<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I'm planning to apply to Harvard and MIT, and plan to major in the sciences or engineering. Which science or engineering undergraduate degree is better from which schools, Harvard or MIT?</p>
<p>Since MIT is more of a technical school than Harvard, I guess it is logical to think that a science/engineering degree from MIT is better than one from harvard.</p>
<p>It depends on what particularly you're interested in.</p>
<p>For engineering, any kind, MIT's programs are better than Harvard's. I don't know about the relative strengths of the chemistry and physics departments, but in biology and neuroscience, both schools are equally strong, although the academic experience is quite different between the schools.</p>
<p>Harvard is strong in Graduate for biology/ neuroscience... I think MIT is far better for neuroscience (from what ive heard and rankings). But harvard does have a very good neurobiology program.</p>
<p>Well, MIT's undergraduate neuroscience major is smaller than Harvard's, and from what I understand from the Harvard undergrad I'm currently working with in the lab, most of the neuro classes at MIT are much smaller.</p>
<p>But in terms of quality of research, both schools have outstanding research programs. That doesn't just matter at the graduate level.</p>
<p>In general, MIT is stronger than Harvard in the sciences. If you get into either, I don't think you'll have to worry about getting a good education. Besides, you can always cross-register.</p>
<p>Last year I got into both schools and had to make this decision. Both have equally good programs in pure sciences, though MIT is better in engineering.</p>
<p>But for me, it really came down to which atmosphere I liked better. Though Harvard did have it's positive sides, I liked MIT more.</p>
<p>Also, Harvard has a waffle iron with their school insignia on it. Pretentious?</p>
<p>haha. my friend had got into both schools and decided to go to Harvard because of pre-med. but i'm not going into pre-med or to be a doctor.
could you elaborate bit more the atmosphere between harvard and MIT?</p>
<p>In their spare time, Harvard kids play croquet and sip tea. In contrast, MIT kids build robots that kick ass!</p>
<p>In terms of obvious things I've noticed, MIT students are generally more concerned with academics than Harvard students -- at Harvard, academic work takes a backseat to extracurricular activities during term for many students, then students cram an entire's semester worth of studying into the two week reading period before finals. At MIT, academic work is important all through the semester, and extracurriculars occur simultaneously with work -- there's not this see-saw effect.</p>
<p>I have this feeling that MIT students have more of a team player mentality than Harvard students, who seem to be a little more "every man for himself." But I can't quantify that, and of course I'm only seeing on a regular basis a subset of undergrads (that is, those who work in my lab). Maybe I'll have a more coherent picture when I'm teaching in the spring.</p>
<p>Personally, I feel I made the right choice by going to MIT as an undergrad and Harvard as a grad student. MIT is much more me, and makes me feel much more like me. Not everybody has that feeling, of course.</p>
<p>as usual, molliebatmit, thanks for your input!! I have visitied MIT many times, but that was in mid-August when freshmen and some upperclassmen started to come in, then I had to go back home to start school. MIT seems a great place, from my impression during that time. I had met a lot of very nice upperclassmen who seemed willing to answer my questions and a two of my friends are freshmen there and took me around to see the MIT's first official Orientation party of the year. </p>
<p>And yes, I've visited Harvard, but there was nobody there enough to give me an impression as MIT had did. But if I got into both schools, I would certainly check out each school in more detail.</p>
<p>I'm probably thinking of a degree in biology or biological engineering, but that could change.</p>
<p>For pure science both are among the top in the world in many fields. If you know enough about what you want to study (most people in high school do not), then you can check out whether one or the other has a merely outstanding department, or truly the best there is. MIT engineering is much larger and more diverse. Harvard is building its engineering school, but this will take decades to reach the scale of MIT. For undergrad, this may not make much difference unless your major simply is not offered at one of the universities. You are getting an introductory education at both places. Also the across the board requirements at MIT and Harvard are very different. These will take up quite a bit of your time, so investigate which seems more appealing.</p>
