I got admitted to Caltech, Stanford and MIT. Which one should I go to for computer science?
Stanford is the best all around school if you want a world class football team, or strong humanities, it’s like MIT, Harvard and University of Any Big State all in one. But MIT is all about engineering, in the 70s I was told if you want really serious, go to MIT and I did, my siblings who went to Stanford also did well. I got waitlisted for Caltech, they get the smartest and oddest people, they are best for hard science but not a top 10 computer science school. I did not get into Harvard and if you want to get into do NOT submit an essay that sounds like it came out Aviation Week or Car and Driver on why the F-18 is going to be the future of naval aviation even if you are right.In the 70s, MIT was the #1 school in engineering and computer science not much else, lately seems everybody wants to apply because it is showing up in top 2 or 3 of colleges in general, but I would not recommend it unless you a true geek who knowingly wants to march to hell and back (and take in Boston on weekends) and not bitch about it. MIT used to and still does admit “diversity” candidates who later complain they were not prepared enough. You can get in without perfect test scores but don’t apply and don’t accept unless you are prepared to swim with sharks without a life vest and can integrate sin(x) backwards and in your sleep and understand how logarithms were used in slide rules to multiply and divide, and don’t spend any time complaining about how any color of lives matters in physics or chemistry or recursive sorting algorithms. If you neighbor won admission to MIT in the lottery, it would be like sending them into the firey furnace, not a license to print money and even MIT people get laid off or obsolete.Campus wise, Stanford isn’t within walking distance of anything and you need bikes to get around and it never snows. MIT is across the river from Boston and subway trains and buses are all easily walkable but athletics are a joke and if you’re hoping to marry a rich prince or princess you are much better off at Stanford.
Should I go to Stanford or Caltech for physics as an undergrad? I'm planning on doing theoretical physics and going to grad school.
As someone who did undergrad at Caltech and went to Stanford for a PhD, I would definitely recommend going to Caltech. The classes are harder, your classmates will be better at math, and it’s easier for people to get research opportunities.The core curriculum ensures every Caltech student has a decent math background, which allows professors to teach the classes at a higher level. (We covered universal hash functions in my algorithms class at Caltech. When I TAed algorithms at Stanford I asked if we were covering universal hash functions, and the professor said we couldn’t because the students were too weak.)The structure of the summer research program encourages professors to take undergrads seriously as collaborators, rather than using them for cheap programming help, as is common at other schools. This means better reference letters, deeper involvement on projects, and more chances to coauthor papers.Finally, when I was at Caltech, physics was the most popular major for first year students. Now it’s probably changed to CS, but Caltech is still a very good school for physics.
Why would a high school senior choose Caltech over Stanford?
Both of them are top ranked schools with Stanford at top 7 and Caltech at 5 based on PayScale's 2015 top universities and colleges report 2015 - see Best Universities and Colleges) so the choice will just be narrowed down based on the chosen college major. One may be a better fit over the other depending on college major (in this case Stanford over Caltech or vise-versa).Of course, the most important is application. You should apply and see if you get accepted.Other factors include cost including scholarships, proximity to your location or residence, culture, and more.Here's a comparative report between the two schools:Stanford University School Salary, Average Salaries California Institute of Technology (Caltech) School Salary, Average Salaries
Caltech Graduate School Admissions?
I will be pursuing a PhD in computational neuroscience and Caltech is my top choice for grad school. However, I'm concerned about my chances of gaining admission because I attend a state school. I am a sophomore Biochemistry / Computer Science double major (my school doesn't offer neuroscience) with a 3.96 GPA. Research opportunities at my school are limited, but I am volunteering in two labs and will be performing research in my junior year, along with independent research I'm coordinating with my professors and summer research. I would really appreciate it if anyone (especially those who have gained admission into competitive graduate programs) could give me an idea of what I need to do to be a more competitive graduate school applicant, particularly a more competitive applicant to Caltech.
Which is better in computer science? MIT, Caltech, Stanford or Harvard?
Carnegie-Mellon, UC Berkeley and University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana also have well-respected CSEE programs. Remember - there is a big difference between designing computer hardware and using the computer hardware. Figure out which version of CS you are interested in, and pick a school that matches your interest.
How does Harvard compare to Stanford for an undergraduate studying chemistry?
Personal opinions are not meaningful unless one has been an undergraduate at both schools. So I will just mention a few objective facts about the departments.Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology has 36 faculty members, including 5 Nobel laureates. In addition, there is a very large Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Department at the Medical School. Stanford's chemistry department has 25 faculty members and its medical school has a biochemistry department. Harvard's chemistry department is somewhat more highly ranked according to the National Research Council (NRC) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. In the NRC ranking system, they use multiple parameters:S-Rank: Programs are ranked highly if they are strong in the criteria that scholars say are most important.Research Rank: Derived from faculty publications, citation rates, grants, and awards.R-Rank: Programs are ranked highly if they have similar features to programs viewed by faculty as top-notch.According to the NRC assessment, Harvard's chemistry department has a S-Rank of 2-4 (meaning its true rank lies somewhere between #2 and #4), Research Rank of 2-8, and a R-Rank of 2-8. Harvard's chemical physics program is also ranked in the same category, with a S-Rank of 1-2, Research Rank of 1-3 and a R-Rank of 2-26.Stanford's chemistry program has a S-Rank of 5-13, Research Rank of 4-12, and a R-Rank of 4-14. They are both top 10 schools but Harvard is ranked more highly. This information is perhaps more relevant to someone who is considering a Ph.D. program than an undergraduate program.
Which university is better, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, or MIT?
Biochemistry is in the science department; if you want to go to med school, you'd apply to that after you get a 4-year college degree. Any of those schools would be great for biochem, so just apply to them all - your chances of getting into any of them are about 10% or less, so your chances of getting into two and having to make a decision are less than 1%, and chances of getting into all 5 are 0.0001%.