A Message To The Class Of '09 From An Alumnus

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
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<p>Congratulations to those CC’ers who have decided to become Princeton ‘09ers. Although I of course do not know what each of you is most looking for in a collegiate experience, as an alumnus, I can say with confidence that, collectively, you have chosen wisely.</p>

<p>Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to be admitted to Princeton, Harvard and Yale. (The admissions rates were more forgiving back then, so don’t be too impressed.) I ultimately chose Princeton but came very close to attending Harvard. However, as the years have gone by, I have become absolutely convinced that I selected correctly. </p>

<p>While in college, I visited my sister at Yale frequently. A bit later, I got an MBA at Harvard. I now live in New York and work in finance. Not surprisingly, my social and professional circles are full of –- some might argue, TOO full of –- graduates of the three schools. While the vast majority of the Harvard and Yale alumni I know appreciate and respect their respective institutions, the subtle difference I sense more often among Princetonians is that they LOVE their college and feel a direct, personal connection to the place. Why is that? All three obviously offer great educations and talented student bodies.</p>

<p>I offer three reasons why Princeton alumni might have a more emotional bond to their school. First, it’s smaller. As in other things in life, size matters. Being one of 4500 students at Princeton is a marginally different qualitative experience than being one of 6600 at Harvard. </p>

<p>Second, there really is a focus on undergraduates at Princeton which creates all sorts of impacts on the student experience, both obvious and not so obvious. Let’s face it, at Princeton you’re the big man on campus. You are at the cultural and philosophic center of everything that happens there. At Harvard, I got an excellent business education but the college and every graduate and professional school there compete for the heart of the institution. </p>

<p>Third, the self-contained physical setting creates a very strong sense of community. The downside of this fact is that one could accurately describe Princeton as more insular. But the upside is that, with no city streets bisecting or surrounding the campus, one simply feels more a part of both a tangible as well as an intangible community. </p>

<p>I am eternally grateful that I attended a college which gave me not merely a fine education but a very warm and positive sense of personal identification with both the institution and my fellow alumni.</p>

<p>I do not think it is a coincidence that, year after year, Princeton graduates donate to the school in a proportion that far exceeds any other university in the United States. This year, according to US News & World Report, 61% of Princetonians contributed to the Annual Giving program. Graduates of Notre Dame were the next most generous group of American alumni, with 48% participating. If you know how most large-sample distribution curves are shaped, that gap of 13 points, or more than one-quarter of Notre Dame’s figure, is a remarkable phenomenon.</p>

<p>Two years after I left home for college, my sister was also lucky enough to be choosing between Princeton and Yale. Not wanting to be the domineering older brother, I largely recused myself from her deliberations. That is one of the greatest mistakes I have ever made in my life. My sister ended up absolutely hating Yale. She moved off campus her sophomore year and then took her junior year off just to get a break from the place. Of course, this is not to say that a different student wouldn’t have preferred Yale or any other school to Princeton.</p>

<p>But what I failed to say loud and clear to my sister –- and have regretted ever since -- is this: Princeton is a fantastic, life-changing experience for nearly all who pass through its gates. While I doubt that literally everybody is happy there, I do in fact doubt that many students would be happier elsewhere.</p>

<p>To the Class of ’09: You are about to have the time of your lives. It will stay with you forever. Buckle up and drive.</p>

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<p>Why do so many Princeton promoters here feel the need to promote Princeton by running down Harvard and Yale? I went to Harvard undergrad and Yale grad and have encountered people from all three institutions throughout my life as well. I have found many people from each of the three who loved their school (and yes, I loved my time at both Harvard and Yale, and feel a "direct, personal connection" to both). I've also met people from each of the three who really disliked like their school (including two recent Princeton grads who convinced my son he shouldn't even consider applying - despite my efforts to persuade him that he should check it out for himself). I have never viewed this kind of anecdotal evidence as proving anything about the relative merits of the three schools. All three are excellent schools, but none of the three is right for everyone.</p>

<p>And Jazzy, don't be too hard on yourself. Your sister might have hated Princeton too. ;)</p>

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<p>the reason why people always resort to slander with regard to promoting harvard, yale, or princeton over the other two is because (let's face it) they're practically identical. Most people would be happy at any number of schools. To me, here is how i see the three schools in terms of what really seperates them</p>

<p>all of these things could be pros or cons depending on your opinions</p>

<p>-Harvard
Boston
The "core curriculum"
3 yr (soph-sen) res college/frats/what were those things called, they're sort of like frats, but only Harvard has them "Finals Clubs" or something?
many graduate schools</p>

<p>-Yale
New Haven is sort of urban, not like boston, but much more than princeton
4 yr res college system/frats
the 4 distribution groups and the whole system they have
also has graduate schools</p>

<p>-Princeton
princeton is not urban, but not far from two urban hubs (philly and NYC)
2 yr (frosh-soph) res college/eating clubs/no frats
very lax distribution requirements
no (you know what I mean by "no") graduate schools</p>

<p>Graduate schools can offer research opprotunities and such, and is the reason why many students choose universities over colleges. However graduate students are usually higher up on the pecking order, and research opprotunities often go to them before undergrads.</p>

<p>Socially, i think given the size of these schools you will find friends and people you hate at all 3 of them. Obviously I'm over simplifiying a bit, but it seems like what I listed are the real differences among the schools, obviously there are some depts in which one school is better than the other two, but obviously that is too much to list here.</p>

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<p>let's stop all this HYP talk....we all know that there is one true great American University out there....and that University is called- Berkeley...</p>

<p>hehe, the University of California at Berkeley to be more exact...</p>

<p>represent! :)</p>

<p>Note: This will be my last post showing school pride on another board...hehe, it's just so hard to resist! :p</p>

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<p>Thank you jazzy. Well said. Please stay with us. We would love to hear from you from time to time. As you have just experienced we are surrounded by a number of adult Harvard trolls who somehow seem to fit Princeton and/or Yale in nearly all of their posts.</p>

<p>For some time now I have known what all the national ranking publications keep trying to tell us - that no school in the country offers a superior undergraduate education. Princeton is more consistently atop the rankings and surveys, regardless of the criteria, than any other peer school. Whether the criteria involves student satisfaction, selectivity, academics, school integrity or even safety, Princeton is more often at the top of the list than anyone else.</p>

<p>Take a look at the number of posts the Princeton site has generated and you will see that the love begins at this level. Posters here have demonstrated a level of enthusiasm that is unmatched. Despite the size of Princeton's applicant pool, relative to some of its larger sized competitors, Princeton applicants have completely dominated the activity on the CC board. We feel it !!!!!!</p>

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<p>Um, I think he did it because as you can see on a lot of the forums, picking between HYP comes up often. That and the fact that he was accepted to all three and was connected to all three in one way or another.</p>

<p>Many thanks for the anecdote :) I for one can't wait to walk through the gates for the first time...</p>

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<p>Thanks Jazzy for th imput! It is always wonderful to hear another's point of view. I agree, Princeton is such a great school!! :)</p>

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<p>I just hope that I get into it in two years...the people who have both gotten in and not gotten in are amazing.</p>