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Oxford or Harvard?
Given that comparing Oxbridge to the Ivy Leaugue is around about as productive (and common round these parts) as arguing the relative merits of Oxford and Cambridge, I'll try to keep this reasonably specific:
Given the choice, should I go to Oxford (Magdalen) to read history, or do liberal arts in Harvard?
Bearing in mind a few things:
Length of degree: Harvard has four years, with more weeks per year. I can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing - it might be better to do a masters than a four year undergrad, and it might be better to have more time for summer work etc. Opinions?
The degree: I'm one of those history students who nearly went for PPE. I think the Ox degree is broad enough to tailor to my own interests, but liberal arts is still far broader. This could be good - I might discover a passion for something obscure that I'd never try otherwise - or I could end up resenting wasting my time on pointless and frustrating academic dead ends.
The social life: You can't drink in the US until you're 21. I could live with this, but it's just one of those irritating North Americanisms that might drive me mad. On the other hand, Cambridge and Boston are supposed to be very student friendly and generally nice places to live.
Oxford is nice.
Other things: Oxford has the Union, Harvard has bugger all for debating. I'd quite like to keep it up in college, but I don't know if it justifies choosing one over the other.
So, is Harvard better, and even if it is, is it enough of a difference to justify moving cross-pond? Assuming, of course, that they don't screw me on financial aid...
I think a few other people here have had a similar choice, so what made up your mind?
Cheers.
Given the choice, should I go to Oxford (Magdalen) to read history, or do liberal arts in Harvard?
Bearing in mind a few things:
Length of degree: Harvard has four years, with more weeks per year. I can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing - it might be better to do a masters than a four year undergrad, and it might be better to have more time for summer work etc. Opinions?
The degree: I'm one of those history students who nearly went for PPE. I think the Ox degree is broad enough to tailor to my own interests, but liberal arts is still far broader. This could be good - I might discover a passion for something obscure that I'd never try otherwise - or I could end up resenting wasting my time on pointless and frustrating academic dead ends.
The social life: You can't drink in the US until you're 21. I could live with this, but it's just one of those irritating North Americanisms that might drive me mad. On the other hand, Cambridge and Boston are supposed to be very student friendly and generally nice places to live.
Oxford is nice.
Other things: Oxford has the Union, Harvard has bugger all for debating. I'd quite like to keep it up in college, but I don't know if it justifies choosing one over the other.
So, is Harvard better, and even if it is, is it enough of a difference to justify moving cross-pond? Assuming, of course, that they don't screw me on financial aid...
I think a few other people here have had a similar choice, so what made up your mind?
Cheers.
Scroll to see replies
Pierre Menard
Given that comparing Oxbridge to the Ivy Leaugue is around about as productive (and common round these parts) as arguing the relative merits of Oxford and Cambridge, I'll try to keep this reasonably specific:
Given the choice, should I go to Oxford (Magdalen) to read history, or do liberal arts in Harvard?
Bearing in mind a few things:
Length of degree: Harvard has four years, with more weeks per year. I can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing - it might be better to do a masters than a four year undergrad, and it might be better to have more time for summer work etc. Opinions?
The degree: I'm one of those history students who nearly went for PPE. I think the Ox degree is broad enough to tailor to my own interests, but liberal arts is still far broader. This could be good - I might discover a passion for something obscure that I'd never try otherwise - or I could end up resenting wasting my time on pointless and frustrating academic dead ends.
The social life: You can't drink in the US until you're 21. I could live with this, but it's just one of those irritating North Americanisms that might drive me mad. On the other hand, Cambridge and Boston are supposed to be very student friendly and generally nice places to live.
Oxford is nice.
Other things: Oxford has the Union, Harvard has bugger all for debating. I'd quite like to keep it up in college, but I don't know if it justifies choosing one over the other.
So, is Harvard better, and even if it is, is it enough of a difference to justify moving cross-pond? Assuming, of course, that they don't screw me on financial aid...
I think a few other people here have had a similar choice, so what made up your mind?
Cheers.
Given the choice, should I go to Oxford (Magdalen) to read history, or do liberal arts in Harvard?
Bearing in mind a few things:
Length of degree: Harvard has four years, with more weeks per year. I can't decide if this is a good or a bad thing - it might be better to do a masters than a four year undergrad, and it might be better to have more time for summer work etc. Opinions?
The degree: I'm one of those history students who nearly went for PPE. I think the Ox degree is broad enough to tailor to my own interests, but liberal arts is still far broader. This could be good - I might discover a passion for something obscure that I'd never try otherwise - or I could end up resenting wasting my time on pointless and frustrating academic dead ends.
