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I have seen so many folks on this website who want to go to Harvard. But I wonder if they truly know whether Harvard is the best place for them to develop their talents further and grow as a person or are they just blinded by the name?

I thought it was only my traditional Asian parents, who don't know anything about American schools who say Harvard is the best university. However, after reading so many questions brought up by talented students, I ask myself a question: are you all out of your minds ?!?!?

What's the deal with you and your obsession with Harvard? Are you all mindless narcissists or what?

Another thing to note is that admissions to any of these elite schools is NOT scientific. George Bush got into Yale and Harvard with 1130 on his SAT because his father went there and probably he donated a lot of money. A kid from Grotton got rejected from Williams while getting admitted to Harvard, where his father is a graduate and donated 2 millions dollars. I seriously doubt if the name Harvard is really worth all that money.

By Greenmoo04 (Greenmoo04) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 03:49 am: Edit

Yep, they are. "Asian Invasion" lol.

By Haithman (Haithman) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 02:00 pm: Edit

Well in my opinion Harvard may not be the best school for you or some people, but i think that it is the best school overall. Ok let's put it this way... Everyone is obsessed with Harvard and thinks it is the greatest thing right??? Well if you graduate from their and try and get a job your employer will probably automatically hire you and pay you more because he/she thinks that Harvard is the best. So if you can get into Harvard why not???? Well that's just my opinion.
-Haitham Said

By Dream5 (Dream5) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 02:29 pm: Edit

I know for sure that among the jobs that I'm looking at, no company executives is going to be impressed just by the name harvard and automatically hire me and pay me more.

In many areas, MIT, Cal-tech and Stanford are better than Harvard. What's more, if you choose to have only bachelor's degree, one from top liberal arts college probably have more value than from a huge ivy school.

By Pisces (Pisces) on Monday, May 26, 2003 - 05:04 pm: Edit

I dont think all Americans are obsessed with Harvard. It's just that a lot of people who go to Harvard brag about it like there's no tomorrow. Therefore, it gets a great rep as a school and one as a school full of snobs. honestly, if i were accepted to Harvard, i dont think i would go, or if i did go it would be the wrong decision. I dont understand how someone can say that you get a great education (undergrad) when you are taught by TAs. Plus, the competition is probably so cut-throat, i wouldnt be able to take it. Just my 2 cents. i'll be perfectly happy attending my non-harvard, non snobby, non TA taught college next year!

By Curllight007 (Curllight007) on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 12:17 am: Edit

Harvard is a school that may worth more than money for some people. If you ever heard of Richard Lee of Hong Kong and Stanford, you should understand why the name is so much important beside others(include money). The reputation is the proof to people about ability of doing the work so that Lee's business is trustworthy. Long time ago, chinese people thought harvard is the best because so many article written harvard is the best, then MIT in the US. The reason is so many successful people obtain degrees from there. And as Peking and TsingHua in china.

By Dream5 (Dream5) on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 01:45 am: Edit

Who cares what Chinese think? They just talk rubbish because they don't know any better.

By Boycrazychick04 (Boycrazychick04) on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 12:17 pm: Edit

Just because Harvard is rated as "the best school" in the country, doesn't mean there aren't other good ones out there. Harvard is not for everyone and it's definetly not for me. Most of the people that say they're gonna apply there probably wont be accepted.

By Bodsul (Bodsul) on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 02:59 pm: Edit

Hi,
I think Havard only lives on the reputation of dignified people it has produced.All i know is that not all destined to be great can get into havard.So whats the hype about.

By Uncchlocalmayor (Uncchlocalmayor) on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 07:37 pm: Edit

Harvard? bleh, go for MIT! or if you're me, UNC!

By Thescore (Thescore) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 04:20 pm: Edit

Consider: Harvard to an extent loads the deck. If you start out with a group of talented and intelligent students, you will end up with talented and intelligent students four years later.

Contrast: If you are a smart student and you don't go to Harvard, four years later you will still be smart.

