Stanford vs. Harvard

[unicorn06]

Stanford vs. Harvard.

Right now, these are my two top schools. I want to write a post-interview letter of intent to one of them to let them know they are my top choice and to increase my chances of getting in. However, I am struggling to decide which I like better.

I think Stanford has better financial aid, and I like the curriculum at Stanford better than that at Harvard because I feel Stanford is a little more concrete and structured. I also would prefer living in Northern California to Boston. However, I think that the clinical education is a little better at Harvard, and there are more opportunities for research in areas outside of basic science than at Stanford. Harvard also does have the "name" advantage over Stanford.

Is anyone else struggling to decide between these schools? Any current Stanford/Harvard students have advice about the ups and downs of these schools? Any insight/opinions would be appreciated!

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[anon-y-mouse]

Harvard has "the best name recognition", you should know this.

 

[shoosh]

Oh Mommy should I go to Stanford or should I go to Harvard? I am so confused I don't know what to do. Mommy help.

LISTEN to yourself, think about what you are saying for a long time, then realize the perfect situation you are in, be thankful, and make a damn decision.

 

[unicorn06]

Oh Mommy should I go to Stanford or should I go to Harvard? I am so confused I don't know what to do. Mommy help.

LISTEN to yourself, think about what you are saying for a long time, then realize the perfect situation you are in, be thankful, and make a damn decision.

Umm, don't be mean. I'm not bragging or anything- it's not like I've even gotten into either of these schools. If you read my post, I was asking which school I should write a letter of intent to in order to increase my chances of getting in.

 

[silas2642]

Umm, don't be mean. I'm not bragging or anything- it's not like I've even gotten into either of these schools. If you read my post, I was asking which school I should write a letter of intent to in order to increase my chances of getting in.

Sounds like you liked Stanford better than Harvard. I'd go with Stanford.

 

[airflare]

Oh Mommy should I go to Stanford or should I go to Harvard? I am so confused I don't know what to do. Mommy help.

LISTEN to yourself, think about what you are saying for a long time, then realize the perfect situation you are in, be thankful, and make a damn decision.

You sound jealous. The OP legitimately wants more information from knowledgeable people to decide which school would fit him/her better. What's wrong with that?

 

[anon-y-mouse]

.

 

[lilybriscoe]

Hi Unicorn06,
I am an M4 and just thought I'd give you my advice. Look at the schools' websites and look at the differences between the curriculum. If there is a lot of diversity/options in the curriculum, I would say that's good. Also, if one of the school's emphasizes something in its curriculum you're interested in, then go for that one. All else being equal, I woud say you should go to Harvard. I spent some time there doing research and went to some of their med school classes (in Geriatrics) and met some of the teachers and students. I was very impressed and am convinced there is a very good reason their program is so respected. That begin said, I have a friend at Stanford who is super happy. You can't go wrong with either.

 

[shoosh]

Do you really think a letter of intent will increase your chances at these top schools? There are literally hundreds of people who could fill your spot there, and letters of intent seem geared more towards schools where the yield is lower [Why should Morehouse, for example, accept you, when you're more likely to enroll at Harvard]. Anyway, that's just a tangential point.

I can really see where "shoosh" is coming from, Unicorn06... you just posted a thread about schools with the best name brand recognition to non-medical people, and now you're like "Stanford or Harvard"... while this may be a coincidence, it makes you sound like a massive airhead.

Good luck to you in your choice. Perhaps you'll have to do a second look weekend if you're accepted at both. I'm sure you've done fine in your interviews, especially if you've gotten to this post-interview stage at both locations.

Thank you for your comment about me. That is exactly how I felt. I must admit, I am a bit jelous, I wanted to get an interview at Stanford, but did not happen.

Anyways, being from California, if I ever was in your sweet situation "UNICORN," I would pick Stanford because it is in California and I know that the area is very very nice. Plus, in my personal oppinion, the competition outside of school and in the social world is much more mellow at Stanford than Harvard. You must understand that wealthy students at Stanford are in California and the nice weather here tends to put people in a nice mood. Stanford gives an excellent education, has tremendous amount of money, and, based on what I have heard, even goes as far as spoon feeding information to students who have trouble with the material. Harvard is as good as it gets, but Stanford is a huge name too and I think you will be happy there. Lastly, think of what you want to do when you graduate. I know that Stanford is big on neuroscience/surgery, but not sure about Harvard. Overall, I think Stanford is by far a better choice.

Oh, send both schools a letter, just be more appretiative and enthusiastic in one than the other, but do not only choose one ( I am not implying htat you send two LOI, but one LOI and one a little less intending letter).

 

[diosa428]

I would recommend that you don't send either a LOI. Wait and see where you get in. You may get in to both, and then you can go visit on 2nd look weekend and decide which fits you better, which will probably be the most important thing in the long run. Also, doesn't Stanford start sending out acceptances soon anyway? They are rolling. If you get rejected from Stanford, you could send Harvard a letter of intent. If you get waitlisted, you could then decide if you wanted to send them a LOI. (Although, I know, you probably want to do everything you can to just GET IN). But I really think it would be better to take your chances, because you could get in to both and then you wouldn't be committed to one. If get waitlisted at both, you could still always send a LOI, etc.

