Urgent Undergrad Harvard Vs Stanford
This is not a troll post got into both schools(well just got off the Stanford waitlist)
I think I am interested in economics, but to be frank, I don't know what I want to do. I am open to CS or whatever; I want to make money.
Both are full rides because I am low-income, so there is no difference. I want to eventually enter non-tech-related entrepreneurship(investment/development in Africa). Any advice or recommendations for choosing, thinking to start in MBB or PE to get contacts and move over post-MBA to my own thing, but again, I am open to life, wherever it takes me.
You can do anything you want from either of those schools IF you are sufficiently motivated. Maybe Harvard has a slight edge into the most competitive PE analyst programs out of college because they have way more finance kids and alumni connections, but a strong Stanford candidate with the requisite work experience will also get that interview invite. Maybe Stanford's ecosystem is better for going into startups and meeting future entrepreneurs, but a Harvard kid will absolutely meet a similar calibre and cohort of people if they make the effort to.
I personally feel like the money-making roles Harvard excels at placing into (banking, elite PE, MBB) are pretty straightforward to figure out yourself or from forums like this one, whereas I think the Stanford ecosystem may be better at opening your eyes to newer and more interesting possibilities that aren't as clearly understood yet. Basically, if you want to go work at Goldman or Blackstone, Harvard will hold your hand and guide you along that path (peer pressure/the established route is a very real force), while that whole scene is much smaller at Stanford. Also the weather at Stanford is way nicer.
Stanford! Stanford’s tech culture is making the future. At Stanford you’re encouraged to chart your own path and explore, whereas Harvard kids generally just follow what is considered “elite” and trip into Wall St.
At Stanford you’ll likely be surrounded by more interesting quirky types. Will make for a great overall college experience.
And if you still want to get into Wall St. you’ll have no problem coming from Stanford.
You can’t make this choice based on opportunities because they are way too close in that category.
You definitely want to choose the one where you will perform better. And I think that comes down to feel & comfort. Do *not* make this decision on paper. Ask what your gut is saying. Good luck.
Echoing the above that you will have plenty of resources in both places, so I want to offer a different perspective: where do you want to live? You have to physically move to either Cambridge or San Jose, and MA/CA aren't exactly similar. Think about weather, politics, vibes, distance from family/friends, and a bunch of other things. You can pick the school that might have slight marginal optimality, but you'll be in for a bad time if you don't jive with the environment it sits in.
You will by fine either way - at Stanford you are more likely to wind up working on the West Coast though obviously so bear that in mind... Although it is Stanford at the end of the day so you will have decent mobility in any event.
Harvard is a Wall Street factory,
Stanford is more unique and diverse and you can still get into anything as long as you work hard enough, I would go Stanford
In terms of the breadth of exit opportunities, you can't go wrong with either. MBB and every investment bank recruit heavily from both schools and, if you maintain a decent (3.5+) GPA and put a bit of emphasis on networking, securing an MBB or IB offer should not be difficult. Frankly, I would take Bhreezy's advice and make your choice more on what is a better fit for you and your time in college given both opportunities open relatively similar doors.
Just wanna say congrats!!! Can you find a way to take a Amtrak to the schools and check one out in-person???
Thank you, Checked out Harvard they flew me out, I have visited Stanford in an unstructured environment but loved the vibe at Harvard a lot more(but to be fair didn't get the whole experience at Stanford)
Harvard it is. Also super easy to get a 4.0 there. Harvard is notorious for giving As. Stanford might give you 10x more stress for a A average. I’m gonna make a separate comment so u see this
Big congrats! This is going to be seriously life-changing.
For what it's worth and this is anecdotal, like 9/10 of the people I know who got into both went Stanford. But I mean you can't go wrong at all, choose the best environment you think you'll excel in.
Harvard will almost guarantee you get an A average GPA if you keep your work ethic on the same level it's been. You need this high GPA for your consulting/PE/hi finance goals. Stanford profs might wanna kick everyone's ass with tough grades. You already agree with the Harvard vibe, go there, work how you've been working, and come out with honors aprx 4.0 gpa when u graduate Harvard and do whatever u wish my friend. Stanford might be deflating, Harvard is inflating. You don't want a 3.0 at Stanford when u could have earned a 3.95 at Harvard with the same effort
For what it is worth, Stanford also has pretty rampant grade inflation (with the exception of a few departments, e.g. Chem), although it probably isn't nearly as bad as it is at Harvard. Average GPA at Stanford is probably around a 3.75/3.80 if I had to guess.
Both Stanford and Harvard are not hard at all in terms of gpa if you’re doing economics/business related majors
Just wanted to add that this thread features Harvard as a "Wall St Factory". That's true, but it's also an "MBB Factory". I offer that because from MBB, you can basically do anything in business. Stay to you're an Engagement Manager which will have you doing very interesting work AND building a powerful network of C-Suite folk. From there you can easily move to start up, NGO, or senior corp position tracking to to GM / Partner, C-Suite. The other advantage is you'll get to experience work in several industries which is great for someone who doesn't know quite what they want.
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