Explains: Why every President, CEO, Nobel Prize Winner, and New Yorker writer isn't a Harvard grad.

Reality: Harvard IDs smart kids like a tag in a store. But the smart tag has a price tag.

By Eri (Eri) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 12:40 am: Edit

I completely agree with the original poster.

SO MANY students apply to Harvard because they view it as "the best."

As to what that other person up above said, about emplyers seeking Harvard grads, while I think that can be true, most legitimate companies, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERS, do not discriminate against people who haven't gone someplace like Harvard. You would be suprised at how little something like that matters in comparison to one's skills and work experience.

But if your only goal in college is to get a high-paying job, and that is your driving force, then maybe a NAME really is all that matters to you, and go right ahead and apply to schools whose NAMES impress you.

Too many people forget that between high school and a job are FOUR YEARS OF YOUR LIFE, that, someday, you will wish you could get back, if you waste them just by going somewhere with prestige that allows you to turn your nose up to people.

Personally, I have evaluated schools as thoroughly as possible through the internet (not yet visited) and I STILL DON'T KNOW whether Harvard is somewhere I want to go. Often, we as human beings only see the good in things, without seeing the bad.

America, in general, is obsessed with Harvard, I agree. All we have to do is find out whether certain schools are really, really, right for us.

Peace,
Erika

By Kos_Tony (Kos_Tony) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 01:50 am: Edit

Dream5,

I'm a Chinese American and I take offense to what you said. They talk rubbish because they don't know any better? Like you do?

Anyways, I think Harvard is overrated. If you have a Ph.D or a M.D after your name, then whos going to care where you went to school... You could have gone to Boston Community College or Harvard. Others will still have to address you as "Doctor" something.

By Ashleycrombie (Ashleycrombie) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 04:47 am: Edit

Agreed. I don't understand the obsession over Harvard, or whatever other school in the Top 10. I mean okay, apply to them, but don't stake your damn life on it.

These days, a diploma from Harvard will not guarantee immediate employment. In fact, if you are going into the business world, or finance industry, you will realize that you will have to do things that you never learnt in college. I would say that most skills applied in finance/business are learnt on the job, not in college. You may go to a sub-Top10 school and still get a stellar job. What matters is an excellent resume (not necessarily from Harvard), a even better interview, and most of all, a more open outlook. Employers aren't looking for snobs from Ivies. They are looking for a practical investment...someone who has the smarts, and can get the job done.

I'm not trying to belittle the Ivies, or Harvard. I'm just trying to make it clear that job recruitments extend far beyond the Ivies. Yeah, I know people will say that "ohhh but Ivies have better recruitment programs..". That is true, but hey, who says you can't apply for that job without being headhunted?

If you have what it takes, you will make it; and where you go to college doesn't matter as much.

Harvard isn't a sure ticket to a job at a top firm, just like a 1600 isn't a sure ticket to admission into Harvard.

By Gianscolere (Gianscolere) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 01:10 pm: Edit

I want to go to Harvard for my undergraduate and graduate experience because I know it has one of the best, if not the best, student bodies in the world. Where else can you find the best and brightest of the world assembled in one place besides the elite colleges?

By Kos_Tony (Kos_Tony) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 07:22 pm: Edit

I will add one more thing though. Students that go to elite schools will get more breaks along the way. The people you meet in elite colleges could one day be an influential member of society. Going to an elite college is more about the social connections than getting an education.

Elite schools are great but, like Ashleycrombie said, it's not the end of the world if you don't get into one.

Although, on your very first job interview, where you went to school plays a big part of in the hiring decision. Would you hire a Harvard grad or a ITT grad?

