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Harvard Extension vs Institute?

I am debating whether to attend Harvard Extension or an Institute, particularly Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI, ranked above 50 in US News) for my graduate degree. Here are the pros and cons. With Harvard Extension, I will get access too Harvard University facilities and resources such as their career center and, yes, their vast alumni network. The opportunity to have a job during the day for experience. But a Harvard degree that has a negative aura since some graduate of Harvard Extension try to pull off as graduate of Harvard College (usually undergrad). With Worcester Polytechnic Institute, I will have get a solid degree. I will be a full time student for the next two years. Opportunity for job experience is almost none. The cost would be a bit higher than Harvard Extension. 1. What is your take on my situation? How to weigh each decision? 2. How do you think employers look at the difference between the two degree? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. I'd go for the WPI degree. You get partial use of the services you mention, not full access, and the degree is not considered the equivalent of a Harvard degree. There is a reason why what is often considered the best university in the world is offering a degree which is a lot cheaper than WPI. Again, there will be some employers who may not see the "extension" and assume you are a Harvard grad, and if that should happen, it would benefit you. However, it sounds like you might be going for a technical degree, and in that case, skills matter far more than does the prestige of the school. The only concern I would have about WPI would be the fact that you say there is almost no opportunity for work experience. Again, if this is a technical degree, you may very well be working on projects for real clients, which would be the equivalent of work experience, since you could put this on your resume.