Why pick Harvard over Stanford?

[Anonymous]

Harvard: old money
Stanford: new money

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard students don’t go into Boston all that much and Harvard Square is pretty lame. Weather sucks too especially in the winter

I went in all the time as did many other students-it’s a short direct ride on the T to downtown and I had a job in Boston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard: old money
Stanford: new money

And this means...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Except for the name recognition of their alma mater, I haven’t found Harvard grads all that exceptional after graduation. Two that I knew very well — one was an analyst who became a SAHM (no shame in that, but showing she a normal human like everyone), the other became a local grocery store manager before becoming an Honors English Lit teacher (also very ordinary). The others I’ve known were in ordinary office jobs, many reporting to people who went to state schools.

On the other hand, the Stanford grads largely worked on interesting projects in STEM. Not all were program leaders (so normal Joes too). A couple had patents.

If I had to pick based on my acquaintances and what I know about the schools, hands down I’d pick Stanford. Harvard seems more about social connections than education based on what I know.

That's a reflection of your commoner orbit, not Harvard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard: old money
Stanford: new money

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard students don’t go into Boston all that much and Harvard Square is pretty lame. Weather sucks too especially in the winter

I went in all the time as did many other students-it’s a short direct ride on the T to downtown and I had a job in Boston.

8 Minutes to Park Street! We went into Boston for movies, concerts, shopping, museums (and work). Didn't have to (Cambridge had/has all that stuff too), but Boston was nearby and cheap/easy to get to.

Re Stanford -- Just a quick Uber trip from some of America’s finest restaurants is hardly a selling point for most undergrads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard students don’t go into Boston all that much and Harvard Square is pretty lame. Weather sucks too especially in the winter

I went in all the time as did many other students-it’s a short direct ride on the T to downtown and I had a job in Boston.

8 Minutes to Park Street! We went into Boston for movies, concerts, shopping, museums (and work). Didn't have to (Cambridge had/has all that stuff too), but Boston was nearby and cheap/easy to get to.

Re Stanford -- Just a quick Uber trip from some of America’s finest restaurants is hardly a selling point for most undergrads.

Sigh... palo alto has almost everything, and San Jose has anything it is missing

And you can WALK to those restaurants, and they are not all expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except for the name recognition of their alma mater, I haven’t found Harvard grads all that exceptional after graduation. Two that I knew very well — one was an analyst who became a SAHM (no shame in that, but showing she a normal human like everyone), the other became a local grocery store manager before becoming an Honors English Lit teacher (also very ordinary). The others I’ve known were in ordinary office jobs, many reporting to people who went to state schools.

On the other hand, the Stanford grads largely worked on interesting projects in STEM. Not all were program leaders (so normal Joes too). A couple had patents.

If I had to pick based on my acquaintances and what I know about the schools, hands down I’d pick Stanford. Harvard seems more about social connections than education based on what I know.

That's a reflection of your commoner orbit, not Harvard.

Ha! It could also reflect your inflated bubble world that doesn’t have a diverse SES mix of friends and acquaintances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard is a better name globally (although not a huge gap). And Harvard is a much more fun traditional college experience.

What?! Obviously you didn't go to Stanford...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would pick Stanford over Harvard any day and I’m a New Englander who loves Boston. I think Stanford sounds like a much more fun and dynamic place to be. And the weather is Palo Alto is amazing

Yeah, I always wanted to be an undergrad on a campus bordered by a mall, a mausoleum, a high school, and a golf course!

I was an undergrad at Stanford with no car and no money. Most of our fun was on campus, with some local haunts, but we went into "the City" frequently, went to LA for games, had dances at Half Moon Bay, Carmel, dates in Monterey and Santa Cruz, ski trips to Tahoe, etc. There is no shortage of fantastic places near Stanford. If you want to be in an urban setting, maybe BU is the place for you...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
As I said, visit Stanford and Palo Alto. If you had you’d know it is an easy stroll and an incredibly lovely commerical area with theaters, shops, bars, bookstores, and some of the best restaurants in the country. None of it “under the control” of the school.

NP here. I went to Stanford undergrad and Harvard grad, and this is just silly. Downtown Palo Alto has nothing on Cambridge and the rest of Boston in terms of restaurants, shops, and nightlife...and the student dorms are very isolated from PA. The experience is nothing like stumbling out of Harvard Yard into the bustle of Harvard Square.

For whatever it's worth, I picked Stanford undergrad over Harvard, and I never regretted that decision. So this isn't about bashing Stanford. It's just that it's ridiculous to argue that Stanford is a comparable choice for someone who prefers an urban environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As I said, visit Stanford and Palo Alto. If you had you’d know it is an easy stroll and an incredibly lovely commerical area with theaters, shops, bars, bookstores, and some of the best restaurants in the country. None of it “under the control” of the school.

NP here. I went to Stanford undergrad and Harvard grad, and this is just silly. Downtown Palo Alto has nothing on Cambridge and the rest of Boston in terms of restaurants, shops, and nightlife...and the student dorms are very isolated from PA. The experience is nothing like stumbling out of Harvard Yard into the bustle of Harvard Square.

For whatever it's worth, I picked Stanford undergrad over Harvard, and I never regretted that decision. So this isn't about bashing Stanford. It's just that it's ridiculous to argue that Stanford is a comparable choice for someone who prefers an urban environment.

With impressive degrees like that I would expect better reading comprehension. No one said they were the same, or even similar. What was disputed was the suggestion that you needed a car to get to any area “not under the control” of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As I said, visit Stanford and Palo Alto. If you had you’d know it is an easy stroll and an incredibly lovely commerical area with theaters, shops, bars, bookstores, and some of the best restaurants in the country. None of it “under the control” of the school.

NP here. I went to Stanford undergrad and Harvard grad, and this is just silly. Downtown Palo Alto has nothing on Cambridge and the rest of Boston in terms of restaurants, shops, and nightlife...and the student dorms are very isolated from PA. The experience is nothing like stumbling out of Harvard Yard into the bustle of Harvard Square.

For whatever it's worth, I picked Stanford undergrad over Harvard, and I never regretted that decision. So this isn't about bashing Stanford. It's just that it's ridiculous to argue that Stanford is a comparable choice for someone who prefers an urban environment.

I went to MIT and Harvard Square is pretty lame. Boston feels very provincial. If you are hung up on an urban environment, then you might as well choose Columbia. If I had the choice right now, I would probably pick Stanford over Harvard. Beautiful campus, gorgeous weather and close to SF and UC Berkeley. So fun. Especially for science and engineering - I think it has Harvard beat. I would also pick Stanford over MIT as it is probably more fun. MIT attracts a weird student body for the most part

[Anonymous]

My spouse attended Stanford, and sib attended Harvard. If the stars aligned and my kid had a choice, and had a major that would work at either place, I definitely think she'd pick Stanford, and I'd support it. Nice to get further away from home for college, and as former West Coasters, our kid has always wanted to go back. Different strokes, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would pick Stanford over Harvard any day and I’m a New Englander who loves Boston. I think Stanford sounds like a much more fun and dynamic place to be. And the weather is Palo Alto is amazing

Yeah, I always wanted to be an undergrad on a campus bordered by a mall, a mausoleum, a high school, and a golf course!

I was an undergrad at Stanford with no car and no money. Most of our fun was on campus, with some local haunts, but we went into "the City" frequently, went to LA for games, had dances at Half Moon Bay, Carmel, dates in Monterey and Santa Cruz, ski trips to Tahoe, etc. There is no shortage of fantastic places near Stanford. If you want to be in an urban setting, maybe BU is the place for you...

Somebody certainly had a car and/or money to support that lifestyle!