If you have experience with either of these schools then shed some light on your personal experiences.
Why do you think one school is better than the other?
What is the most common major?
What are some stereotypes about your school that are not true?
Generally, how does the student body differ at these schools?
Also, what school is stronger for certain subjects like physics, business, biology, political science, etc.
I could easily look up rankings on the internet to find out which school is better in certain subjects, but I was hoping to get some personal experience.
A comparison of the major distribution is below. There are some obvious differences. CS is by far the most common major at Stanford. Nothing else comes close. Several of the other most popular majors at Stanford are unique majors not offered at Harvard such as Human Biology; Symbolic Systems; Management Sciences & Engineering; and Science, Technology, & Society.
Economics is the most common concentration at Harvard, as it has been for many years, although CS is quickly catching up. In general students who are interested in pursuing CS in Silicon Valley tend to be more interested in Stanford. And students who are interested in pursuing finance on Wall Street tend to be more interested in Harvard. Harvard also has a relatively larger enrollment in more traditional non-vocational majors like mathematics and history than does Stanford.
The most enrolled majors at Stanford are:
The concentrations with largest number of degrees at Harvard are:
Atmosphere is quite different. Stanford has a more laid back vibe at least on the surface. There is common mention of the duck syndrome, serene on top and paddling like crazy under the surface. Also, the weather and physical beauty cannot be overstated. It is bucolic and not called “the Farm” for nothing. Harvard is more urban, surrounded by Cambridge. Stanford has always had a practical bent since its founding, hence the large number of CS and engineering majors. Harvard is more connected to finance and wall street, hence the high number of econ majors.
If you like Taco Bell.
Literally everyone I know who has spent a good amount of time at both colleges has mentioned the weather difference. Stanford and much of coastal CA has moderate temperatures all year round, with no rain in the summer and light rain in the winter (averages less rain than Harvard for every month). There are not traditional 4 seasons. I grew up in the northeast and attended Stanford, so this was a big shock for me as well.
The moderate weather has more or less direct impacts on a variety of other areas. For example, there tend to be more outdoor activities than Harvard, particularly in the winter. This includes things like students biking around campus, as well as more activity in various sports and club teams. When I was there, the Cycling Club team had rides from the post office each non-rainy day during the winter, Ultimate Frisbee Club team had games, the Crew team went in the water 6 days a week during the winter (including rainy days), etc. I think the weather also contributes to the more laid back atmosphere described above.
I believe “the Farm” name relates to the history of the college being established on Leland and Jane Stanford’s Palo Alto Stock Farm grounds in the late 1800s. At the time the founding grant included the requirement for farm instruction quoted below. However, I don’t think Stanford had a farm for instruction for much of recent decades, until establishing the O’Donohue Family Stanford Education Farm in 2014
- To maintain on the Palo Alto Estate a farm for instruction in
Agriculture in all its branches.
While the campus no longer looks like a farm today, it is one of the ~6 largest campuses in the US with ~half of the property on mostly empty land, such the hiking trails by the dish. This can give somewhat of an separated bubble feel, although it is relatively common for upperclassmen to travel off campus. I had a part time job at a tech company in Palo Alto, which was close enough to bike to from campus. In contrast, Harvard has more of a traditional college town feel, with several other colleges located nearby, including MIT, where it’s my understanding students can cross register for classes.
Even the first full 4 year class back in 1895 had a good portion of students majoring in EE. And this engineering presence combined with encouragement/support for starting companies rather than going to east coast for jobs has a lot to do with the formation of Silicon Valley around Stanford.
However, the explosion in CS majors is new. Even in the mid 1990s, only ~15% of students majored in CS+Engineering, with only a few dozen CS grads per year. The number of students enrolled in CS increased by a factor of more than 5x over the 10 year period from 2008 to 2018 and is still increasing today. Harvard CS concentration enrollment increased by approximately the same 5x factor during this period. However, Harvard started with fewer CS majors than Stanford in 2008 (and most other earlier years), so they still have fewer today.