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Harvard

PeterMcPete

1

Just out of interest, how much easier/harder is it to get into Harvard or Yale compared to Oxbridge?

Reply 1

E_D_B

9

Similar. There are more applicants per place at Harvard/Yale, but the standard of applicants is on average higher at Oxbridge because the British school system is better. A guy in the year above me was accepted by Harvard but rejected by Oxford.

Reply 2

BrightGirl

15

I don't know anything, but I have heard that Harvard is harder because they're just as focused on EC's as they are on academic stuff.

Harvard is harder

I'd imagine Harvard would be far, far harder to get into.

1) Best university in the world and can afford to turn away anyone less than brilliant

2) Pay equal attention to extra-curricular activities in keeping with the whole american 'leaders of tomorrow' shtick

3) Have a damn fine reputation to uphold and don't want anyone with any kind of blemishes

4) Have a truly global prestige and can pick and choose from anyone, anywhere

Isn't it something ridiculous like 40 applicants per place?

Reply 5

OriginofSymmetry

11

johnbrown

Out of curiosity, how does an english person go about applying to Harvard? And also would they have to pay like a ridiculous amount of money in comparison to what they would have to pay at a British university?
Is it the same with postgrad?

Yes indeedio. Including living expenses etc., you're looking at hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Reply 6

Fandellos

13

OriginofSymmetry

Yes indeedio. Including living expenses etc., you're looking at hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Incorrect. Its around $40,000 which is like £17,000 ish.

Reply 7

numb3rb0y

15

OriginofSymmetry

Yes indeedio. Including living expenses etc., you're looking at hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Only if you can actually afford that much.

I was considering Harvard for this year, and believe me, their financial aid is incredibly generous. If you get a place, they'll make sure you're able to take it no matter what your current financial situation is.

Harvard is harder. For Harvard you need three A-level As, you need to be perfect on your SAT/ACT and three or more SAT Subject Tests (which may well not correspond to A-levels you took or even had available), and you need perfect admissions essays which aren't subject-related like Oxbridge, and you need to have a bunch of extra-curricular activities. Oxbridge is a piece of cake in comparison.

Reply 8

DeanK2

Harvard are wealthy enough to pour money at oversea students with enough brilliance at their subject (although A - levels do not judge how good you are at the subject one takes, I have it on the authority of some people who lurk the US study forum that american universities regard A-levels in high esteem as they have content that is more difficult that most of the topics covered in the AP courses.).

However, one could argue that while a PhD is certainly far better and perhaps the best available, the undergraduate teaching of Harvard and Yale has much to be desired.

Reply 9

SouthernFreerider

12

lol

i hear this a lot.

basically, it all depends on where you live.

if you have been brought up in the uk system, oxbridge is a lot easier.

if you have been brought up in the us system, harvard is a lot easier.

its because the unis are TOTALLY different. could write pages on the differences, and basically, the uk system gears you to get into oxbridge, and vice versa, making it very hard to get into the overseas equivalent.

also, as far as undergrad goes, you cant beat cambridge in general. its postgrad where harvard wins. you cant beat the job prospects at harvard either. but cambridge is more academic.

:smile:

Reply 10

OriginofSymmetry

11

Fandellos

Incorrect. Its around $40,000 which is like £17,000 ish.

Not just tuition fees.

Reply 11

Nyet

US undergrad is garbage compared to the UK equivalent anyway, so I don't see why you would bother. PhD on the other hand is a whole different ball game.

Reply 12

Fandellos

13

OriginofSymmetry

Not just tuition fees.

well even then, a jump from £20K to £100k and over on substituting living expenses in is ridiculous, surely

Reply 13

DeanK2

SouthernFreerider

lol

i hear this a lot.

basically, it all depends on where you live.

if you have been brought up in the uk system, oxbridge is a lot easier.

if you have been brought up in the us system, harvard is a lot easier.

its because the unis are TOTALLY different. could write pages on the differences, and basically, the uk system gears you to get into oxbridge, and vice versa, making it very hard to get into the overseas equivalent.

also, as far as undergrad goes, you cant beat cambridge in general. its postgrad where harvard wins. you cant beat the job prospects at harvard either. but cambridge is more academic.

:smile:

Why you have replacecd the word Oxbridge with Cambridge is ludricous as what you say of Oxford is the same as you should say about Cambridge (except for mathematics in which case cambridge wns hand down for the sheer volume and depth they manage to pour into the tripos of the 1 + 2 year).

Reply 14

Bismarck

13

OriginofSymmetry

Not just tuition fees.

There are no other fees...it's about $40k for tuition and perhaps another $10-15k for room and board. Hardly hundreds of thousand of pounds. $40k isn't 17k pounds by the way; closer to 26k.

Reply 15

OriginofSymmetry

11

Bismarck

There are no other fees...it's about $40k for tuition and perhaps another $10-15k for room and board. Hardly hundreds of thousand of pounds. $40k isn't 17k pounds by the way; closer to 26k.

Well, I didn't actually mean pounds, I meant dollars. :o:

Maybe I read the thing wrong anyhow, I can't remember where I got that information from. My mistake.

Reply 16

Nyet

johnbrown

How hard is it to get onto a PhD course at Harvard? And how expensive?

All Harvard PhDs get funded. Its extremely impressive. If you get a high 2.1 or above from a top 5 UK university at undergrad, plus good GRE scores (in case you don't know, its a mindless standardised test of the type that Americans masturbate over) and letters of reference (these being uber-important), then it isn't too hard. It is easier than, for example, getting research council funding for an arts/social science PhD in the UK, but harder than getting it for a science PhD.

Reply 17

DeanK2

Nyet

All Harvard PhDs get funded. Its extremely impressive. If you get a high 2.1 or above from a top 5 UK university at undergrad, plus good GRE scores (in case you don't know, its a mindless standardised test of the type that Americans masturbate over) and letters of reference (these being uber-important), then it isn't too hard. It is easier than, for example, getting research council funding for an arts/social science PhD in the UK, but harder than getting it for a science PhD.

Could you pleace elaborate on the text I have emboldened? How would one sit the GRE (can it be done in the UK?), and do you mean it is harder to get accepted for a PhD in science at Harvard than Oxbridge?

Reply 18

Turdburger

16

Different.

Harvard gets more applicants per place, (similarish to the most competitive oxbridge courses) however, several factors reduce its competitiveness.

a) People apply to more than 1 ivy usually - eg I could apply to all of HYPSM, and if my preference is not for Harvard (Princeton is often regarded in the states as a better undergrad uni) then I will reject Harvard. This means Harvard has to considerably over-offer

b) People in the states can apply to as many unis as they like, so often if they arent really up to the standard, they might apply, as they dont have a UCAS place to waste, only a small monetary amount.

Also, their admissions system is totally different, and isnt so focused on academics. eg I am a very lazy person, and unless they value international level 'crasting and record level curry consumption I wouldnt make it to Harvard.

If I was a 7'0 international level basketballer who had saved orphans in africa, and was chairing several MUNs, but academically good not outstanding I would find it easier to get into Harvard

originofsymmetry