<p>My gut reaction is certainly that it’s better to say why a school is good for you, not why other schools are less so. You can, if clever in your composition, convey that MIT is unique in the regards you’re talking. </p>
<p>I also think the inbreeding thing is a good point – ultimately I find that if you slam one school and put up another, it comes off as rather finicky, and that faculty from MIT probably went to schools that you may slam will reflect poorly, simply because the faculty likely realize one could do well at either school. Ultimately good schools realize that several good schools will consider great students, and it’s a positive thing to have a really in depth reason why the particular school works ideally. I think admissions officers probably know the differences among all the schools even better than applicants do, and if anything they needn’t have a summary of what are distinct characteristics of Harvard, and a subsequent statement that they don’t work so well.</p>
<p>Also, isn’t it a little random to slam Harvard? I mean fine, they are close by, but I’d be careful that there is a good reason at all to say anything about it at all.</p>