<p>I'm planning on majoring in either ChemE or MechE. I'm applying to Stanford, Cornell, and Vanderbilt. There is a family endowed scholarship in my city that guarantees an 8 year full ride (undergrad and grad school) at Harvard (even plane tickets to fly to Harvard and visit family during breaks) to any senior from my high school that is accepted. It seems like too good of an opportunity to pass down, but Harvard doesn't seem like the best place to study chemical or mechanical engineering. Harvard is an amazing school and I would love to go there, but would I be better off going to a school like Stanford or Cornell to study engineering? Or am I misinformed about the strength and focus of Harvard's engineering program? I don't want to go just because of the scholarship; in fact, as a child, I had always dreamed of going to Harvard. I decided to major in engineering this year, and I wasn't sure if Harvard was the best option. I didn't want to go to a school that didn't offer my major. Then again, it is Harvard. :P</p>
<p>Basically, for an prospective engineering student:
Harvard vs Stanford/Cornell/Vandy?</p>
<p>If this helps:
GPA: 3.95/4.0
ACT: 34 (hopefully made a 36 on the Dec. test)
SAT I: 2390
SAT IIs: taking them in January </p>
<p>Also, is it true that a Harvard student can take courses at MIT?</p>
<p>From those stats, sounds like you have a chance at Harvard. If you have a chance to get a full ride scholarship, there is no reason to not apply. Harvard is certainly not the best elite for engineering, but it’s Harvard. It will be a good education, and an employer certainly wont look down on you. In fact, the name of your university isn’t that important in engineering, though you may miss out on some of the crazy Alum networks (particularly at Stanford). Also I believe Harvard has MechE but not ChemE.</p>
<p>A Stanford or Cornell will have better engineering programs, but you won’t have a full ride…</p>
<p>Apply. If anything, it’s another option you will have.</p>
<p>Any yes, Harvard students are able to take MIT courses. I’m not sure on the specifics of that program, but it is possible. Can’t go wrong there- a full ride at Harvard and classes at possibly the best engineering school in the world. Something you’d need to talk to admissions about.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick reply, Pancaked.
You’re completely right, it is too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Since my family’s income is around $25K/yr I assume most elites will provide relatively large amount of financial aid for my undergrad studies. As for graduate school, I’m not so sure.
I was a little worried that if I were to attend Harvard, I might decide that I wanted to pursue ChemE. I guess I could always dual major in Chemistry and MechE.
Thanks again, I will definitely be applying.</p>
<p>Oh wow. You didn’t mention that 25k/year income! There’s a good chance you’ll have very near to a full ride anywhere you go, assuming they meet 100% of need (many elites do)… However, like you, I don’t know exactly how things go with Grad school. Hopefully someone else around here can answer that for you. May want to ask how Grad school aid works in the “Financial Aid” forum.</p>
<p>Still, that full ride at Harvard + guaranteed Grad school + plane tickets + chance of courses at MIT?! Gotta apply. Plane tickets are expensive and something no school will cover :). </p>
<p>First, apply to all, get your financial aid offers, then come back and ask the question. For example, if your family continues to make under $60,000 per year, Harvard is 100% free anyway… room/board/tuition/fees. Princeton would be 100% free as well.</p>
<p>At that time you will be able to compare the financial aid packages for each school accepting you, and weigh that against he quality of courses offered in your field of interest.</p>
<p>Grad school is sometimes also free… not so much Masters, but certainly Ph.D. programs are almost always completely funded.</p>
<p>Is that just Princeton and Harvard? What about schools like Stanford and Cornell? Is it also under 60K for them or is it something like 45K?</p>
<p>I didn’t know there was financial aid available for graduate school. That’s good to know. I know my brother’s girlfriend got a merit based full ride for undergrad but is still in debt from grad school.</p>
<p>Absolutely apply to Harvard. I would worry about all of your questions once you get accepted (or not) at the various schools you are considering.</p>
<p>As for Harvard, the engineering programs have been growing stronger and more popular over the past several years.</p>
<p>Harvard does offer a MechE track and a new biomedical engineering track (and more programs are in the planning stages). The Chemistry program is one of the best in the world and you can clearly mix and match courses and work in suitable labs to pursue your areas of interest. It is what you do in the lab that really matters (as much as your course work).</p>
<p>As we say again and again, apply … visit all of the various programs … meet with students … and then figure out which one makes the most sense.</p>
<p>I think it is important to realize that you are applying to and will be part of an entire university (not one program, degree, or department). Don’t limit your vision so early … as you may end up finding you want to do something completely different after your first year.</p>
