Is Harvard just a brand?

[jisp]

That is a question I have been seriously thinking about lately. I have a lot of Harvard Connections and it dawned on me that I am not sure I would want any of my kids to go there as an undergraduate. And today when debating this, I realized that Harvard is a lot like UGGS. Initially it was this amazing product that was far superior to anything that was out there. But now they are made in China and they are not well made and fall apart rather easily. And there are newer better made boots by younger companies that take the basic Ugg idea (shearling) and take it a step further.

I recently bought our son the book "Colleges that Change Lives" by Loren Pope, which I highly recommend to everyone. Even if you are not interested in the colleges that are listed the first two chapters are gems worth reading before embarking on the application process.

[bros]

The "name brand" schools like Harvard only work for those with a die-hard work ethic. Basically the kids who are all work and no play.

[hsmom]

Harvard like many research universities no longer are undergraduate teaching institutions, but places where professors are more interested in research and graduate students who can assist them in their research. And, at these universities, teaching assistants do much of the teaching and not the professors. Having worked at such an institution, I would recommend students to find colleges where professors still revel in teaching undergraduates.

When my nephew was in a Waldorf high school, my sister and many of the other mothers read Loren Pope's book and their children were able to find colleges to go to that they were not even aware of, and that were more of a fit academically and socially.

[healthy11]

I have a good friend whose husband holds an engineering undergrad degree and got his MBA from Harvard. He was just laid off from the same company that several other people I know still work for. They may have attended less prestigious schools, but happen to be working on different projects that didn't catch the budget axe. My friend's Harvard degree may have cost more than those from other universities, but it's not more valuable in terms of employment status, and if he had to do it over again, I'm not sure he would.

[lillian12]

Today, I think it's probably best to pick a college based on what you want to study and with whom you want to study, than it is to pick it for its name only. Harvard, for example, is very well known for its English Department and for its Law school. I do think that if you have an English degree or a law degree from Harvard you may have "one up" on someone who has an English degree or a law degree from a less prestigious school.

[michellea]

I agree that Harvard is a "brand" of some sort. The brand shouts prestige, competition, brains. Like any product, different people appreciate various brands for personal reasons. Harvard isn't right for everyone - I know it wouldn't have been right for me (not that they'd let me in! LOL) Some families will strive for Harvard just like some strive for a Coach bag or a BMW - even when Target or Honda might be servicable.

But, just like a BMW turns more heads than a Toyota, Harvard can open more doors than many colleges. But, there is something to be said for opening doors yourself.

[shawbridge]

Harvard is one of the best brands in the world. It is one of the nodes in the network of power in the world -- virtually everybody who is anybody comes through at some point. It has extraordinary scholars in many fields and many of the most practical scholars when it comes to areas like public policy and economics.

However, it is not a great undergraduate school. The social life is OK and many professors don't care about undergraduates. It is easy for undergraduates to get lost and have a mediocre experience there.

On the other hand, a self-directed, confident kid who takes a professors course and asks to do research with the professor or get involved in a project often gets a positive response. The professors know that the average Harvard student has to be incredibly bright and hard-working just to get in. So, the opportunities for the right kind of kid are outstanding. But, on average kids don't love it.

The value of Harvard goes up with the square of the distance from Cambridge. People in South America and Asia and Australia almost bow when the Harvard professor comes to visit. A lawyer in Costa Rica asked my son where he was going to go to college. At the time, my son said he was thinking of going to Princeton (where I was an undergraduate) and the lawyer said, "Go to Harvard. If you go to Harvard, you will be set for life." While this isn't true, the world places it on an absolute pedestal. I was a grad student and professor there and still have links and in many ways it is truly an extraordinary place -- so that there really is a lot behind the brand, but that doesn't necessarily extend to the undergraduate college.

If you are a young man, the same distance thing that works with college age females. In Cambridge, you are a dime a dozen. But, venture away and the fact that you go to Harvard starts to make you very attractive. Some are intimidated but some have man-getting behavior turned on strong. I suspect it doesn't work the same way for Harvard female students.

[socalgal]

I would also point out that there many research I institutions where faculty are actively engaged in teaching undergraduates as well as graduate students.

That being said, its very important to confirm exactly who will be teaching your undergraduate students at each and every school where they want to apply -- every school is different.

Here is another consideration: where an undergraduate degree is earned will impact where you get accepted for graduate school. For example, a degree from Harvard counts more than a degree from California State University, Northridge. (Okay, except for maybe Deaf Studies since CSUN actually has one of the finest undergraduate programs in the country.)

Which brings me to my final point: when considering schools, I agree with Shawbridge, brandnames count but it pays to simultaneously think about one's reason for being at a particular school. Sometimes, a lesser brandname is the better choice. It just depends on one's needs and preferences.

There is no right answer.