“If he relishes smiting the heathen, he'll love the campus at Hopkins”
LOL! Yes, but they seem to be pleasant heathens.
“I'd suggest to sweeten the pot for his decision, if he chooses Maryland, tell him you'll invest for him,...”
I'm not entirely sure my vote is for Maryland. In fact, I'm not sure at all. Harvard is (barely) affordable. And it IS Harvard.
Ninety-eight percent of incoming freshmen at Harvard graduate from Harvard. They all have meal-tickets for life. They have entry not only into their own fields, but into other fields along the way. As many have noted here, these are the folks who become the senior managers, the folks who run things.
The invitation to Harvard is an invitation to become part of the Ruling Elite.
It should not be put aside lightly.
sitetest
Here, you are talking about an undergraduate degree in civil engineering. I wouldn't call that a meal ticket, just the first step in earning a meal ticket.
Do you think an engineering company will be more impressed with an undergrad engineer degree from Harvard or one from MIT right up the street? Or GA Tech? Or Carnegie? or one of the military academies?
Look at the ranking of civil engineering schools- where does Harvard rank?
Harvard connotes prestigious degrees in poli sci/int’l relations, law, medicine and rich legacies majoring in liberal arts. Is your son going to enjoy socially keeping up with the Harvard elites? Clam bakes at the Cape during weekend breaks?
AS for the snob factor,those employers who are impressed with the snob factor of a Harvard undergrad degree may look at his total family pedigree ...does yours measure up? Who do yo know? And then they hire some kid whose family they know, or know of, or whose Dad they went to Harvard with ..
In civil engineering, doesn't a meal ticket for life require a masters degree or more? Perhaps even a dual major
on the other hand, if he is or becomes hooked on “the classics”, then he'll need a PhD to teach and a rich sponsor to fund and “endowed” chair for job security
I had a boyfriend who graduated Penn State and went on to Harvard for his Masters in Middle East studies- great prestige. He ended up managing a Sears store in his hometown on Long Island. But he had some great professors at Harvard and got good grades in arabic!