The social life: You can't drink in the US until you're 21. I could live with this, but it's just one of those irritating North Americanisms that might drive me mad. On the other hand, Cambridge and Boston are supposed to be very student friendly and generally nice places to live.
Oxford is nice.
Other things: Oxford has the Union, Harvard has bugger all for debating. I'd quite like to keep it up in college, but I don't know if it justifies choosing one over the other.
So, is Harvard better, and even if it is, is it enough of a difference to justify moving cross-pond? Assuming, of course, that they don't screw me on financial aid...
I think a few other people here have had a similar choice, so what made up your mind?
Cheers.
You have identically the same choice I had last year! Same subject and everything. In the end, I went to Oxford - but switched from History to History and Economics. My mind was only made up after going to visit Harvard (which was amazing fun, btw, irrespective of academics). I went to a load of lectures, tutorials and seminars, and decided the standard was just too basic for me to bare. The point is, you see, Harvard will give you all these very broad elective courses, but the standard is so damn poor you could do better by reading one book. Seriously, I know most of the material in the Biological Sciences lecture heaving dropped Biology at GCSE. However, the breadth is great, and History and Economics offers that.
Good choice either way, though, you're in a very enivable position.
Good question! It seems to me that on the criteria that matter most to you, there's not much between them. Given, therefore, that studying in another country is a really big deal, ask yourself whether you see going to America as an opportunity in itself, or as something that must be endured in order to be at Harvard specifically. In short, since you can't pick between the universities, pick between the countries.
God, having to choose between Oxford and Harvard. Life must be so tough for you!
That alone would swing it for me, but if that doesn't bother you.
Go for the one you think you would enjoy most; not necessarily academically. Could be the best 3-4 years of your life, why not get the most out of it. In terms of prestige they're virtually even, anyway, esp. given Magdalen's quite a presitigious college.
Added advantage: you wouldn't live in a country that re-elected George W Bush.
You have to be 21 to drink in the US
That alone would swing it for me, but if that doesn't bother you.
Go for the one you think you would enjoy most; not necessarily academically. Could be the best 3-4 years of your life, why not get the most out of it. In terms of prestige they're virtually even, anyway, esp. given Magdalen's quite a presitigious college.
Added advantage: you wouldn't live in a country that re-elected George W Bush.
Personally I'd have chosen Harvard if I could have afforded it (and got in!).
Pierre, are you an American or British citizen? There's a significant amount of money to be considered here.
Finally, something I can offer an opinion on without being totally uninformed. I live less than a kilometer away from Harvard Yard, the center of the Harvard undergraduate campus. I applied to both Oxford and Harvard, got deferred at Harvard and accepted to read law at Merton off an open application. GO TO OXFORD. You must be crazy even to have to think about this.
As I'm writing this, it's snowing. I mention this because it is freezing here, always. I can't stand the winters in this godforsaken hole. Oxford may be grey and wet, but rather that than frostbite.
In regards to the social scene, it's not impossible to get alcohol when under 21; just find someone old enough to get it for you. That said, it's awful not being allowed into bars. Cambridge is a decent enough place for students, but downtown Boston is dead as far as cities go. There's little club life, not much interesting stuff to do and mediocre public transportation.
I've taken a couple of night classes at Harvard and was never blown away. Yes, the profs. are good, but all classes for undergraduates are lecture based and have tons of homework. I much prefer the tutorial system, but that's open for debate.
Architecture: Oxford wins, hands down. While I disagree that Harvard's buildings are all "ugly" and "too modern", they don't hold a candle to Oxford's splendor. And of course 17th century buildings, while considered ancient here, are probably "modern" by Oxford standards. Still, that's not a real factor to take into account with such an important decision.
If prestige is important to you (and let's face it, it's important to everyone) then it's a wash. Both schools earn respectful whistles of awe when you say you went there. Americans in general view Oxford as being somehow "better", though; we have an inferiority complex.
I might have to make the same decision as you, if Harvard lets me in on their second round of acceptances. However, I'll have no problem making my decision. Oxford wins hands down. You can't meet Sebastian Flyte at Harvard, now can you? Then again, at Harvard you don't have to make an offer...I'm not looking forward to trying to make mine (3 AP tests at grade 4)!
Also, knowing many Harvard students, they're pretentious buggers. If you want to know anything about Cambridge or Boston, message me.
