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Harvard VS Cambridge?

Difficulty of getting in aside, I have no doubts that the student doing a Math tripos at Cambridge will have an infinitely harder time and thus a substantially smaller social life than a "Political Science" major at Harvard.

Reply 21

nightmare91

7

Cambridge for undergraduate and Harvard for postgraduate. What most people seem to forget is that all the ivy league universities got their great reputation because of their Master and Phd programmes. Their undergraduate programmes aren't as good as everyone thinks.

(source: got a friend studying at MIT)

Reply 22

arra

7

The above is quite true, especially for Harvard. But the thing is in the US your undergraduate education at such a place is really what you make of it. There is no doubt that if you go to Harvard you have the world's best researchers not to mention the world's smartest kids at your fingertips. That being said, I don't get the feeling (for what it's worth) that many students make use of those amazing resources. Neither will open or close doors, but you'd probably have a small leg-up for graduate coursework if not admissions by doing a much more specialized degree from a UK university.

Reply 23

LeSacMagique

9

Cambridge - I'd rather have a thorough understanding of the subject I'm applying for than conversational knowledge of a bunch of subjects. The liberal arts system encourages dilettantism.

Reply 24

arra

7

I'd disagree with the above. A real liberal arts education emphasizes a strong knowledge of the core before one specializes, this includes the natural sciences and the humanities. It's just that the idea of a liberal arts education has been diluted into BS.

Reply 25

BJack

19

Original post by nightmare91

Cambridge for undergraduate and Harvard for postgraduate. What most people seem to forget is that all the ivy league universities got their great reputation because of their Master and Phd programmes. Their undergraduate programmes aren't as good as everyone thinks.

(source: got a friend studying at MIT)

MIT isn't Ivy League....

Reply 26

duke5

Original post by shirley0y

Which would you choose? Why?

As great as Harvard is, I just don't think I could resist the glamour of Cambridge ;p
But then I'd be terribly torn if I were to make that choice...

You're not going to either.

Reply 27

nightmare91

7

Original post by BJack

MIT isn't Ivy League....

Doesn't matter. When people talk about ivy league universities they usually include other top universities like MIT or Stanford.

(source: I lived in the states for a year :wink:

)

Reply 28

Cabine Sono Qui

11

Original post by nightmare91

Cambridge for undergraduate and Harvard for postgraduate. What most people seem to forget is that all the ivy league universities got their great reputation because of their Master and Phd programmes. Their undergraduate programmes aren't as good as everyone thinks.

(source: got a friend studying at MIT)

What a solid and reputable source.

I'm not saying that your point is inaccurate, but it is undermined by the bit you wrote at the end.

RE OP's question: I'd choose Harvard (if money wasn't an issue). The undergrad system appeals to me in some ways, and I can imagine the social side of things being much better than Cambridge.

Reply 29

maths time is here

7

Original post by arra

Difficulty of getting in aside, I have no doubts that the student doing a Math tripos at Cambridge will have an infinitely harder time and thus a substantially smaller social life than a "Political Science" major at Harvard.

As opposed to a mathematics major at Harvard?

I don't get why people talk about a thorough knowledge of your subject when you are going to forget/not need most of it anyway, whereas at Harvard you would get a better well rounded education and more transferrable skills. Besides you can choose to pick as many relevant modules as you want to anyway.

However I don't think Harvard is worth the money you have to spend for four years. The top universities in the UK are better value for money, but that depends on how wealthy you are.

Reply 30

AspiringGenius

15

I'm waiting for the day Anglia Ruskin whips both of their arses. :cool:

Reply 31

AppleBobbing

Depends what you want to study... Harvard Law definitely.

Leeds Met tbh.

Original post by nightmare91

Cambridge for undergraduate and Harvard for postgraduate. What most people seem to forget is that all the ivy league universities got their great reputation because of their Master and Phd programmes. Their undergraduate programmes aren't as good as everyone thinks.

(source: got a friend studying at MIT)

Thank-you! The way the Liberal Arts degree is set up is so that you might end up with 100+ people in a first-year or second-year course. Compare that to the size of Cambridge's tutorials and there is no doubt which would be the better undergrad.

Reply 34

Aeschylus

17

To be quite frank, if you are a person who has to choose between Harvard and Cambridge University, it's not the end of the world is it?

Reply 35

arra

7

As opposed to a mathematics major at Harvard?

I don't get why people talk about a thorough knowledge of your subject when you are going to forget/not need most of it anyway, whereas at Harvard you would get a better well rounded education and more transferrable skills. Besides you can choose to pick as many relevant modules as you want to anyway.

However I don't think Harvard is worth the money you have to spend for four years. The top universities in the UK are better value for money, but that depends on how wealthy you are.

A math major at Harvard still allows for significantly more leeway than does one at Cambridge.

Reply 36

Cabine Sono Qui

11

Original post by maths time is here

As opposed to a mathematics major at Harvard?

I don't get why people talk about a thorough knowledge of your subject when you are going to forget/not need most of it anyway, whereas at Harvard you would get a better well rounded education and more transferrable skills. Besides you can choose to pick as many relevant modules as you want to anyway.

However I don't think Harvard is worth the money you have to spend for four years. The top universities in the UK are better value for money, but that depends on how wealthy you are.

Doesn't Harvard give out "need-blind" scholarships though? I'm pretty sure the handful of English students who get in each year (you can literally count the number with your fingers) have all their accommodation and student fees paid for by the university over the four years (there was even a guy on TSR who was given this offer). That's one of the consequences of having a $32 billion endowment I suppose.

Reply 37

JohnJoe

12

When I look at my university textbooks for english, it usually says either Oxford or Cambridge. Never seen a book that came from Harvard actually (maybe it's just not used here). If that helps any.

Harvard.

Original post by JohnJoe

When I look at my university textbooks for english, it usually says either Oxford or Cambridge. Never seen a book that came from Harvard actually (maybe it's just not used here). If that helps any.

Cool story bro

Harvard VS Cambridge?

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