Is Harvard really that good?

Question

My mom keeps saying that I should get in Harvard and ofcourse I want to get in Harvard..IM OBSESSED WITH HARVARD.
But I hear many people say that Harvard isnt any greater than any other Universities. Please....can you tell me details about how I can get into Harvard?
And are another Universities the same?

PLEASE ANSWER ME A.S.A.P! THANKS!!

Answer 1

I feel for you. My Grandparents, Parents, and my older brother went to Harvard. It goes without saying that there is a lot of pressure for me to get in this year. However, there are fantastic schools elsewhere. My sister got into Yale and Harvard, and she felt Yale was a better match. I recommend you visit, sit in at a class, explore what you like and make sure that Harvard is the best in that particular area, and then decide whether or not you want to give it your all. Obviously high grades are a must ( my brother had a 93-94 avg at a top boarding school) but depending on your school and you background (IE Legacy, Athletics, Extra Curriculars, Connections) it may need to be higher or it could even be slightly lower. My friend got wait-listed 2 years ago, he had a 91 GPA and a 1400 sat but he was persistent and Visited twice while he was on the waiting list, without becoming obnoxious though, and they got to know him better as a person, and finally accepted him in September. Aside from grades and testing, which in general should be phenomenal if you are considering Harvard, do things to separate your self from other candidates. If you are very involved in clubs, extracurriculars, and have unique passions this can be very attractive to Harvard. They have enough applicants with 4.3s and 1600s, but they want to have a well rounded, unique, diverse, and passionate student body. ps Alumin Interviews are helpful...and having someone to speak on your behalf during the application proccess can help.

Answer 2

In the US, Harvard University is arguably the finest university choice available and has been for well over 100 years.

There are some other good choices too; Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, etc... (no offense to those other fine universities) but when asked 'what's the best college in America?', most people will pick Harvard, Yale, or Princeton.

Most universities are not the same - these are truly elite and if that's what you want, go for it. Expect to work really hard though.

Answer 3

Is there a big difference between the quality of the education you get at Harvard compared to Princeton, Stanford, Duke or Penn? No -- not that much.

Is there a difference in quality between what you would get at Slippery Rock, Seton Hall or St John's (the one in NYC)? Yes -- and it is huge.

There are a lot of great universities where you can get an education that is as good as Harvard. For example -- I am convinced that you can get as good an education at the University of Minnesota as you can at Harvard. However, it is also possible to get through the University of Minnesota without getting a particularly good education. (I chose that because it is a great university that is not as selective as other state universities like Virginia, Berkeley or Michigan).

At a place like Harvard, you will not only have great professors -- you will also have great classmates. And employers will know you have a good education. This fact opens doors for you.

Answer 4

Ok, when applying for a job (after graduating from college), you must state the college you graduated from. When you say "I graduated from ___" and its some Community college or something, people are going to say "Oh, I've never heard of it." They dont think of it as too special, since pretty much anybody can go to it. If you say "I graduated from Harvard" people think "Oh my gosh that person much be very smart!" and you can get just about any job if you are a Harvard grad.

Answer 5

ive heard that Harvard is a really hard school to get into...

definately you would have to get really good grades and keep them up...

i think that Harvard challenges students more educationally than the others because of its reputation for having the hardest time to get into that school