Stanford vs. Harvard. vs. Wharton Undergrad Choice_Would Appreciate Thoughts

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
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<p>My friend has been accepted to all three and is facing a very tough dilemma. Wharton is quite simply the best undergrad B-school (regardless of whatever fanciful ranking it is assigned by bloomberg business week) but Stanford seems to be the school of the future. Harvard is Harvard, always has been and always will be.</p>

<p>Does anyone else feel that this shift from the Ivies to Stanford is actually PALPABLE (e.g. I can physically feel it)? The Bay Area and venture capital/innovation seem to be the new best-scenario post-collegiate paradigm for students, away from traditional lucrative sectors like PE and MBB consulting which are slowly but surely losing their former luster.</p>

<p>I am not sure what to tell my friend; I am a Wharton undergraduate. If his choice were Penn CAS/SEAS vs. Stanford, then there's no comparison and I would recommend Stanford 100 % (just being blunt and straightforward) but he's interested in business and strategy consulting.</p>

<p>It's a nice problem to have, but nevertheless, a problem. Your thoughts are much appreciated.</p>

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<p>What do you think? What does your friend think? All you have to do is independent research on the internet (I suspect your friend is smart enough to have somehow gotten into Stanford)…to answer your friend’s question. There is no right or wrong answer. You don’t need any “booster” answers from those at Stanford or Wharton…</p>

<p>…just read the headlines from New York Times, Bloomberg, Businessweek, Forbes, The Atlantic, Payscale, etc…in the past SEVERAL years…not just this year…and make up your own mind (or your friend’s mind)…</p>

<p><a href=“Harvard vs. Stanford: America has a new dream college.”>http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/04/harvard_vs_stanford_america_has_a_new_dream_college.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?;

<p><a href=“http://blog.pitchbook.com/top-universities-producing-vc-backed-entrepreneurs/”>http://blog.pitchbook.com/top-universities-producing-vc-backed-entrepreneurs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>I don’t know if UPenn has a better undergraduate “experience” for someone interested in business, classes maybe, but experience? Look at @gravitas2 links - it isn’t just about the classes.</p>

<p>Even if they do, the next question is what happens if your friend decides to change majors after freshman year…and then again after sophomore year…where is the best fit with the most options and flexibility? (many undergrads change their major). </p>

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<p>This just in…
<a href=“http://www.policymic.com/articles/87447/the-new-most-sought-after-college-in-america-isn-t-an-ivy-league-school”>http://www.policymic.com/articles/87447/the-new-most-sought-after-college-in-america-isn-t-an-ivy-league-school&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>and as @fluffy2017 has noted if your friend were to change his mind: Stanford is not only known for STEM/CS/Engineering/Venture capital/Entrepreneurship/Business/Economics…it is also known to have top programs in humanities/arts/social sciences in the world…</p>

<p><a href=“Subject Ranking 2013-14: Arts & Humanities | Times Higher Education (THE)”>http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013-14/subject-ranking/subject/arts-and-humanities&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013-14/subject-ranking/subject/social-sciences”>http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013-14/subject-ranking/subject/social-sciences&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>These days, students who are interested in business, should take advantage of the most entrepreneurial UG programs available, instead of limiting themselves to a more traditional UG business degree from a lower ranked U.
Most of the new businesses being started today are started here in SV or Calif.
Given the choice of schools, I suggest the friend go to either Stanford, if he envisions himself eventually living in Calif, or Harvard, if WS or living somewhere on the East Coast is his goal. </p>

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<p>Suppose my friend had a constraint such that his parents wanted him to stay on the East Coast since they didn’t want him to be too far away during his undergrad. In this case, would you say it is a toss-up between H and W? Both schools seem to offer any educational opportunities desirable, except for finance and business, which W provides at a higher level (sometimes by the sheer existence of a top undergrad b-school) than other elite universities.</p>

<p>So, pick between H and W?</p>

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<p>@julianandmort. Since you are a Wharton (University of Pennsylvania) undergrad who posted this question on the Penn thread and and even there received similar responses…</p>

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<p>…sorry, but it seems you want to FIND some reason to persuade your “friend” to pick “your” school…so, no more OBVIOUS and POWERFUL information (in recent and past articles) that is available for EVERYONE to read independently without prejudice will be given nor necessary…</p>

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<p>And if you knew the bogus “caveat” about having to stay on the east coast…why even post this on Stanford thread? Those who know what is going on in this WORLD (it is the 21st century…the economic power lies in the Pacific Rim and Stanford and California is part of the Pacific Rim)…don’t need to give any lip service to the other schools back east…SORRY.</p>