As I'm writing this, it's snowing. I mention this because it is freezing here, always. I can't stand the winters in this godforsaken hole. Oxford may be grey and wet, but rather that than frostbite.
In regards to the social scene, it's not impossible to get alcohol when under 21; just find someone old enough to get it for you. That said, it's awful not being allowed into bars. Cambridge is a decent enough place for students, but downtown Boston is dead as far as cities go. There's little club life, not much interesting stuff to do and mediocre public transportation.
I've taken a couple of night classes at Harvard and was never blown away. Yes, the profs. are good, but all classes for undergraduates are lecture based and have tons of homework. I much prefer the tutorial system, but that's open for debate.
Architecture: Oxford wins, hands down. While I disagree that Harvard's buildings are all "ugly" and "too modern", they don't hold a candle to Oxford's splendor. And of course 17th century buildings, while considered ancient here, are probably "modern" by Oxford standards. Still, that's not a real factor to take into account with such an important decision.
If prestige is important to you (and let's face it, it's important to everyone) then it's a wash. Both schools earn respectful whistles of awe when you say you went there. Americans in general view Oxford as being somehow "better", though; we have an inferiority complex.
I might have to make the same decision as you, if Harvard lets me in on their second round of acceptances. However, I'll have no problem making my decision. Oxford wins hands down. You can't meet Sebastian Flyte at Harvard, now can you? Then again, at Harvard you don't have to make an offer...I'm not looking forward to trying to make mine (3 AP tests at grade 4)!
Also, knowing many Harvard students, they're pretentious buggers. If you want to know anything about Cambridge or Boston, message me.
Belle Noire
Pierre, are you an American or British citizen? There's a significant amount of money to be considered here.
I'm Irish, so effectively british from the point of view of paying.
Money aside, I've just about decided to go to Oxford. On balance, the course, the social life, the weather and most other things seem better in Oxford. So I'll see some of you in October.
The right decision, I think. (I'd have decided like that anyway.) You can still go to Harvard, Stanford or whatever for postgraduate work if you want. There's a widely-held view that undergraduate teaching in the UK is better than in America (which means that at Oxford it's much better), and the level is higher, whereas research in America is very much better funded (which may mean more for postgraduates, and more for some subjects than for others).
How's Don Quixote coming on by the way ? Got beyond page two yet ?
How's Don Quixote coming on by the way ? Got beyond page two yet ?
ctanner33
I mention this because it is freezing here, always. I can't stand the winters in this godforsaken hole. Oxford may be grey and wet, but rather that than frostbite.
Are you not here in Oxford yet then? It's bloody freezing here too. The Thames Valley is colder than everything surrounding it.
ThePants999
Are you not here in Oxford yet then? It's bloody freezing here too. The Thames Valley is colder than everything surrounding it.
No, I'm still in Boston, I'll be in Oxford next year assuming I make my offer. I did live in Winchester for a few years, wasn't that cold compared to here. Is Oxford and the surrounding area much colder than Hampshire?
ctanner33
Is Oxford and the surrounding area much colder than Hampshire?
i think i can comment here..
to be honest, yes! i don't remember the last time it snowed at home - but the this Hilary term & last it snowed in Oxford (though this may reflect the country getting colder, i don't know..
)anecdotally though, Oxford definitely feels chillier! a geography student might comment on Hampshire being sheletered by the IOW and kept more temperate by the coastline or something..
Elles
i think i can comment here..
to be honest, yes! i don't remember the last time it snowed at home - but the this Hilary term & last it snowed in Oxford (though this may reflect the country getting colder, i don't know.. )
anecdotally though, Oxford definitely feels chillier! a geography student might comment on Hampshire being sheletered by the IOW and kept more temperate by the coastline or something..
to be honest, yes! i don't remember the last time it snowed at home - but the this Hilary term & last it snowed in Oxford (though this may reflect the country getting colder, i don't know..
)anecdotally though, Oxford definitely feels chillier! a geography student might comment on Hampshire being sheletered by the IOW and kept more temperate by the coastline or something..
But if you want somewhere really cold, come to Cambridge. Nothing to shelter us from the wind whistling in from the arctic
OldMan
But if you want somewhere really cold, come to Cambridge. Nothing to shelter us from the wind whistling in from the arctic
i came to cambridge.. & spent all day outside, traipsing from sports ground to sports ground, playing in various matches. very foolish of me..
but the fact that the Tabs (who typically played a sport each, that they had actually all played before & spent the rest of the day in the comfort of somewhere with food & warmth!) won most matches is apparently evidence of their superiority..
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