 

[dr.z]

Anyways, being from California, if I ever was in your sweet situation "UNICORN," I would pick Stanford because it is in California and I know that the area is very very nice. Plus, in my personal oppinion, the competition outside of school and in the social world is much more mellow at Stanford than Harvard. You must understand that wealthy students at Stanford are in California and the nice weather here tends to put people in a nice mood. Stanford gives an excellent education, has tremendous amount of money, and, based on what I have heard, even goes as far as spoon feeding information to students who have trouble with the material. Harvard is as good as it gets, but Stanford is a huge name too and I think you will be happy there. Lastly, think of what you want to do when you graduate. I know that Stanford is big on neuroscience/surgery, but not sure about Harvard. Overall, I think Stanford is by far a better choice.

For the same reasons I would pick Stanford.

 

[Doctor&Geek]

To say that Harvard isn't big on neuroscience or surgery is quite dubious, and that reasoning that by the very nature of the weather that people are somehow more happy and more "mellow" than elsewhere - even more so.

 

[Gabi_MD]

Stanford vs. Harvard.

Right now, these are my two top schools. I want to write a post-interview letter of intent to one of them to let them know they are my top choice and to increase my chances of getting in. However, I am struggling to decide which I like better.

I think Stanford has better financial aid, and I like the curriculum at Stanford better than that at Harvard because I feel Stanford is a little more concrete and structured. I also would prefer living in Northern California to Boston. However, I think that the clinical education is a little better at Harvard, and there are more opportunities for research in areas outside of basic science than at Stanford. Harvard also does have the "name" advantage over Stanford.

Is anyone else struggling to decide between these schools? Any current Stanford/Harvard students have advice about the ups and downs of these schools? Any insight/opinions would be appreciated!

Definitely wait until the acceptances are released, and vist the admit weekends. I LOVE Stanford, so I am biased, but if you want to pvt me, I would be glad to answer your questions. There are tons of students in my class that chose Stanford over Harvard, and during the admit weekend, there's a large group of students who came to Stanford to revist but knew that they were going to HMS. Thankfully, the majority, but not all of them, weren't as cool as my current classmmates
Definitely choose a school where YOU WILL BE THE HAPPIEST, period!

 

[EctopicFetus]

I would say go where you will be happiest. This is like someone giving you $100 and asking you if you want 2-$50 bills or 5-$20 bills. Its all the same the only difference is preference.

Boston - it is cold, better name recognition worldwide and outside of the west coast, i have never lived on the West coast so maybe Stanford is looked upon more favorably there.

Stanford - Cali, warmer weather, also excellent name recognition.

 

[unicorn06]

Thanks for the advice. I'm leaning towards just sending a letter of interest to both schools instead of the letter of intent because I really am having a hard time deciding which I prefer.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Seeing how the matriculation rates for stanford and harvard are both so high, any sort of letter most likely won't affect the outcome.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

mistake

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Didn't you also post a duke vs. yale thread not that long ago? I dont know you, but your obsessiveness for recognition and elite-school-namedropping really shows.

 

[wowzer]

I wrote a post-interview letter of intent to Michigan and got rejected within two days. I am one of 5 people in the US to get rejected post-interview. Apparently they didn't care that my dad has a pretty much terminal heart condition and really needs me to be close to him. I am never, never ever going to forget this.

Sorry, I had to get that out, I was crying non-stop for two days. Bot to answer the OP's question...I wouldn't write a ltter of intent but maybe a letter showign your interest would help. You don't want to put yourself in a bind if you are equivocating between two schools.

 

[princessd3]

Hey I am really sorry about Michigan. I wish you much success with the rest of your application cycle.

 

[Medikit]

I can see why it's so difficult, I mean, they both end in "rd".

 

[ChocolateKiss]

I wrote a post-interview letter of intent to Michigan and got rejected within two days. I am one of 5 people in the US to get rejected post-interview. Apparently they didn't care that my dad has a pretty much terminal heart condition and really needs me to be close to him. I am never, never ever going to forget this.

Sorry, I had to get that out, I was crying non-stop for two days. Bot to answer the OP's question...I wouldn't write a ltter of intent but maybe a letter showign your interest would help. You don't want to put yourself in a bind if you are equivocating between two schools.

That's really tough. Did you apply to any other Michigan schools so that you have other options for staying near home?

 

[wowzer]

applied to wayne state...waitlisted

im happy with Case and Pitt acceptances though, they're close to home and they're good schools. I'm just glad that I'll be 3-4 hours from home...shouldn't be too bad, I think.

 

[argonana]

I wrote a post-interview letter of intent to Michigan and got rejected within two days. I am one of 5 people in the US to get rejected post-interview. Apparently they didn't care that my dad has a pretty much terminal heart condition and really needs me to be close to him. I am never, never ever going to forget this.

Sorry, I had to get that out, I was crying non-stop for two days. Bot to answer the OP's question...I wouldn't write a ltter of intent but maybe a letter showign your interest would help. You don't want to put yourself in a bind if you are equivocating between two schools.

wowzer, that is such a bummer. sorry to hear that michigan didn't work out for you.