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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]FWIW

Student to faculty ratio at Harvard is 5:1.

Student to faculty ratio at Pomona College is 7:1.

However, Pomona College has very few classes with 50 or more students, while 10% of the classes at Harvard have 50 or more students (usually intro classes).[/quote]

Pomona College professors are committed to undergraduate teaching; many Harvard professors are not. Their focus is research, obviously, and training graduate students to be their mini-me's. A class of 50 is still quite large, and most are taught by TAs. It will be tough to get to know professors unless the class enrollment is 25 or less. Harvard professors have a 2-2 teaching load, max, usually one graduate course and one upper-level undergraduate course (which often includes graduate students) per semester. For STEM there are still huge weed-out classes graded on a curve. It is generally competitive rather than collaborative. The undergraduate experiences are very different. Obviously kid-dependent as far as which would be the better environment to thrive.  [/quote]

Would be interested in any proof or evidence of undergraduate classes being taught by grad students at Harvard (not referring to break-out sessions).

Yes, I agree that the experiences are different.

Parchment preference:

Harvard 74% v. Pomona 26% (which is surprising to me).

Harvard 88% v. Williams College 12%

Harvard 87% v. Amherst College 13%

Harvard 72% v. Swarthmore College 28%

Harvard 75% v. Bowdoin College 25%.[/quote]

Why is it surprising?[/quote]

I am familiar with West Coast LACs.

Initially, I was surprised that 25% would turn down Harvard for Pomona College due to the power of the Harvard brand in the career marketplace both here and abroad--especially in light of the numbers for Williams & Amherst versus Harvard.

My current thought is that it might be due to West Coast students' preference to remain in California.

I can understand Swarthmore for those who want an intense undergraduate experience and plan to continue on at a university pursuing a PhD. But, Bowdoin is perplexing to me. Of course, Parchment isn't a truly accurate gauge as probably only a small percentage participate.[/quote]

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