I know that they have spectacular grad schools, but I’m not sure why people would decide to go there for undergrad besides the opportunities given to them from their matriculation. I’m not trying to piss anyone off; I’m genuinely asking. What could I study at either? I’m just genuinely confused
Thanks!
Everything, what major are you looking for?
It really doesn’t have to do much with the education itself so much as the talent you surround yourself with and the post-grad opportunities the name can get you. It’s probably no different from why you find the grad schools ‘spectacular.’
How do you “know” that they have fabulously great grad schools? How do you “know” that their undergrad might not be great? What other schools’ undergrad experiences do you “know” is great?
Why is your supposition about their grad schools given greater weight than others suppositions about their undergrad?
Yale in particular is famous for its undergraduate focus, so I am perplexed at this question.
I suppose it comes down to small class sizes, opportunities given to students (study abroad, internships, etc), and just the name of the university. I agree though, the schools really shine in their grad schools (although undergrad is also top notch).
Btw sorry a lot of people who comment here won’t answer your question, seems to be a trend on here.
To be perfectly honest, there isn’t much reason to believe that the instructors are better than at other colleges and universities - there are so few academic jobs out there that even low-ranking 4-year institutions and community colleges can be really picky about who they hire. The big difference at Harvard/Yale/MIT/Stanford (and at smaller highly ranked institutions such as Swarthmore or Wellesley), is the student body. It is composed almost entirely of very smart, very driven students. This creates a very different atmosphere in the classroom, in campus activities, and in the residence halls than one is likely to encounter at other kinds of colleges and universities.
@Jr12317 mostly engineering/business
Well firstly, with their FA, they are much more affordable for many people than other schools. Another thing is definitely the student body. Being surrounded by diverse, intellectually curious, and all-around impressive peers would inspire me to work even harder.
I’m actually someone who’s planning on going to Yale for engineering. Even though it’s not widely regarded as particularly strong, the fact that Yale has close to a 1:1 student to faculty ratio means that there are lots of opportunities for research etc. as an undergraduate. I also like the idea of a smaller, more close-knit engineering school.
If Wall Street is something you’re hoping for, Harvard and Yale are also one of the schools where there is a lot of recruitment happening.
People to go to Harvard and Yale because they are prestigious schools.
This also means that they generally have better professors/more research opportunities than less prestigious schools.
Grad School adcoms want (I think?) Research/Publishing with Professor and great letter of Recs along with obviously good GPA and test scores.
A stellar letter of Rec and research/publication with a renowned professor carries significantly more weight than those things with a professor nobody’s ever heard of (generally).
Going to a great undergrad school indirectly helps a motivated student get into a spectacular grad school, given that the student wisely uses the resources that are given to him.
running1998
You seem like a driven student per previous posts and threads. But what I hear most from your post,and this may be my misunderstanding, is fear of not getting into your top choices, so what’s so great about them? Truth is all these schools are crap shoots for everyone, so just go for it and give it your best shot.
What’s great about H/Y is similar to what’s great about all the other schools you are aiming for- vast opportunities and resources, and what others above have told you. But if you don’t know, then why apply?
Here are starter points: the intimacy of the residential college system; the great scholastic depth of class and cohorts; arguably the best FA in the nation (all need based, no loans, for example at family income of 80K, you would pay literally nothing for tuition, romm and board); incredible resources (for example, study abroad on the school’s dime); incredible tradition and reputation, should I continue?
@rubberfall that’s exactly why I asked. I’m not sure if I am going to apply. As of right now I will not because I want to go into engineering undergrad. I just don’t see how a vast majority of people want to go to harvard or yale when engineering is such a big slice of what students study undergrad.
@rubberfall and I see a lot of engineering kids in my school apply to both when neither are too strong in the field
If you are certain you want to study engineering and/or business, then there are probably a number of better choices than Harvard or Yale. They are great universities, probably the greatest in the world, but that doesn’t mean that they are the best at everything for everyone.
Think for a moment, though, about what Bill Gates – an engineering-and-business kind of guy if ever there was one – got out of just a few semesters at Harvard. He took the most famous, arguably most intense undergraduate math course anywhere. That probably really accelerated his understanding of math, and also gave him the confidence of proving his intelligence at a very high level. He met and forged friendships with a number of people of the sort who would go on to become the lawyers, bankers, advertising specialists, educators, social activists, and civil servants with whom he would spend the greatest part of his time dealing as his career progressed. His effectiveness in dealing with those people may well have been helped by his college experience. And one of the different types he met at Harvard, Steve Ballmer, became his second-in-command and an essential contributor to his success. So Gates arguably got a lot out of Harvard’s strengths in attracting top-quality students and creating an environment where they can learn from each other.
As JHS pointed out above, there are better schools for a kid that knows engineering is without a doubt what they want to study in undergrad…Stanford, MIT,CalTech, UIUC, HarveyMudd, Berkley…and many more. I did not know of your interest in engineering in your initial post. However, if you aren’t sure and decide to switch, then applying to a school with strong options in other fields is something to consider. Don’t forget that Harvard and MIT students can cross-register for classes.