Harvard is on the East Coast. Stanford is on the West Coast.
Harvard is older and more traditional. Stanford is newer and more liberal.
Harvard is well-known for its liberal arts and humanities. Stanford is well-known for its engineering and technology.
Both are great schools, but which one is right for you?
Below, I’ll detail 4 of the biggest differences that matter to you as a high school student. It’s not about their U.S. News & World Report ranking. It’s not about which one your dad went to, or which one has the better sports teams.
1. The first difference is geography.
California is very different from Boston. Think about where you want to live. Many of the people at each school will tend to stay in that area after graduation.
For Harvard, most graduates will either stay in Boston or migrate to other big cities on the East Coast, such as New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. Most new graduates tend to stay in the San Francisco/Bay Area or perhaps move down to LA.
There are some who will migrate to the East Coast, but relatively few will do so. To think about which region culturally suits you better, consider the following: are you more traditional or conservative?
If you are more conservative, you would probably prefer East Coast living. If you are more liberal and laid-back, you will probably enjoy sunny California lifestyle. These differences are important and will affect how happy you are in your life.
2. The second difference is in your preferred major.
Let’s assume that you want to be surrounded by the absolutely the best students, professors, and resources in any given field of study.
If your focus is humanities, English, social studies, or history politics, Harvard will have the best professors for you. They are typically at the top of their fields. Harvard will probably also have more resources for scholarships and grants, and more academic conferences and opportunities for you to pursue research.
If you’re interested in engineering and technology, Stanford is a much better place for first year. In Silicon Valley, say, you’re just a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from the top venture capital firms in the world, the top startups, and the top technology companies like Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and Sun Microsystems.
Stanford’s engineering department is also much bigger and much better funded. You will have more opportunities to do independent research work with the top professors solving interesting problems.
3. The third big difference is cultural attitudes.
Stanford students are much more laid back, more well-rounded, with generally more liberal attitudes. The campus atmosphere is one of fun.
You will work hard and play hard as well as taking easy and trying to enjoy life.
My impression of Harvard student body comes from knowing a lot of students and friends there. It seems that the environment is much more intense. It’s more academically competitive.
That’s not to say there’s no partying at Harvard.
Harvard students get into plenty of trouble, and there are a lot of parties on campus; however, your day-to-day life will feel a little more rushed, a little more stressed, and a little more academically competitive. Quite frankly, people there more serious.
4. Finally, think about what you want to do with your life
Stanford has a much stronger reputation on the West Coast and Asia. If you want to work in China you may consider going to Stanford.
Harvard is older, and in general, is probably slightly more prestigious worldwide. It also has a stronger presence in business, so if you wanted to go into finance or consulting, you might want to consider Harvard.
If you want to do technology entrepreneurship, Stanford is an obvious choice. You really need to think about these things before make your final decision.
Ultimately, both schools are among the best in the world, and you will have a great four-year experience. You can’t go wrong with either. I hope this article highlights that you really need to think it through before make your final decision.
Want to attend Ivy League schools? Check out my insider’s course and guide to getting into Harvard, even with a 1360 SAT from a public high school.
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