<p>People always say it is Harvard. Can you explain why? What college do you think is the most renowned and why?</p>
<p>Most money, best graduates, most competitive to attend, big, etc.</p>
<p>It is Harvard. Easy.</p>
<p>Oxford and Cambridge are bigtime too, but Harvard wins.</p>
<p>The word "renown" is just a synonym for "fame." The way to find out which university is the most famous (most renowned) would be to conduct a survey. In the absence of a worldwide, scientifically conducted survey, my general impression, after living in two countries and visiting some others, is that Harvard is certainly one of the most famous, and perhaps the very most famous, university in the world. It is old and has had graduates who have become United States presidents and otherwise got into history books.</p>
<p>Probably Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Cornell (higher international regard than national).</p>
<p>Stringa1234 is absolutely right</p>
<p>+Berkeley and Oxford and Cambridge.</p>
<p>Cornell is regarded much much much higher internationally than on CC.</p>
<p>Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Oxford, Cambridge, MIT, Caltech, Stanford</p>
<p>Maybe IIT</p>
<p>
[quote]
Which university is the most world-renowned?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's Harvard. </p>
<p>Why? </p>
<p>International stature, wealth (endowment), highly distinguished faculty across every discipline, unparalleled selectivity due to highest yield, location in the power corridor of the most powerful country in the world. Every other university mentioned is a distant No. 2 or lower, imo.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Cornell is regarded much much much higher internationally than on CC.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Where? In what countries, for what reasons?</p>
<p>I think people would be surprised by how not well-known Princeton and Yale are internationally. And that's probably because they aren't quite the research powerhouses that Harvard and Stanford and Berkeley and MIT and Oxbridge are.</p>
<p>It is pretty interesting to read this: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/264721-what-s-hardest-most-prestigious-university-world.html?highlight=iit+korea%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-confidential-cafe/264721-what-s-hardest-most-prestigious-university-world.html?highlight=iit+korea</a></p>
<p>Harvard. Quod erat demonstratum.</p>
<p>It's Harvard hands down and has been for the last quarter to half century. 50 to 100 years ago, Oxford would likely have made an equally strong case.</p>
<p>25-50 years from now, if I were a betting man -- and I am -- I'd say Stanford is the one university that makes the strongest case to challenge or even overtake Harvard. Why? Simple. Silicon Valley or more simply the increasing importance of technology. We are just entering the information age and unlike other revolutionary periods (industrial, etc.) technology moves at breakneck speed. Stanford is already one of the most famous universities, so there is very little brand building required (heck, take a look at its yield numbers present day -- its already knocking on Harvard's door). Its pole position at the center of the tech universe will catapult it to another level.</p>
<p>The other secondary reason is Stanford's proximity (the one elite university bordering the Pacific Ocean) and popularity with the world's highest growing region, namely Asia. We are entering what many call "the Asian century" with China and India leading that charge. And this geographic progression makes sense: Oxford (Europe) --> Harvard (America) --> Stanford (America / Asia).</p>
<p>I'd bet that Harvard maintains its status. Why? Because Harvard has made its way not only into culture, but language: "Harvard" now denotes "super elite school that's very difficult to get into." If there's one school that someone wants to refer to to make a point, it's Harvard.</p>
<p>"Where? In what countries, for what reasons?"</p>
<p>Cornell's built itself into being a very transnational research university - in many ways defining a new type of university for the global world. Take, for example, its new medical campus in Qatar. I don't know if it makes the list of "most renowned", but I would assume that's why it has so much of a higher rep internationally than it does nationally. I think people get caught up on its partial land grant status here and miss the bigger picture.</p>
<p>Oxford and Cambridge had that.
