My kid got into both Harvard and Stanford . They chose Harvard. They think it is great there. It is a myth to say that the faculty do not care much about teaching undergraduates. It is simply not true. The faculty at Harvard is very accessible and willing to help. Some of the TFs even hold office hours at nite and on weekends to accommodate the students. There is a huge diversity among the student body. One of the best things about Harvard is the residential house system where you will meet and live with friends from all over the world you will probably have for the rest of your life.
The school of public health at Harvard is probably the best in the world. Yale is about number 15 and Stanford doesn’t really have one. The medical school at Harvard is also probably the best in the world. I think Harvard or Stanford are good choices. I would stay away from Yale. When it comes to STEM Yale has a reputation for being second tier.
It is also a huge myth to say that Harvard is cut throat. It is extremely collaborative. The average gpa is around 3.7 and most of the students are willing to help each other. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me
My children got into all of these schools. One went to Stanford and one went to Yale. Each selected the school that felt like the best community for them and have not looked back. After years of chasing Ivy and getting into 4, DD said Stanford taught her that rankings were not all that mattered and DS couldn’t say no to Yale’s residential system. You must find your fit. Cliche, I know.
Thank to all you have replied in the last few weeks! It is heartwarming to hear all the support and respect for the various schools. I would say I learned a lot from reading your posts and would say the decision is harder than ever! All schools have their unique programs and characteristics, and I am certain I will end up where I feel most fit and happiest.
There are different pros and cons for each school, but I will be as open-minded as possible until the various admit weekends occur. Since all the schools are top-tier, prestige isn’t an issue with me. I am more interested in the opportunities for community service, public/global health, education, urban studies, etc. and will try to learn more about these programs at the various schools.
To be completely honest, I was not really considering Yale, but my interview (which happened after I received my likely) really changed my perspective that I would say that it’s almost even par. The various phone calls/emails with students, alumni, and counselors have been awesome too. I visited Harvard in the middle of a snowstorm and did not have the most fulfilling experience there, but I hope things are better in April for Visitas. I am visiting Stanford in two weeks, and Yale soon after. I have friends at Stanford and not at Yale and Harvard, so I would like I know more about S than the others. I am not sure where I am headed, but your feedback definitely has opened my eyes to really important issues and misconceptions. Thanks again so much!
Between myself and my children, my family has ample experiences w both Stanford and Harvard. But instead of writing down now, I suggest do your “shopping” first, and immerse as much as you can during the pre-frosh wknds. Ideally get away from the usual trap, go to classes that interest you the most, and talk to unders who are not visitor handlers. Seek out what the place will be like for you. It’s very possible after the visits, the decision will be straightforward. If not, you prob will have more specific questions then that others can help to answer.
Congrats to you and your family!
If I were you I’d be deciding between Yale and Stanford. No one will care that you went to one of these schools over the other (maybe Stanford if you want to work in SV). Small ranking differences in departments aren’t gong to matter. It matters I’d you’re going there for a PhD, but otherwise, it doesn’t.
People seem to choose Harvard mainly for the prestige, even though students there are consistently less satisfied than students at Yale, Stanford and Princeton. If it seems like a better fit, then by all means do it, but if that’s not why you’d be choosing it, then maybe reconsider.
I didn’t apply to Stanford because I was going to stay on the East Coast. My impression is that students really like it and that if any school actually provided better opportunities than others, it’s Stanford in tech. The CS people I know from Yale work at Google, Microsoft, etc and I think are skeptical that it put them at any kind of a disadvantage.
The reasons why people recommend Yale usually revolve around the social and intellectual experience. What is going to have the biggest impact on you is how social life is structured and what the school and its students care about. You can do whatever you want at either school, but there is definitely a bigger focus on humanities and politics at Yale and tech at Stanford. People who study science at Yale are still politically involved and, it seems to me, have a greater interest in the humanities than wound be expected. You just wouldn’t go there if you didn’t want to be a part of that broader Yale culture because you could just go somehow more STEM focused, so students are selected (both through self selection and the priorities of the admission committees) for that kind of attitude. I recently looked up a friend online because, while I knew he now in grad school at Harvard, I wasn’t sure if he was in law school or getting a PhD in astrophysics. Both seemed equally likely.
@phanp16, after reading through your all posts, my gut feeling is that the UM probably fits you the best if you got the most prestigious full-ride scholarship (not just money but the exclusive opportunities offered by this school to you) offered by this school. Your academic (and other) potential, personality, long-term career goal and life style should be integrated when you make the decision. As an Asian boy, the tickets that get you into HYS are not the academic but others e.g. services with real passion. You know your own best. GL
Hi @J2H239 thank you for your reply! Unfortunately, I turned down my invitation for the full ride scholarship at UMD with the hope that someone else with more interest in the school would get it. I intended to go there a few months ago, but unexpected things have happened since
This is like arguing about whether you want a million dollars in twenties or hundreds. Counting fairies dancing on head of a pin would be more meaningful that debating the advantages of one over the other two for an undergraduate. FA however can be much different. So compare the cost if FA is involved and then visit. The locations and feel are very different.
