with other grad/professional schools, where the GPA is the primary concern...</p>
<p>The GPA concern is a bigger deal for med/law school than it generally is for PhD programs.</p>
<p>As a senior, the only Ivies I'm considering for grad school are Harvard and Columbia, with Harvard as my definite top choice for PhD programs in cell biology/neurobiology.</p>
<ol>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>Dartmouth</li>
<li>Columbia</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>UPenn</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>Penn - Overall fab - urban campus and school spirit! Decent parties and kids with lives.</li>
<li>Columbia - NY is fab and the campus is small but perfect and urban!!!</li>
<li>Cornell - Isolated but stunning campus and larger student body.</li>
<li>Yale - Will apply for grad (law).</li>
<li>Brown - Just ehish.</li>
<li>Dartmouth - Isolated. LACish.</li>
<li>Princeton - Ehhhhh. Sucky town. And it's in...um, Jersey. </li>
<li>Harvard - The whole atmosphere is very unappealing. Everyone I've talked to who has visited says it's overrated. Hahvahd is no more than a name to me. :)</li>
</ol>
<p>I rated Harvard last because, honestly, their undergrad program isn't all its reputed to be. Harvard's probably the best overall graduate school in the country, but they actually have one of the worst ratings, undergrad, in terms of student satisfaction. It's too competitive, there are too many TAs, and, for me, it's too big and close to Boston (I'm looking for tiny schools in the middle of nowhere...)</p>