I have a child at Vanderbilt and a stepchild at Harvard (who is studying computer science) so I think I’m in a pretty good position to contrast the two. As much as I love Vanderbilt and consider it a fabulous school and a great fit for my daughter I would encourage you to go to Harvard. The reality is that at ALL these schools you will find students who are competitive and some who are laid back. There are nerds and 24/7 partygoers. There are absolute geniuses and dullards that will leave you scratching your head over the admissions decisions. Point is: Your experience at any of these schools is going to depend a lot less on the specifics of the school and far more on who you happen to meet (is your freshman roommate a good fit or a nightmare? Are the professors in your particular classes inspiring or just phoning it in? etc.) Some randomness in terms of outcome is inevitable–there’s no guarantee at any school. And, to keep some perspective, I have found that most students end up very happy at the school they attend, even if they wind up at a “safety school.” So most likely you will do well and be happy at any of these schools. So why go to Harvard? Because the opportunities that attending Harvard will offer you in terms of internships, job recruitment and other such “extras” are beyond compare. I have seen this first hand and it is jaw-dropping. It’s not that the kids at Harvard are so much smarter than others-they just lucked out. So start at Harvard. If it turns out not to be a good fit you can always transfer. But you have won the lottery here and there is no reason NOT to cash in!