Harvard Club

President Barack Obama is viewed by his opponents as a divisive polarizing figure while his supporters prefer to characterize him as a man that unites both people and nations. Regardless of how any individual feels personally about the politics of the 44th President of the United States there is no arguing that he has attended and graduated from a couple of the top institutions of higher learning in America. President Barack Obama got his undergraduate degree from Columbia University before going on to get his Juris Doctorate (JD), which is commonly referred to as a law degree, at Harvard Law School.

After graduating from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1979 a teenage Barack Obama moved to Los Angeles, California where he began his college career at Occidental College. After spending two years studying at the southern California campus Barack moved further from his home in Hawaii as he ventured over to the east coast to complete his undergraduate education at Columbia University in New York City. The 1981 transfer to Columbia proved to be a pivotal point in the life of the future leader as he delved into political science, a subject that along with international relations would become one of the double majors for his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

Upon graduating from Columbia in 1983, Obama took his political science degree from an Ivy League school with him into the workforce where he found employment at Business International Corp., a company that published research reports for large companies in the United States and abroad. As a recent graduate Obama held the title of research associate, a job that counted amongst its duties writing and editing a money report and weekly newsletter that dealt primarily with financial services issues.

Four years in New York City (two for school and two for work) were connected when Barack Obama moved to Chicago and began working as a director for a group called Developing Communities Project. The faith based organization that Barack now worked for as a director focused on providing services for area residents. These services ranged from job training to tenants' rights consultations. The time spent in Chicago where he was essentially as a public servant inspired Obama to continue his education as an avenue to open more doors to do even greater good.

In the fall of 1988 Barack Obama began classes at Harvard Law School (HLS). During his three years in Cambridge, Massachusetts Obama served as an editor for the Harvard Law Review during his first year and was president of the publication during his second year. Obama completed law school in the spring of 1991 and graduated magna cum laude which is Latin for with great honor.

Source by Jeff Bank

# 5 Stealing Harvard

Tom Green & Jason Lee turn to crime to 'Steal Harvard'. Lee attempts to steal $ 30,000 to fund his niece's tuition for entrance to the world's most prestigious university. The premise here being that Harvard's expense prohibits students from applying – the reverse is true.

Harvard's financial aid is the best in America and enables students from all backgrounds to enter.The movie, much like the premise, is shaky. But nonetheless, good fun.

# 4 Homeless To Harvard

A rags to riches tale, a true Cinderella story. Homeless To Harvard follows Liz Murray's journey. Beset by a father with drug-abuse problems and a schizophrenic mother, Murray found herself homeless at 15. Yet incredibly earned her place as a Harvard undergraduate by 19. Homeless To Harvard earned Emmy nominations and critical praise alike.

# 3 Legally Blonde

Starring Stanford's own and chick-flick extraordinaire, Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde is a tale of romantic ideals beset by the snooty, intimidating cast of Harvard. The movie is notable, if for nothing else, the hilarious admissions video. And, of course, that blonde's and good gal's can come first.

# 2 The Social Network

Harvard's has given the world Presidents, Astronauts & Nobel Laureates. It has also created leaders in technology and social media, none more so than the world's youngest billionaire and founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg.

The movie casts its lens on the rise of Facebook from concept to reality and the legal battles that ensued between Zuckerberg and his former partners, notably the Winklevoss twins. Critics note the portrayal of Facebook's origin is not accurate and Zuckerberg is unfairly cast. These critics also note The Social Network as an outstanding movie.

# 1 Good Will Hunting

One of the great films of all time, at least in this lowly author's opinion. Matt Damon was once famously a student of Harvard only to leave believing movie, Geronimo, would be his breakthrough. However, that wouldn't come until 1997 and the release of Good Will Hunting.

Damon co-wrote the movie with friend Ben Affleck; the tale of its production inspires much like the story. The friends rejected successive script bids adamant that they be cast in the lead roles. Ultimately, Mirimax bought the script and the rest, as they say, is Hollywood and Harvard history.

Harvard, and its students, are so often cast as aloof and intimidating. The reverse is also true. Harvard has given the world great thinkers, humanitarians and benefactors. The Harvard story has only just begun.

Source by Jamie Buckley

If you're curious about attending an elite university, the words MIT and Harvard would no doubt have tickled your muse. Harvard and MIT have a legendary rivalry based on their illustrious alumni, geographical proximity and status as the world's leading higher education institute. Let's look at this in more detail.

Harvard was founded in 1636, by English clergyman, John Harvard and the Massachusetts state legislature. MIT meanwhile, was founded in 1861 as a reaction to the ongoing industrialization of the United States. Both MIT and Harvard are based in Cambridge of course, and are divided by but a stretch of the Charles River. Because of their geographical relationship, many have encouraged the institutes to unite. MIT though, have resisted all attempts at such a union.

The result is a city with a concentration of America and the world's finest minds. These students pit their wits in a rivalry punctuated by 'hacks'.

What is a 'hack' then? A hack is no less than a practical joke. These include decorating John Harvard's statue and inflating a balloon during a Harvard-Yale game proudly emblazoning the phrase 'MIT'. MIT student's are famous for their tradition and mischievous nature. If you have a moment, check out their annual 'Piano Drop' or displaying a 200ft representation of Tetris on the Green Building.

Getting into MIT and Harvard isn't a task to be taken lightly. The competition is fierce and every year the acceptance rate falls. For the class of 2016 just under 10% of applicants were accepted. Harvard admissions are even more challenging though, with under 6% of applicants accepted. Applying to either requires a strategic approach, a notable academic record and an extra-curricular pedigree.

You don't have to have a 4.0 GPA and 2400 SAT to earn admittance to either institute, but it helps. What do I mean?

Some people mistakenly believe MIT and Harvard have minimum GPA requirements, but that isn't true. Some students earn acceptance to Harvard with sub-3 GPA's while others are rejected with a 4.0 GPA. You need to have a well rounded application that demonstrates character strength in addition to academic vigor. The same holds true for MIT.

We hope this short article has given you an appetite to learn more about Harvard and MIT. Students at MIT and Harvard are history in the making. They are the architects of the future. They are the next generations political leaders, entrepreneurs and billionaires. Should you wish to reach these heights, we wish you the very best.

Source by Ismail O Hossain