Another Harvard vs. Princeton Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>II want to weigh the pros and cons between the two. I am interested in majoring in Bio or Nuero - possibly pre-med - and a minor (who knows? maybe I'll major) in history. I'm also interested in joining the varsity cross-country/track team.</p>

<p>As of now, Princeton has offered substantially more aid than Harvard or any of the other schools I was admitted to (Brown, Yale, Johns Hopkins). But, I've requested a re-evaluation of aid from all of them, so lets assume they are all the same price.</p>

<p>Biggest Factors for Me:</p>

<p>WEATHER: I get seasonally depressed by winter, but I live near New York City, so anything the same or better than here will be fine. I hear that Boston's weather is considerably snowier, windier (near the ocean) and colder - but climate statistics show only a 5 degree difference or so. Princeton is about the same as it is in New York.</p>

<p>WORKLOAD: I genuinely love learning - but only at my pace. I'm not the type to be able to remain happy under extreme stress. I had my heart set on Princeton until I learned about its grade deflation policies making class much more of a burden than it needs to be. Current Princeton students - like my very own sister, who has pulled several 3-nighters during finals week - confirm this. However, my sister assures me she still loves Princeton and she can help me choose the right classes to ease the workload a bit.</p>

<p>Minor Factors:</p>

<p>SOCIAL SCENE: Princeton's eating club scene seems considerably more tame. I'm not a huge partier but I enjoy the option.</p>

<p>STUDY ABROAD: I've almost never been outside the country and I'd love to change that.</p>

<p>TEACHING: Princeton has its acclaimed reputation for an undergrad focus, but the opposite goes for Harvard. I don't care too much about this for some reason - I'm much more concerned with the workload. </p>

2

<p>I don’t see the direct correlation between grade deflation and having a greater workload. Do you think Princeton students work harder/longer than Harvard students? I would guess it’s roughly the same, but on average Princeton students just receive slightly lower grades. Now if you say “I must attain X GPA” where X is independent of the school you go to, then you would probably have to work harder to get it at Princeton. But I don’t think that’s really a great approach (unless you do decide on pre-med, in which case it might actually matter). </p>

<p>Also, keep in mind that the biggest factor in determining workload is the courses you choose, like your sister said, and how many things you are involved in. That is, my course load has varied from insane to “mild” depending on what I’m doing that semester and most of the time it’s far more up to my choices than anything I’m forced to do (that’s not really something relevant in the decision as much as just something to keep in mind in general). </p>