Top dream college - Harvard back on the top

[Anonymous]

It also has the best STEM programs in the Ivy.

This is very questionable. Cornell and Princeton definitely have an edge here.

If the grade inflation stuff is true, that will be another bonus.

WAY more than a bonus. This should be one of the core selling points. GPA is so central to grad school admissions and top entry level job opportunities. For pre-meds, pre-law, and IB/consulting kids - i.e. anyone gunning for the top paying jobs- grade inflation is a beautiful beautiful thing. Other top schools are dumb for not inflating more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard offers the best liberal arts education in social science, economics, humanities, etc. It also has the best STEM programs in the Ivy. Harvard consistently ranks #2 in college math competition behind MIT. If you want to experience MIT's engineering/cs, you could take classes there. Having a top business school, public policy, law, and medical schools also gives undergrads a lot of opportunities for research. If the grade inflation stuff is true, that will be another bonus. And there are a lot you can do in Boston.

You are delusional if you think Harvard is well regarded in STEM.

Harvard engineering ranks below UC-Boulder, Maryland, USC, UC-San Diego, UIUC, Georgia Tech, and Purdue. Not to mention MIT, Stanford, CalTech, Duke, NU, Michigan, CMU, Texas, UCLa, Berkeley and many more. Even in the Ivy League, which is not particularly impressive in engineering or CS, Princeton, Cornell, Penn, and Columbia all rank higher.

For undergrad, Harvard is very mediocre in the hard subjects. Many, many schools are much better in the majors that require actual brain power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard offers the best liberal arts education in social science, economics, humanities, etc. It also has the best STEM programs in the Ivy. Harvard consistently ranks #2 in college math competition behind MIT. If you want to experience MIT's engineering/cs, you could take classes there. Having a top business school, public policy, law, and medical schools also gives undergrads a lot of opportunities for research. If the grade inflation stuff is true, that will be another bonus. And there are a lot you can do in Boston.

You can say the same things about Stanford, which is arguably better than Harvard in several of those areas. The SV location is also superior for a lot of students interested in research, internships, and good weather!

[Anonymous]

As someone who has worked in admissions at a highly ranked professional school, I don't actually think the grade inflation at some of these schools helps most students much. It is harder to distinguish between students, which helps students who may well be weaker but who do more beyond just getting good grades. It also helps connected people more easily get internships with only slightly lower GPAs. Back when there were huge numbers of open spots, it didn't matter as much.

[Anonymous]

As someone who has worked in admissions at a highly ranked professional school, I don't actually think the grade inflation at some of these schools helps most students much. It is harder to distinguish between students, which helps students who may well be weaker but who do more beyond just getting good grades. It also helps connected people more easily get internships with only slightly lower GPAs. Back when there were huge numbers of open spots, it didn't matter as much.

Interesting. So in effect it makes the process less meritocratic for students from grade inflated schools? The inflation doesn't help more people to get in but rather just makes it possible for weaker students to take spots from stronger students?

[Anonymous]

No surprise whatsoever. Harvard is still the most prestigious name in the world.

[Anonymous]

Harvard has the best students, so why the student should not have the best (highest) gpa?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard has the best students, so why the student should not have the best (highest) gpa?

That makes it hard to tell the top students from the mediocre ones.

[Anonymous]

Harvard has the best students, so why the student should not have the best (highest) gpa?

I'm not confident that their students are actually better academically. Higher average SAT scores at MIT, CalTech, UChicago etc. Roughly comparable scores at Princeton. All four have way way lower average GPAs.

Identical kid at Harvard would likely walk away with a better GPA compared to the other four.

As far as extracurriculars and leadership it wouldn't surprise me if they are truly the best. I get the sense that Harvard really likes student government types.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Harvard has the best students, so why the student should not have the best (highest) gpa?

I'm not confident that their students are actually better academically. Higher average SAT scores at MIT, CalTech, UChicago etc. Roughly comparable scores at Princeton. All four have way way lower average GPAs.

Identical kid at Harvard would likely walk away with a better GPA compared to the other four.

As far as extracurriculars and leadership it wouldn't surprise me if they are truly the best. I get the sense that Harvard really likes student government types.

Great, a university full of Tracy Flicks. Sounds like fun.

[Anonymous]

For a top university Harvard seems to have some boastful yet weirdly insecure alumni.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For a top university Harvard seems to have some boastful yet weirdly insecure alumni.

I didn't go to Harvard but had a different reaction. A lot of obvious sour grapes in these responses.

[Anonymous]

I went to Harvard and HBS. The arrogance and elitism really irritated me then and irritate me now. “Of course it’s the best because it’s Haaaaarvard” pretty much sums it up. Definitely being told you are the best all the time result in a lot of stuffed heads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Harvard and HBS. The arrogance and elitism really irritated me then and irritate me now. “Of course it’s the best because it’s Haaaaarvard” pretty much sums it up. Definitely being told you are the best all the time result in a lot of stuffed heads.

This described the medical school student experience as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard offers the best liberal arts education in social science, economics, humanities, etc. It also has the best STEM programs in the Ivy. Harvard consistently ranks #2 in college math competition behind MIT. If you want to experience MIT's engineering/cs, you could take classes there. Having a top business school, public policy, law, and medical schools also gives undergrads a lot of opportunities for research. If the grade inflation stuff is true, that will be another bonus. And there are a lot you can do in Boston.

You are delusional if you think Harvard is well regarded in STEM.

Harvard engineering ranks below UC-Boulder, Maryland, USC, UC-San Diego, UIUC, Georgia Tech, and Purdue. Not to mention MIT, Stanford, CalTech, Duke, NU, Michigan, CMU, Texas, UCLa, Berkeley and many more. Even in the Ivy League, which is not particularly impressive in engineering or CS, Princeton, Cornell, Penn, and Columbia all rank higher.

For undergrad, Harvard is very mediocre in the hard subjects. Many, many schools are much better in the majors that require actual brain power.

https://edurank.org/math/

According to this ranking, Harvard ranks #1 in Math, Chemistry, Biology, #5 in physics, and #4 in Engineering in the world. It is mostly based on research and publication. Harvard has a new science and engineering complex that cost $1 billion to build.