Is Harvard over-rated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let us know when your kid gets in and you turn it down as overrated.

Harvard was my backup school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is #18, according to Forbes.
Out of some 4000 colleges and universities in the USA, #18 is elite. There's not much difference between #1 and #18.

Columbia booster spotted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing says "prestige" like the Harvard brand. I will say when I went to undergrad there, a certain set of young male undergraduates used the Harvard name to pick up women - they called it "dropping the H-bomb." It was disgusting then and still seems to exist in the final clubs, which still exist, because of the alumni.

Oh no! Not picking up women!

The horror!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doing some research for my DC who is a sophomore. Recent grad outcomes appear very pedestrian and it appears many are struggling to find work. Are the glory days for Harvard behind them? Serious question. I cannot find reasons why Harvard is any better than other schools in the top 50 USNWR rankings. Recent matriculants I have known personally are not that impressive and seem to be a blend of legacy, VIP and athlete. What am I missing? Perhaps it is a dying brand - what am I missing? Does the emperor have any clothes here?

Its underrated for poor, okay for wealthy and overrated for donut families who end up squeezing their life savings. It costs $0- 85k, value depends on how much one is actually paying.

We declined it because kid was getting $0 need based aid and there is $0 merit scholarships. Another T20 gave half tuition merit scholarship, which made it a it better value for us. We did decline full ride state schools because kid didn't want to go there and felt free isn't necessarily a good value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overrated? It's an assemblage of many top scholars. For many grad programs, it is very prestigious. So are some other top universities across the board (yale, chicago, stanford, etc.) and then others are top in some areas. For the undergrad experience, it's hit or miss, but half of a university education is the degree stamp and certification and outside, Harvard is still salivated over more than most other peers. Take that for what it is, a leg up.

Agreed. --another Harvard grad

To PP's point, however, that is what is slowly diminishing. The more people know about admissions, and that most of these top ranked schools are better for graduate school than undergrad, the brand becomes mostly good for cocktail party soft brags, but not so much for hiring. Plus a few famous duds out there can really hurt a brand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you value. If you value attention to undergraduate education, it might be over-rated. According to USNews, which has a separate rating for best undergraduate teaching at national universities, it's tied for #18, with Miami University (Ohio). Close to this area, it's quite possible your student would get better teaching at William & Mary (tied for #7) or UMBC (tied for #9).

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching

(They have a similar ranking for liberal arts colleges: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/undergraduate-teaching)

I was trying to figure out how Elon could be at the tippy top of this list. Then I noticed that it’s generated by administrators voting on the degree to which a college prioritizes undergrads or something along those lines. I’m no Harvard booster, but I would consider this list fairly useless.

Administrators are correct that Harvard doesn't prioritize undergraduates, though.

Oh for sure. But I think the list is presented as a ranking of excellence in undergraduate teaching or something along those lines. I’m not convinced that a bunch of booster-y administrators are going to be a reliable source to tell us where the best undergraduate education can be found. no disrespect meant to Elon, I hear it’s a lovely place, but number one for undergraduate education in the country??

Well, ask professors what they value for their own kids. FIL would not allow his kids to apply to schools like Harvard that absolutely do not care about the undergrads, nor any school where undergrads are taught primarily by TAs (who know nothing about teaching).

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you value. If you value attention to undergraduate education, it might be over-rated. According to USNews, which has a separate rating for best undergraduate teaching at national universities, it's tied for #18, with Miami University (Ohio). Close to this area, it's quite possible your student would get better teaching at William & Mary (tied for #7) or UMBC (tied for #9).

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching

(They have a similar ranking for liberal arts colleges: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/undergraduate-teaching)

I was trying to figure out how Elon could be at the tippy top of this list. Then I noticed that it’s generated by administrators voting on the degree to which a college prioritizes undergrads or something along those lines. I’m no Harvard booster, but I would consider this list fairly useless.

If you are applying to undergrad, this is the thing that should matter the most.

[Anonymous]

Harvard's okay if you like old buildings and cold weather but all the savvy DCUM families send their kids to Clemson and Auburn nowadays.


Defeated on the other thread so had to smile here. Sad yet telling.

‘Defeated’?! Normal posters are here to exchange information and views, not ‘win.’ Pathetic.

[Anonymous]

40% of the sutdents in Harvard is ALDC.

Outcome info for Boston area schools for normal people by DoE:

1 MIT - Average Annual Cost $16k, Median Earnings $111K
2 Boston College - Average Annual Cost $37k, Median Earnings $93k
3 Harvard - Average Annual Cost $14k, Median Earnings $85k
2 Northeastern - Average Annual Cost $30k, Median Earnings $80k
3 Boston University - Average Annual Cost $30k, Median Earnings $76k
4 Tufts - Average Annual Cost $37k, Median Earnings $67k

Very overrated.

[Anonymous]

I mean, how can it not be?

[Anonymous]

It is extremely overrated, and this isn't an unpopular opinion. Come on, now. Don't be naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doing some research for my DC who is a sophomore. Recent grad outcomes appear very pedestrian and it appears many are struggling to find work. Are the glory days for Harvard behind them? Serious question. I cannot find reasons why Harvard is any better than other schools in the top 50 USNWR rankings. Recent matriculants I have known personally are not that impressive and seem to be a blend of legacy, VIP and athlete. What am I missing? Perhaps it is a dying brand - what am I missing? Does the emperor have any clothes here?

Curious what your research entails? Sounds like Aaron Rodgers when he was talking about the Covid vaccine..."I am doing my own research"...which meant he was doing nothing and just decided he was opposed to it from the start.

No dog in this fight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you value. If you value attention to undergraduate education, it might be over-rated. According to USNews, which has a separate rating for best undergraduate teaching at national universities, it's tied for #18, with Miami University (Ohio). Close to this area, it's quite possible your student would get better teaching at William & Mary (tied for #7) or UMBC (tied for #9).

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching

(They have a similar ranking for liberal arts colleges: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/undergraduate-teaching)

I was trying to figure out how Elon could be at the tippy top of this list. Then I noticed that it’s generated by administrators voting on the degree to which a college prioritizes undergrads or something along those lines. I’m no Harvard booster, but I would consider this list fairly useless.

Administrators are correct that Harvard doesn't prioritize undergraduates, though.

Oh for sure. But I think the list is presented as a ranking of excellence in undergraduate teaching or something along those lines. I’m not convinced that a bunch of booster-y administrators are going to be a reliable source to tell us where the best undergraduate education can be found. no disrespect meant to Elon, I hear it’s a lovely place, but number one for undergraduate education in the country??

Well, ask professors what they value for their own kids. FIL would not allow his kids to apply to schools like Harvard that absolutely do not care about the undergrads, nor any school where undergrads are taught primarily by TAs (who know nothing about teaching).

Well sure, but there are certainly plenty of schools “like Harvard” - for example Y and P That do prioritize the undergraduate experience and education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is #18, according to Forbes.
Out of some 4000 colleges and universities in the USA, #18 is elite. There's not much difference between #1 and #18.

Columbia booster spotted.

Columbia didn't rank Harvard #18. It was Forbes. Try to pay attention.