And Harvard still will.</p>
<p>But, I think that that assumtion of Stanford's growing position could be accurate. After Stanford I would guess somewhere in China, then India, then Africa, then Europe. Following the circle of growth.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'd bet that Harvard maintains its status. Why? Because Harvard has made its way not only into culture, but language: "Harvard" now denotes "super elite school that's very difficult to get into." If there's one school that someone wants to refer to to make a point, it's Harvard.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Things change. 50-100 years ago, you could have said the same about Oxford. But my point still stands: technology has changed the game.</p>
<p>15 short years ago, the internet was an obscure concept that drew little attention outside of academia. Millions of people around the globe use the internet daily today. Google (perhaps the most important company in existence today -- if not the most important it will be one of the most important) didn't even exist 10 years ago. </p>
<p>Things change. That is the only constant. And things will begin changing faster than ever. You have to ask yourself which school is best positioned to capitalize on the rising importance of technology? A school that already draws interest and demand from the best minds around the world. Check. A school with established prominence in the hard and computer sciences. Check. A school that has a close association and working relationship with the center of the tech universe (academia, research, corporations, etc.). Check. A school that enjoys close proximity and popularity with the world's fastest growing region (Asia). Check.. mate.</p>
<p>IMO Harvard represents "the old economy" in many ways. Going forward, things like legacies and the old boy network will still exist at Harvard -- something that has served it well for the last three centuries -- but will become an Achilles heel going forward. Stanford is in a unique position in that it isn't as bound by those "traditions". Its rise in academic prominence is largely on the back of excellence and is far more meritocratic than a place like Harvard. And just look at where the big money is going to be in 10 years time. Technology. Again, if I were to make a bet, I'd place it on Stanford.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Things change. 50-100 years ago, you could have said the same about Oxford.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't believe Oxford ever had such status in the English language. I'm not talking about accomplishments, research, technology -- I'm talking about its placement in people's minds. For example, one example that sticks out in my mind is a list on how traumatizing AP biology is. One of them went something like, "Your parents' dreams of Harvard are gone." Why did the writer use Harvard? Why not Stanford? or Yale? Or Princeton? Because Harvard has become a symbol of elite education. It's partly because of Harvard's effect on the world, but largely because that's how culture has "picked Harvard up." I daresay that 50 years from now, no matter how much Stanford competes with Harvard because of Silicon Valley, Harvard will still be the term that people use to refer to an elite university -- it's accessible, it's well-known, and it's well-understood.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't believe Oxford ever had such status in the English language. I'm not talking about accomplishments, research, technology -- I'm talking about its placement in people's minds. For example, one example that sticks out in my mind is a list on how traumatizing AP biology is. One of them went something like, "Your parents' dreams of Harvard are gone." Why did the writer use Harvard? Why not Stanford? or Yale? Or Princeton? Because Harvard has become a symbol of elite education. It's partly because of Harvard's effect on the world, but largely because that's how culture has "picked Harvard up." I daresay that 50 years from now, no matter how much Stanford competes with Harvard because of Silicon Valley, Harvard will still be the term that people use to refer to an elite university -- it's accessible, it's well-known, and it's well-understood.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Let's be clear. I'm not arguing that Harvard doesn't enjoy that status today. I'm talking about which school will enjoy that status tomorrow.</p>
<p>As I said and I think the internet is very illustrative for the purposes of this discussion. Literally nobody even knew what the internet was 15 years ago. Today, its nearly impossible to imagine a world without it. Technology has changed the way people communicate, work, consume, entertain, inform, etc. And this is 15 short years. You talk about current lexicon and how that reflects relevance, well, how many people use the term "Google" as a verb? This is established lexicon today. A company that didn't exist 10 years ago. The next Google probably doesn't even exist today. I think its pretty reasonable to argue that in 50 years time that today's landscape will look different. That in 50 years time we will look back to today and marvel at how things have changed. </p>
<p>And with this calculus in mind, I am arguing that Stanford is the one university best positioned to capitalize on this change. So, yes, I agree and have agreed that Harvard enjoys this status today. But I believe that Stanford is best positioned to challenge and overtake Harvard going forward. From pure technology to business (venture capital) to law (intellectual property, etc.) Stanford is best positioned to take advantage of the increasing importance of technology.</p>
<p>^You can't compare Google and Harvard. Google entered common language and didn't replace anything. Whatever will be the next to be recognized widely as "the best" university will have to replace Harvard.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Whatever will be the next to be recognized widely as "the best" university will have to replace Harvard.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, and I am arguing that Stanford will be that university.</p>