<p>So I was lucky enough to be accepted by Harvard, Stanford, and the M&T program at Penn (a dual degree from engineering and Wharton). Ive read all the previous posts of the same nature, but my plans for the future are somewhat different, so I was wondering if anyone had any advice. Ive always seen myself as more of an engineer, and I would study engineering (bioengineering or computer science) if I chose to go to Harvard or Stanford, in which case I hope to work several years as an engineer post-graduation to gain experience and then go into entrepreneurship in the same field (probably without an MBA). I do not plan to go into finance/investment banking/consulting, which I know many M&T alumni end up doing. I in fact did not consider M&T too seriously until I visited and was surprised by the resources that the program offered for student-initiated projects and innovation. I think the resources available at Harvard would be comparable if not greater for computer science (Im not sure if the same could be said for bioengineering); however, it seems like the connections might not be as great as M&T alumni connections because this will be engineering connections vs M&T connections, and there isnt the second degree to fall back on if things fail on the engineering side. Stanford may have the best entrepreneurial culture and engineering program, plus it might be better recognized on the West Coast, which is where I ultimately hope to end up. However, Im not sure that it offers the same resources available at Penn or Harvard (like Tech House or TECH and the opportunity to compete for funding). Im also concerned that there will be less focused attention and expenditure of resources on students compared to M&T (because of the small group) and Harvard (because it does not have as many engineering students and is actively trying to build a better program). Basically Im trying to look for the school with the most opportunities, assuming financial aid is not an important factor. Please feel free to correct any wrong impressions that I might have gotten. Thank you!</p>
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Will do.</p>
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Stanford has the best engineering program, by many accounts has the best entrepreneurial culture, and is better recognized on the West Coast. </p>
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Money flows very freely out here for CS students. If you don’t get it from Stanford, you will probably get something from Silicon Valley. </p>
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By this criteria, Yale engineering is better than MIT. Stanford is also actively trying to build a better program. Although Stanford may have more students, that also means more opportunities, whether through classes, research, extracurriculars, and more.</p>