Background Information on Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is an American tech mogul and entrepreneur who is most widely known to be the founder, CEO, and chairman of the social media platform, Facebook. Born in 1984, Zuckerberg went on to attend some of the top universities in the United States, such as Harvard and Stanford. He is also a philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to charitable organizations over the course of his career. His unprecedented success has made him one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
Mark Zuckerberg’s University Education
Mark Zuckerberg began his university education at Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school located in Exeter, New Hampshire. He then went on to apply and matriculate at Harvard University, where he majored in computer science and psychology. As an undergraduate student at Harvard, Zuckerberg made the Dean’s List every year that he was enrolled. He also created a variety of tools and applications such as Coursematch, a program that helped students to select their classes, and Facemash, which he used to rate Harvard’s classmates by attractiveness. In 2006, he received an honorary degree from Harvard for his contributions to technology.
In addition to Harvard, Zuckerberg also took a few courses at Stanford University. While not an official student at the university, he attended Stanford as a visiting student, taking several classes related to technology. By the end of his stay, he had completed a total of nine credit hours of study, mostly related to the field of artificial intelligence.
Facebook at Harvard
Mark Zuckerberg is perhaps best known for his contributions to Facebook, the hugely successful social media platform he helped to create and develop. He first came up with the idea while studying at Harvard, where he was inspired by other online networks such as Friendster. He developed the application throughout his undergraduate years and eventually launched it in 2004.
Facebook’s initial success was felt almost immediately by Harvard students, who began signing up in droves. Zuckerberg quickly gained the attention of fellow students and faculty, who saw the potential of the new online platform and wanted to get involved. He eventually dropped out of Harvard in May of 2004 to devote himself to developing the project full-time.
Ongoing connection with Harvard
Despite dropping out, Mark Zuckerberg has maintained a strong connection to Harvard in recent years. He is a frequent contributor to the institution, donating significant sums of money to various projects, sponsorships, and scholarships. In 2017 alone, he donated $12 million to Harvard towards the development of computer science classes. In addition to this, he often visits the Harvard campus for events and lectures, engaging with students and faculty alike.
The university remains grateful for the contributions made by Zuckerberg and recognizes the impact that he has had on the tech industry. As such, his name often appears among the ranks of Harvard alumni, right alongside the likes of Bill Gates and Matt Damon.
Conclusion
Mark Zuckerberg attended Harvard University and Stanford University, though he dropped out of Harvard prior to obtaining his degree. During his time at both universities, he developed the application that would eventually become the world-renowned social media platform, Facebook. He has since maintained close ties with the university, donating millions of dollars to various projects and initiatives. Today, he is remembered as one of the most successful Harvard alumni of all time.
