I can’t understand why so many talented teens try for Harvard- I get that they have the finest professors and best peer group, but why would brilliant individuals decide to go to a top school and become middle of the pack? Won’t going to a not-so-good school, where you’ll have a better class rank, be much better? Studies show that people can thrive and succeed only when they feel good about themselves. A person has to be seriously brilliant if they want to be the best at Harvard. On top of everything else, if a person doesn’t get financial aid and applies for a loan instead, by the time they graduate they’ll have a huge debt to pay off. Won’t a slightly lower ranked state college be a much better option?- where a great individual will thrive, not incur any debts, remain top of the pack, and altogether have a higher self-esteem?
So my q- why do people make it their life goal to go to the best of the best, when they may not even do that well once they start college?
For one, Harvard has more prestige and brand-value attached that is hard to find at a “not-so-good” school. Some people do not need to be the best of the best to feel good about themselves; being surrounded by equally smart and intellectual minds and knowing you worked hard to get into one of the best institutes in the world can boost one’s self esteem a lot. Also, Harvard is known as one of the most affordable universities in America, because of the financial aid they give- going elsewhere would probably incur the individual more debt than if they attended Harvard. It is impossible to predict how well you will do once you get there, but Harvard is still Harvard, and for many, it is more affordable and a much better choice academically than other colleges (if they choose to attend Harvard).
Frankly, many people apply “Why not? Maybe I’ll get lucky” and have no earthly idea what their actual odds really are. They may have always been the big fish in their small pond and are applying with fingers crossed. I’m sure the Harvard admissions staff has a few choice nicknames for these zero-chancer applicants who quickly get culled off with 2 minutes’ worth of reading. But hey, that’s another $85 (or whatever) for the Harvard coffers!
I have a feeling that the Admissions office doesn’t need to have a soda vending machine in the hallway and that their laptops, chairs and desks aren’t worn and their office Holiday party is well catered!
I think it involves having faith in themselves and their abilities despite anything in their past history.
Interestingly enough, a number of the alumni interviewers my kids have had over the years have expressed some regrets that they made the choice they did.
I think it is a misconception that Harvard is just for “the best of the best” academically. Harvard uses holistic admissions so while most of the students have some sort of extreme talent, the student body is not just comprised of geniuses. Someone from DD’s school (an athlete) was admitted with a 1780 SAT, 3.6 GPA – hardly what I would call a “genius”. I especially wonder why STEM students pursue Harvard instead of top STEM schools. Harvard provides a great liberal arts education but is way down the ranks for engineering.
@lslmom There are still some STEM students who appreciate the value of a top notch liberal arts education.
You also might want to reevaluate your perceptions of how the rankings work.
After careful consideration of the many pros and cons, a lot of families decide that Harvard is a good match for a student’s interests and goals.
But that’s not quite the same as asking why a 10-year-old might get the name “Harvard” so stuck in her head that it become the focus of a fantasy that she nurtures for the next 8 years. That, at least, is the way it happened with my daughter. As thegrant says, a lot of it really is the magic of the name.
As to OP’s specific concern about dropping from the best-of-the-best to the middle-of-the-best, frankly I think that’s a valuable experience. College is an excellent time to lose the swagger and narcissism that come from a lifetime of being the smartest kid around. Unless you plan to manage a hardware store, the let-down going to happen eventually. Better to earn your lumps at age 18 than age 25. IMHO, of course.
There’s really no sort of class rank in college so even if you were at the top of a less-known school, you wouldn’t really know. On the contrary, you might end up associating with other people who are really bright and end up comparing yourself to them (a lot of state schools have really smart honors college students who go for the money). Bottom line is that no matter where you go, you will always find people who are smarter than you and end up comparing yourself to them if that’s how you determine self-worth so going to a name brand school becomes more meaningful.
In short, in no particular order: top shelf academics in most every department, high name value–and that relates to employers and graduate school aspirations, diverse and internstional student body, compelling history and narrative, real depth in class and cohorts, and if you are in range (more or less under 150k family income) probably on average the best FA package you can receive, all things being equal, all grants, all need based, and no loans.
@dblazer Depends on the school, but most do it by percentile rank/GPA for the percentile rank. At mine, it’s top 2% are summa, next 3% are magna, next 5% are cum laude.
This may be your opinion, but you can’t speak for others. For the kids that want to go to Harvard, or any school for that matter where they may not be the top of the class, it was never about having to be. They don’t need a high GPA to feel good about themselves, it’s a different perspective where playing it safe isn’t what they thrive on. Learning is more than a reflection of a GPA, Those that go to Harvard for the name or prestige are going for the wrong reasons. Those that go to stretch and challenge themselves, are looking for something more. And Harvard offers a deeper and broader pond for them to swim in, even if it means they may be the small fish.
If you are afraid of risking your GPA in college, then don’t go to Harvard,or any of the schools where you will be the small fish in a large pond. That goes for state schools too.
For the same reasons you have consistently posted Harvard chance threads repeatedly. You seem obsessed with Harvard. It is unhealthy to be so focused to the point of asking people to ‘Reply Fast’ in earlier threads, urgently seeking responses to your obsession. Get a grip.