<p>My friend (not me, it’s really my friend) recently got into harvard EA but she’s thinking twice about going there. she says she’s become too attached with the organization she founded right here in chicago and just can’t imagine delegating her current responsibilities to someone else. she said she wasn’t expecting to get in so it was fine then but now that she has, it’s finally hit her that if she were to go to harvard, her days here would be over. she’s invested so much in this organization that she’s not ready to give it up just yet.
she’s also applying to northwestern and uchicago RD, so she is likely to attend either of those two if she gets in (while acceptances to northwestern and uchicago are not a sure thing, i’m confident that she will get in given her amazing credentials). what advice should i give to her? i know it’s her choice in the end but i don’t want her to regret her decision.</p>
<p>That’s tough. Neither of the local substitutes are bad. </p>
<p>However, one is never too young to learn that one is not irreplaceable.</p>
<p>Plus, I really think “going away” leads to more growth.</p>
<p>Tough, tough, tough.</p>
<p>The advice you should give her is to follow her heart. It would be hard to go wrong with any of those schools. </p>
<p>I’m not that familiar with Northwestern, but UChicago will be more academically intense (on average) than Harvard. More focus on academics at Chicago; more focus on ECs at Harvard. Neither are particularly warm and fuzzy “quality of undergrad life” school, although UChicago probably puts more emphasis on undergrads than Harvard does (which wouldn’t be that hard to do!). I think it would be important to do an overnight visit at both schools and it would have to be an individual decision.</p>
<p>They are both terrific schools, so she would not lose anything by turning down Harvard.
An alternative, if she really does want to go to Harvard is to defer going for one year. She should read the section on taking a gap year on the Harvard website. Anyway, she does not have to make up her mind until May, so she has plenty of time to sort out her options. Things may change quite a bit between now and then!</p>
<p>it is tough. that’s why i don’t know what to tell her. i guess her acceptance has been pretty anti-climactic.</p>
<p>She should speak to an adult connected to her organization. TheDad’s point about being irreplaceable is very true - it is not a very firm org. if it can’t absorb her leaving. What about a gap year to work with the org? Also, she should visit H again if possible, before deciding.</p>
<p>depends on what she wants to do. Harvard is just simply more nationally recognized than Chicago/Northwestern. It’s hard to turn down one of the best schools in the country, if not <em>the</em> best.</p>
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<p>That’s a pretty superficial reason if the the school isn’t right for an individual student. What IS right for an individual student is a whole tapestry of different factors. For example, I might not want to go to college more than three hours from home. You might not want to go to college less than three hours from home. A college’s “ranking” isn’t going to change those kids of individual factors.</p>
<p>I would tell her to follow her heart and I agree that if possible, visiting Harvard again is a good idea. She sounds like the kind of person who can thrive and excell anyplace she goes, and she should go where she will be happy, because the undergrad experience at all 3 will be challenging. If there are compelling reasons to stay close to home, she should stay. I see nothing wrong with staying close to home if your dream school, or the place where you are most intellectually engaged, is there. Plenty of time to explore geographically in grad school and beyond, during summers, and during terms or years abroad.</p>
<p>What’s the organization? Sometimes those kinds of the things lead to one’s life work, and I wouldn’t pass on it simply for the opportunity to go to Harvard to “prepare” for one’s life work if one is already found it!. So I wouldn’t take such a decision lightly.</p>
<p>A deferral year is not necessarily a bad idea (I wish my d. would have taken one.) There’s no rush - all she would be is a bit more mature.</p>
<p>I agree with Interesteddad that UChicago is very academically intense, and may not be conducive to her “splitting her time and her mind”. Northwestern might be a bit more conducive.</p>
<p>No one - absolutely no one - should feel bad about turning down Harvard for another school that is a better fit for one reason or another. Harvard is great but if she doesn’t want to go there, then it’s not the right school. Harvard is no different from any other school in that regard. I agree with patient’s advice that the advice you should give your friend is to follow her heart. As the year goes on, she may feel very differently.</p>
<p>Mini, that’s a very good point about passing on one’s life work to go to Harvard to “prepare” for one’s life work! Well said.</p>
<p>“Harvard is no different from any other school in that regard.”</p>
<p>I’d have to respectfully disagree. I understand very well that you should go to a school that fits you best-- right now I am fighting with my mother…she wants me to go to Harvard if I get in, over every other school I am applying to. Even though I place Georgetown and Dartmouth far above Harvard on my “love” list.</p>
<p>So I will go to the school that fits me best, but I understand perfectly that my mother is right about Harvard’s prestige. If I were to attend Harvard, I would simply be looked at differently than a Gtown/Dmouth grad. </p>
<p>So yes, while you should go to the school that best fits you in a perfect world, if you want true advancement in the job market you should go to the top.</p>
<p>I had another thought. Is the organization something that she could expand to the Cambridge/Boston area? If it is unique to Chicago then that wouldn’t work, but it seems that this is her brainchild. How exciting if she could take her work with her to Harvard if that is where she wants to go. She did apply EA, which makes me think something about it appealed to her, and obviously Harvard wants her so…</p>
<p>Babybird, I agree with Carolyn. The old “looked at differently” argument (i.e. prestige) is a lousy tradeoff for a bad fit, even if it <em>is</em> Harvard.</p>
<p>I’ll take the approach that this girl applied EA to Harvard, she obviously doesn’t believe it is a bad fit, and in my opinion, is simply experiencing cold feet that will probably fade.</p>
<p>Though I personallly have become obsessed with my early school, I don’t think the amount of enthusiasm one puts in around this time of year will determine his or her success at the school. If this girl goes to Harvard, which I think she should, she will likely love it, and bring many more great “organizations” to the Cambridge area.</p>
<p>Regardless, if her final decision is to stay in Chicago, she has two incredible options in Northwestern and Univ. of Chicago.</p>
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<p>This is true. However, there are pluses and minuses to that. For example, the vast majority of “regular” folk will assume you are a rich kid snob when they learn that you went to Harvard. That can present its own set of obstacles.</p>
<p>One of the nice things about some of the lesser known schools is that people who know will be impressed, but you can fly under the radar when it suits your purposes. There are times in life when you might prefer to not be labeled as a brainiac, hoity-toit, silver spoon college grad.</p>
<p>Once you reach that level, I don’t think an employer makes any distinction other than one based on personal opinion. One employer may deem Dartmouth a better school than Harvard, or vice versa. I wouldn’t worry about that. </p>
<p>I might understand the concern if you are coming from an LAC such as Bowdoin which is incredibly strong (and one of my favorite schools) but lesser known, however if it was Chicago & Northwestern vs. Harvard, I doubt there is much to worry over.</p>
<p>One other point:</p>
<p>There are incredible opportunities for community work at Harvard. The student should check out Philipps Brooks House</p>