<p>As someone who has been at both schools, and has taught at others of comparable quality, I want to just add a bit of realism to this recently revived thread.</p>
<p>Basically, for almost any purpose you could want, there is no real difference in quality between Harvard and Stanford at the undergrad level (for specific grad programs this is different, especially for those thinking of an academic career where there can be considerable differences in approaches). Almost no one over the age of 25 cares if you went to one or the other undergrad. And the very few who do are misinformed. I am speaking of course of the US. But it would apply to Latin America, Europe or Australia/New Zealand (all places I have spent time living in). You are indeed lucky to go to either Harvard or Stanford, or for that matter many other great schools of almost the same quality. </p>
<p>It is far more important to actually take advantage of one of these universities. Many students, fearing anything less than the best grade point for the professional school applications, miss out on the chance to fully sample the incredible classes in a variety of subjects. If you are in science, please also take humanities and social sciences; and vice versa. Go abroad for a semester; learn foreign languages; realize you are unlikely to be around such a rich learning environment again (even in grad school).</p>
<p>I think there is an incredible myopia right now about the importance of a few very elite universities and, especially, of Harvard as somehow qualitatively better than the others. NOT.</p>