Why is Harvard seen as the "best and brightest" when its really the other way around?

Question

Its arts and science departments are really no different from any college--state, small, liberal-arts, etc

So why all the fuss? If it doesn't live up to a name why label it so when clearly it signifies nothing?

Harvard's curriculum isn't any different from any college/university. Explain to me how you can rank Havard's history department over San Francisco State's? You just can't.

I'm currently working with a history professor from SFSU (Harvard graduate) who even said it himself, there's no difference. Harvard is just a name.

You've got several errors buddy,

Harvard does not accept people with perfect SAT scores. Only a fraction of those who attend the school have a "maxed" our score. Others usually have somewhere around the 1900s ballpark.

SF State and UCSF are separate colleges-- can't get any clearer than that. UCSF is an exclusive medical school. Can't get it any more wrong than that Matt. UCSF doesn't even have an undergraduate school or a history department. Should I just ignore your input?

Harvard doesn't even match with UCSF's recent breakthroughs and discoveries. In fact, UCSF, UCLA and UC Berkeley are all ranked higher than Harvard in the biological, medical and physical sciences according to US & World.

Harvard is just a brand name. Want to buy a white T for $50?

Answer 1

Here are three reasons why Harvard is more prestigious than SF State

1. the quality of students is unsurpassed. Harvard students are literally the best and brightest. Sky high GPAs, maxed out SATs, and MANY of them have won national awards and even international awards in their extracurriculars.

2. the resources available - the name Harvard is like a magic key that opens doors in every direction. If you are a Harvard student and come up with a new idea, they will give you grants to pursue it, you can get invited to any and every interesting conference and meeting and laboratory and art event in the world. Every important person who comes to speak in the USA stops at Harvard. Compare Harvard library with UCSF library.

3. the faculty are second to none. IF you buddy at UCSF was offered a place at Harvard I bet he would be gone from CA in a heartbeat. They get top pay, they get top research prioroty for grants and materials, they get the best students in the world, and they get very tiny course loads that mean they can spend their whole lives doing pretty much exactly what they want, which nearly always involves something unique and interesting.

UCSF is a good school but please dont pretend for one second that it matches up with the elite schools. That is just a fantasy.

Answer 2

You really don't know what you're talking about.

The astronomy dept alone employs 150 profs and researchers, and has a partnership with the Smithsonian institution. It's one of the top institutions in the world for just about any subject.

I worked there for a while. I'd go back in a heartbeat.