Is Harvard over-rated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Can you share what T20 school offered merit? Signed, donut hole mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Princeton is the overrated one (helped a lot over the last decade by USNWR). It really is HS and everyone else right now (many others are great but just not quite there).

Sorry your kid was rejected

[Anonymous]

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)

These lists are useless. easily manipulated. Based purely on subjective ratings---the surveyed responders do not even have to have any relationship whatsoever with the 15 schools that they rate. Pure 100% subjective guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Can you share what T20 school offered merit? Signed, donut hole mom

Different poster. Duke & Vanderbilt offer merit scholarships. Not sure, but I have read online that JHU offers merit money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

Nope that's your wishful thinking.

Data says you don't get much benefit from mediocre majors.

GMU CS >> Harvard English in terms of benefit.

In terms of what they actually provide, majors matter much more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

Nope that's your wishful thinking.

Data says you don't get much benefit from mediocre majors.

GMU CS >> Harvard English in terms of benefit.

In terms of what they actually provide, majors matter much more.

By same logic, you don't need to be so enamored of GMU.

Local community college computer > GMU humanities in terms of benefit.

Yet, how many would actually choose community colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

Nope that's your wishful thinking.

Data says you don't get much benefit from mediocre majors.

GMU CS >> Harvard English in terms of benefit.

In terms of what they actually provide, majors matter much more.

What a facile way of looking at this. How much value does a CS degree provide someone who doesn’t want to study CS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

Nope that's your wishful thinking.

Data says you don't get much benefit from mediocre majors.

GMU CS >> Harvard English in terms of benefit.

In terms of what they actually provide, majors matter much more.

What a facile way of looking at this. How much value does a CS degree provide someone who doesn’t want to study CS?

NP--It's not unlikely you're talking to a teenager, which would explain the simplistic thinking.

[Anonymous]

Of course not, that's silly. Unless one wants to argue that education over experience is overrated. But Harvard is the best of the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

Nope that's your wishful thinking.

Data says you don't get much benefit from mediocre majors.

GMU CS >> Harvard English in terms of benefit.

In terms of what they actually provide, majors matter much more.

Seriously if a community college has a really good solid Tech program, and the graduates get hired and paid seriou salary, I would choose it over a GMU humanity.
By same logic, you don't need to be so enamored of GMU.

Local community college computer > GMU humanities in terms of benefit.

Yet, how many would actually choose community colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

Nope that's your wishful thinking.

Data says you don't get much benefit from mediocre majors.

GMU CS >> Harvard English in terms of benefit.

In terms of what they actually provide, majors matter much more.

What a facile way of looking at this. How much value does a CS degree provide someone who doesn’t want to study CS?

Of course, not everyone can get into Harvard, and not everyone can handle serious majors.If the school is truly elite and worthwhile with benefits, a student with any major should outperform a student with more elite majors at much lesser schools. it's far from the case. 

Hence it's overrated and not too beneficial overall. 

The fact is that elite majors matter more and beneficial.

[Anonymous]

I initially said no it is not. However, after more thinking on this, I think it is second to Brown University.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I initially said no it is not. However, after more thinking on this, I think it is second to Brown University.

Brown is on par with Northeastern in this scale

Boston area schools
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
4 Northeastern - Average Annual Cost $30k, Median Earnings $80k
5 Boston University - Average Annual Cost $30k, Median Earnings $76k
6 Tufts - Average Annual Cost $37k, Median Earnings $67k

Brown - Average Annual Cost $30k, Median Earnings $79K

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?217156-Brown-University

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All these schools are overrated in terms of what they actually provide. But there are still A LOT of benefits from a Harvard degree

- signed a Harvard grad

+1 so much this

Nope that's your wishful thinking.

Data says you don't get much benefit from mediocre majors.

GMU CS >> Harvard English in terms of benefit.

In terms of what they actually provide, majors matter much more.

What a facile way of looking at this. How much value does a CS degree provide someone who doesn’t want to study CS?

Of course, not everyone can get into Harvard, and not everyone can handle serious majors.If the school is truly elite and worthwhile with benefits, a student with any major should outperform a student with more elite majors at much lesser schools. it's far from the case. 

Hence it's overrated and not too beneficial overall. 

The fact is that elite majors matter more and beneficial.

The fact that you think elite majors exist is still weird. For an individual student the best college experience is the one that allows them to flourish and excel and later gain the most opportunities in the field of their choosing. If you are into music, go to the school that best serves that interest even if you make less money (let’s admit that is the only “benefit” you are measuring and then only five to ten years out).