<p>Which is better for undergraduate math? (I realize that I won’t get into either but…)</p>
<p>“Better” depends on many factors (is a program you can’t get into “better” for you?), but in applying to Harvard you are primarily applying as a candidate to the College and in competition against all the College’s applicants, many without interests in mathematics. In applying to Cambridge, you are applying to a focused mathematics curriculum against other very-high end math students. The biggest factor in admission is performance on the STEP ([Sixth</a> Term Examination Papers](<a href=“http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/step/]Sixth”>Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) | Undergraduate Admissions)), which is aimed at identifying only the most talented students. It is possibly the most selective undergraduate mathematics program in the world.</p>
<p>The extended 4-year Cambridge course, leading not only to the BA degree but also to the CASM (Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics), is far more advanced than the standard 4-year Harvard BS and should allow direct entry into any PhD program. </p>
<p>The Cambridge course is also more focused: you will study Math only from day one (with a balanced coverage of both pure and applied Math). In other words, unlike at Harvard, there are no general education or humanities requirements. </p>
<p>Cambridge assessment may be brutal though. Except for a few computational project classes, your final grade and honors degree classification will be pretty much determined solely by your performance in four three-hour written exams taken at each school year (examples of [past examination papers](<a href=“http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/pastpapers/”>http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/pastpapers/</a>) are available on-line). </p>
<p>Throughout the school year however, there will be plenty of opportunities to practice problem-solving and prepare for the final exams in weekly supervision sessions (usually two per week), where two students normally meet with a faculty tutor and go through example papers or problem sheets.</p>
<p>like duh… HARVARD.</p>
<p>If you’re serious about math then I agree that Cambridge is better.</p>
<p>Go to Princeton =P</p>
<p>But seriously, you can’t go wrong with either.</p>
<p>it depends on what you want. if you know you want and love maths, and prefer to get right down to the math immediately and do nothing else outside of math, then Cambridge is the better choice.</p>