Stanford is also a leader in graduating women CS majors
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2015/10/12/computer-science-now-most-popular-major-for-women/
Many aspects of student life at Stanford, those both known and assumed, are being discussed here. I seek to benefit from, and expand, the discussion, taking from one of the points already open in the thread.
Moderator’s note
@waitng2exhale - It is customary to respond to an OP’s questions when they are searching for answers in order to help them make their decisions. When others start asking questions, moderators usually spin them off into their own thread in order to keep them separate.
I have noticed that spin-off to be most consistent when the additional comments are far from tangential, or intended to inflame. But, so noted.
Speaking of bro culture it seems to be a tradition indoctrinated on the Harvard campus with its final clubs.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/3/9/report-lambasts-final-clubs/
The original OP asked about stem and the culture at the universities. Google which was founded by two Stanford graduates has 16 per cent women and 2 per cent Hispanics and 1 per cent blacks. Most of the other tech companies have similar demographics in the SV. California is a state that demographically is almost 50 per cent black and Hispanic. If the OP is a woman or a minority they may want to factor that into their decision equation about which school to pick
interesting logic… Facebook founded by a Harvard graduate has similar demographics… but that doesn’t fit your narrative of course.
Wow, is this petty.
By the way, the founders of Google did not receive bachelors degrees from Stanford (they were graduate students there), and the founder of Facebook did not graduate from Harvard (after two years there, he was too wrapped up turning Facebook into a business to return to college).
The notion that Stanford is somehow a bad place for women is ludicrous. Some of the strongest feminist scholarship in the country has happened there. Whatever you think of the university’s commitment to high-level athletics, no one can claim that it has not supported women’s athletics as strongly as it supports men’s athletics.
Another inaccuracy: Stanford does not have just one season. It really has three: rainy, spring, and dry. I have never experienced so sharp a transformation from winter (rainy) to spring as I did in Palo Alto. It was like someone flicked a switch, and everything bloomed.
Harvard and Stanford are probably the two strongest universities on the planet right now, and there are myriad reasons to choose either of them for undergraduate education vs. the other (just as there are myriad reasons to choose a handful of other colleges over either of them, depending on the personality and goals of the chooser). It really isn’t a right-answer/wrong-answer question, as many people have pointed out. Flipping a coin would ensure a good result, as would any other method of deciding.
I feel bad for anyone looking for real answers. There are differences between the two schools but the suggestions that one is better than the other is silly. One might be better for one person, the other might be better for a different person. It depends on variances in personality, course of study, location. Urban vs suburban, different housing systems, quarter vs semester, Greek vs mostly not Greek, sports culture vs not very sporty, northeast vs west—those are real differences and it is a personal decision how those issues factor in. But the suggestion that one is cutthroat and unfriendly while the other is sunshine and roses is, again, silly. You will find good people and great opportunities at both places. This is a win-win choice with no bad outcome!
Wow, @proudparent, that is absolutely ridiculous.
I’m currently visiting Harvard and I’m not really into it… I don’t know if I should feel bad about it.
@potterfan, I think you were mentally signed onto Stanford from the start. Don’t feel bad about it, just listen to your heart.
@pottterfan: Remember to look at everything and experience each interaction with your whole, open heart. If it is not right for you, and 3girls3cats is correct, then there is no reason to feel bad at all.
Ask yourself what Harvard would have to have, or be, to make it right for you. If the answer is ‘it would be perfect if were moved to the West coast,’ then that tells you the university may have many things to offer you.
Just be fully open. Good luck to you.
@potterfan, why should you feel bad about it? Harvard’s an amazing, wonderful school, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the best place for everyone. Your reaction should help bring you clarity and resolution, not leave you feeling guilty.
I didn’t think I could love this place more than I already did, but I was so wrong.
@potterfan: Sounds like You’re Home.
Congrats on making your choice.
i just came home and it’s official, Stanford class of 2020! I’m so excited to finally call this place home for the next 4 years
I’ll admit I’m a little sad because Harvard’s obviously a great place, but Stanford’s an even better place imo. I wish I didn’t have to turn any of my choices down, but c’est la vie.
Finally, thank you SO MUCH to everyone on this board who helped me and guided me when I was lost. This process would’ve been way worse without you guys. I hope I can guide someone as you’ve guided me and hopefully I’ll meet new trees along the CC way.
Fear the Tree:)
^^ Both are great schools, it’s just a matter of which is a better fit for you at this time. Undergrad is not the end of your life, either. I turned Harvard down for Stanford undergrad, and I turned Stanford down for Harvard for med school. Having to choose between great options is a blessing.
Good luck!
@sbballer: Fear the Frosh!