If you’re simply interested in getting Harvard or Stanford on your resume, what are some of the easiest grad programs to apply to and what are their acceptance rates?
Why would you want to have that? Going only for that reason might translate to having to pay a lot of money out of pocket. Also, what field are you in?
Grad school acceptance is generally based on your readiness to jump into their program, hit the ground running, and your research interests aligning with what their profs are up to. Not the same as UG. And certainly not just because you want H or S “on your resume.” There may be certificate-type programs that are more open, but if you want this level to show, you need to be able to do that info digging without someone else telling you. It’s a case of, your’re either on your game or not.
Someone who would ask this question has no chance of being admitted to any grad program at Harvard and Stanford.
Harvard Extension School, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Divinity School.
This is going to vary based upon the student’s preparation. Like @lookingforward said, grad admissions are based on your background, fit with the program, and research interest/professional interests. So while an engineering grad may find it “easy” to get into an MS program in engineering at Stanford, they may find it difficult to get into the MA in art history or the MPP program. Or even more narrowly, an engineering major may find it easier to get into Stanford’s department than Harvard’s because of their focus. The classics MA might technically have the highest acceptance rate, but someone without a background in classics or reading knowledge of Greek and Latin may have zero chance of gaining acceptance.
Furthermore, simply having Harvard or Stanford on your resume isn’t really helpful. For example, it makes no sense to have a Harvard engineering degree on your resume if you want to be a social worker, or a Stanford MFA in documentary film and video if you want to be a software developer.
While the OP’s question is absurd, I want to address this for the record. For HES I agree, for HGSE and HDS I do not. Both schools have acceptance rates of about 50%, but that does not mean that anyone with a College degree has that chance of acceptance. Both schools attract highly self-selected applicants who are particularly qualified and suited for their programs. Their adcoms will spot at 100 paces an applicant unprepared and unsuited for their school. We could argue that it is harder or easier or get into HKS or HLS but with grad and professional programs it is hard to untangle the applicant pool from the acceptance rate.