1. Two rival universities in the field of education
1346013 Heerim Suh
“Education is the key to success.” This saying has been quoted by many people
during the last decade to emphasize the significance of education. Truly, education is a
systemized motivator which can potentially reform not only an individual but also the whole
of society. As the key role of education in society has become an important issue globally,
numerous countries have established prestigious educational institutions. Two of them are
Harvard University and the University of Cambridge. They are both famous for their
qualified educational system and have ranked top 2 in education. What makes them
outstanding among the universities all over the world? They will be compared in terms of
admissions policies and their independent educational system.
First of all, admissions policies reflect missions and core values of the top 2
universities. Even though both Harvard and Cambridge agree on providing students with
financial aid and accepting a number of international students, they have different values in
seeking suitable applicants for their specialized education. Harvard seeks applicants who are
talented in different fields such as extra-curricular activities, as well as academic
achievements. Applicants’ enthusiasm, creativity and strength of character are as important as
their academic accomplishment in high school in Harvard’s assessment. On the other hand,
Cambridge places more weight on the applicants’ academic ability and potential rather than
their creativity or diversity in terms of talent. In admissions policy, Cambridge clearly states
that ultimately all admissions decisions are based on academic criteria, and excellence in an
extra-curricular activity will never compensate for lower academic potential.
Second of all, Harvard and Cambridge have their own educational system to enhance
students’ excellence in different fields. Harvard aims for liberal education whereas
Cambridge aims for deeply focused education. At Harvard, various academic experiences
across a broad spectrum of academic environments are recommended with lots of qualified
resources that are available to students. Also, Harvard runs a flexible learning environment in
which students have the freedom not only to choose a major but to change it later simply
because their interests have changed. Harvard believes it is important that students select the
major that best suits their individual needs. On the contrary, college life in Cambridge starts
with an immediate focus on a major. Cambridge students get to study a particular subject
without any minors in independent institutions within the campus. The most different system
of Cambridge is the tutorial system which is commonly called ‘supervisions’. Students are
taught by faculty fellows in groups and they receive direct feedback on their weekly work in
a small discussion setting. The tutorial system is a main contributing factor that improves the
quality and depth of provision across all subjects.
In conclusion, difference in the characteristics of the two universities, Harvard and
Cambridge, can be viewed as major differences between the US style liberal arts model and
the UK immediate focus model. Generally in sum, Harvard is more practical, and Cambridge
is more academic. Either way, they have their merits that can lead other universities into
better educational environment. As Harvard and Cambridge have made great contributions to
society in the pursuit of education, they are further expected to continue to make the world
better and help solve numerous social problems related to education such as the educational
gap.