<p>The student bodies are vastly different. Harvard has lots of students who would rather shoot themselves than take all the math and science required at MIT. Needless to say, most MIT students enjoy these courses. Harvard looks much more for students who are deeply engaged in their extra curriculars, often at the expense of their academics. The last I heard, Harvard students were considerably less likely than MIT students to go to graduate school, more likely to go to law or medical school, and more likely to enter fields for which their educations were peripheral-like politics. In many many activities the best students at Harvard are essentially professionals- acting, art, music, journalism, some sports (Division 1 vs D3). The academic climate permits them to devote a huge amount of time and energy to these things. Not many people can make it through MIT without a major time commitment to their classes.</p>
<p>If you want to end up as a scientist, it is unlikely that you will suffer going to either place. If you want to leave college and go to work as an engineer, perhaps MIT would be better.</p>
<p>wow, afan!!!! I appreciate your insights!!!!! If I were to pick a school based on your post, MIT would probably be more for me than Harvard, but if I get into both schools, I would then check out each school in more detail.</p>
<p>My college roommate's boyfriend is a Harvard Engineering Materials PhD student in that new school of Engineering that is just starting out. He chose Harvard's program over MIT's and finds it sufficiently rigorous. It was rigorous enough that I bought a punching bag, painted the veritas logo on it, and gave it to my friend as a gag birthday gift to relieve the Harvard-induced strain on their relationship (she said she wanted a Harvard punching bag...).</p>
<p>Now granted you will not be a grad student, but the Harvard engineering school is not necessarily a cakewalk.</p>
<p>Not at all saying Harvard engineering is a cakewalk. And not commenting on the graduate program at all, except for size. Undergrad engineering is hard where ever you go, Harvard no exception. My point was that the vast majority of Harvard students are not majoring in engineering, or anything like it. </p>
<p>Note, Harvard has long had a department of engineering. They recently changed it to a school of engineering and they have plans to grow it into something competitive with the engineering powerhouses. So Harvard engineering is hardly new. However, it has long been, and at the moment remains, relatively small compared to MIT or the big state university engineering programs. High quality, I gather, but small. By the time you retire, if all goes as planned, Harvard's engineering may be comparable in size and scope to an MIT, but this will not happen by the time you get to grad school.</p>
<p>For all the comments on how MIT students seem more academically-oriented than Harvard students, I have to say that Harvard students are surprisingly...'nerdy' and not all that different from how I expected MIT students to behave. Many Harvard students that I know spend a lot of time (and I mean A LOT--like all the free time and more) studying. When I chose Harvard over MIT, I was worried a bit about how there might not be any nerds and only well-rounded people, but I'm glad to see that H has its fair share of nerds too. The only major differences between the 2 would be that 1. MIT has better parties and 2. MIT has crazier activities (H still has awesome activities, but it doesn't do hacks and pumpkin drops). 3. MIT seems a lot more sexually active (or at least open to it---there are so many free condoms everywhere in MIT it's ridiculous)</p>
<p>As for sciences, MIT is better for engineering, and they're both about equal for pure sciences, and H is obviously better for premed</p>
<p>Cross-registering sounds pretty cool...</p>
<p>Cross-registering will be more cool when Harvard switches to a more MIT-like calendar (next year, I think?). At the moment, the beginning/end of classes and the final exam periods don't line up well, so it's somewhat difficult for students to coordinate.</p>
<p>haha, aznfishy, and thanks guys. </p>
<p>if i go to either school, cross-registering does sounds cool and I hope the calender issue lines up.</p>
<p>the fact that the calendar doesn't line up is the pits. i am working on a solar cooker project with some friends, and we are almost definitely going to get the fellowships we applied for to do field testing in tibet over iap--- too bad i won't be able to go, because the arabic department at harvard will not let me take the midyear exam (it's a full year class) a week early. not to mention that if i can't fit the second half of arabic a into my schedule next term, i won't get any credit for this semester.</p>
<p>it freaking sucks.</p>
<p>just one thing-- i remember way back when mollie had warned against taking mit and harvard classes back-to-back. you just have to be a decent biker - on bicycle it takes me about 9 minutes to get there, 8 to get back.</p>
<p>mit classes begin at 5 minutes after the hour and end five minutes before the hour; harvard classes start at 7 after and end exactly on the hour. so it's possible to have an mit class right before a harvard one, not the reverse. but getting to class kind of sweaty and panting every day isn't the greatest. i was doing it this term until i dropped the mit class (for non-timing related reasons) and it was fine.</p>