By Altajeff (Altajeff) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 11:21 pm: Edit

Just thought I'd add a note here about a small slice of the pie. 10 years after graduating from college I attended my high school reunion. My high school is very good and produced some very talented students. By far and away, however, those who attended state schools were doing far better with their careers. This is clearly not a conclusive or impartial study, but I think there is a type of ivy leaguer who becomes, well, a bit stuck on themselves and then... has trouble relating to the realities of the work place and, well, to put it bluntly, can't hang with the work horses. And the reality of our economy today is such that one really has to work hard to succeed.
I have to disagree with the comments of Kos Tony regarding the interview. Alumni will undoubtedly favor other alumni from the same school. And there are a greater number of alumni from schools that are not in the ivy league ranking. I admit that I am biased: I am from a state school. I worked hard while in school, took part time jobs along the way. I succeeded, and I've been successful in my career as a software engineer. I know that I am definitely not alone when I say that I am suspicious of the school rankings, and suspicious of the talent of ivy league students. The word from the workplace is that ivy league students are spoiled, pampered, spoon-fed their high grades, and didn't have to work once they got into college. I'm not saying that's a correct opinion, I'm saying that's the opinion of the non-ivy colleagues you'll have to work with once you get out of the ivy tower. I'm sorry to say, I've worked with a handful of the, and I have yet to work with one who can hang.

By Kos_Tony (Kos_Tony) on Wednesday, June 25, 2003 - 02:36 am: Edit

Altajeff,

I respect you opinion and I can see where you are coming from. Most ivy league grads are stuck up. They do think that they are better than everyone else. However, that generalization is like saying all Asians are good in math. Indeed, many are good in math but there are some that are not.

I will be attending Cornell University in the fall and I can assure you that I was not spoon fed my HS grades. I had to work very hard to get into Cornell. I came to the United States when I was six. I didn't speak a word of English. My family didn't have any money back then and we are still not rich. My family get by but thats about it. I'm still wondering how I'm going to pay for my education. I really don't want to place the financial burden on my parents.

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Sunday, June 29, 2003 - 07:24 pm: Edit

Kos Tony~

""I will add one more thing though. Students that go to elite schools will get more breaks along the way. The people you meet in elite colleges could one day be an influential member of society. Going to an elite college is more about the social connections than getting an education.""

That paragraph is a great example of the misguided conception of a certain group of people Pursuing a higher education is not necessarily the shortest road to social climbing.

By Jollyapplepie (Jollyapplepie) on Monday, June 30, 2003 - 03:07 pm: Edit

I agree with the original post (haven't had time to go over the others yet). There are so many better schools in terms of the teaching and the environment. But, I guess it's just whatever floats your boat.

By Ladyvamp (Ladyvamp) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 09:45 am: Edit

Dream 5:

I agree with you completely!

Americans are obsessed but NO American will admit it.

By Dromedary (Dromedary) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 12:42 pm: Edit

NOT everyone is obsessed. There's a difference between most Americans thinking Harvard is the best university, and those same people wanting to go there themselves.

By Delirious (Delirious) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 01:38 pm: Edit

I'd like to remind everyone that
1) Harvard has the most extensive library system for any college in the world.
2) Harvard is the oldest school in the Western Hemisphere.
3) Harvard is THE current leader in psychological and medical research and training.
4) Harvard is the most exclusive school of its size, translating to a more diverse and talented student body.
5) Harvard has one of the best dorm systems in the country.
6) Harvard is largely wireless and has one of the best T3 connections of any school in America.
7) A degree at Harvard is advantageous in apply to graduate, medical, and law school.
8) Harvard is situated in Cambridge, in one of the best college towns in the world for nightlife and activities.
9) Contrary to popular belief, TAs are actually intelligent and well-qualified. I'm sure you'll find exceptions, but they aren't the norm.

I will give you two things, that classes should be taught more by professors and that the atmosphere of students can get a bit cutthroat. You'll find the cutthroats in law, math, and science divisions and ALOT less in the humanities, and Harvard is mainly for humanities anyways.

By Dromedary (Dromedary) on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 10:32 am: Edit

3) Careful about the psychology point. Stanford hsa the nation's best psychology program and could very well do more research than Harvard in that field.
6) All T3's are by definition the same, and many campuses are wireless nowadays. The T3 and the Wifi don't make Harvard unique at all.

I agree with all your other points.