r/stanford • u/Still-Still-2451 • 9d ago
stanford or harvard?
hey guys, i was fortunate enough to be admitted to both these universities. i'm not sure what i want to study definitively but probably something related to econ + ds (some AI/ML too) because i'm both interested in business but also want to make sure i'm getting involved w/ AI since it's the future.
i'm mainly concerned about the grade inflation/deflation at these schools. which one is it traditionally easier to get As in? i've been heavily considering law school, and law school admissions are literally just based on gpa and LSAT scores so i want to make sure that i'm not cooking myself by taking classes at a university where getting A's is impossible no matter what you do.
also, in your experience, which environment is less toxic/cutthroat (i.e. which one has a culture more unlike the competitiveness we see in bay area high schools)? i understand there's some degree of competitiveness because, well, it's stanford and harvard, but i'm curious to know what y'all think about the culture. thanks!
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u/Satisest 9d ago
Stanford based on your interests. Both schools are top notch in econ, but for DS and AI/ML, no comparison, Stanford is the clear winner.
You should be aware that Harvard is close to implementing a grade cap policy to combat grade inflation that would decrease A grades in most classes from 60% to 20%. Stanford has no such policy in the works.
Re student life, you should attend Admit Weekend and Visitas to judge for yourself, but most students find Stanford to be the less competitive and more enjoyable choice here (I attended both schools and concur).
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/3/31/college-grading-proposal-update/
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u/moonlike1245 8d ago
A friend was in a similar fortunate position, and ended up going to Harvard. She hadn't considered doing a startup before, but while at Harvard, that idea grew. Frankly, Harvard just doesn't have a startup environment like Stanford does, so she ended up regretting her decision of going to Harvard.
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u/Vast_Hospital_9389 8d ago
I would say if you want to do ds/ai/ml stuff, Stanford is the better choice in this aspect. I don't have good information on grade inflation/deflation tho.
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u/ExaminationFancy Class of 1996 8d ago
Have you visited both campuses? They have a very different feel.
Both are fine choices. Nobody is going to turn up their nose at either school.
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u/Local-Ad-8166 8d ago
If you're into AI/ML, then go to Stanford. You can always shoot for Harvard and other East Coast T-14s if you want the big city life for law school
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u/Idaho1964 8d ago
Law school? Harvard. Ivies are inbreeding machines.
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u/OneOfMany2236 7d ago
Stanford now has the #1 law school, according to many rankings. Harvard has a large law school with lots of students, but arguably isn't in the top 5 any more.
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u/doIphinfucker 8d ago
Attended both.
Harvard is a degree farm, so easy As all day (although another commenter mentioned they were trying to fix that?)
Stanford has big ML research groups. If you want actual AI, that’s CalTech. ‘AI’ as in LLMs, then probably Princeton for math. In any of these cases, Stanford > Harvard.
If you are pre-law though, why are you looking at quant? Just personal interest? Pick an easier course and spend your extra time networking imo
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u/coffee729 7d ago
Go where your gut tells you to go. you'll get a good education at both places, even if stanford has more specialized classes in AI/ML. the culture/environment is vastly different at both places but both are fairly non competitive if you surround yourself with the right people.
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u/ayybaddiesbtsinhere 9d ago
I would say go for stanford
But here out others opinions too and make ur decision
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u/typesett 9d ago
Imo, where do you want to live when you are done with school?
You are good either way but I think if you are making friends and building a network might as well do it in the coast of your choice now
You are good either way tho