<p>I don't really care about whether Byerly's posts qualify as bashing or not. There used to be a lot of trolls on this board in past years, so I assume the worst whenever I take the time to come back.</p>
<p>I will admit that there are many problematic aspects of the Princeton campus. Byerly is right in pointing out that Princeton does have its flaws. But as an applicant and now a student at Princeton, I think the problem with these boards is that they overdramatize the problems.</p>
<p>Let's take the eating clubs as an example. Rumor has it that the eating clubs are elitist and worsen the experience for poor students who can't afford to join. People cite newspaper articles from the Daily Prince on the eating club financial aid initiative to prove their point.</p>
<p>Certainly, the elitist image of the eating clubs is not entirely false. Yet the problem is overblown outside of campus -- rarely do I meet students who share such negative sentiments of the entire system. I myself am not a fan of them due to their financial cost, yet not joining a club has not restricted my social life to any particular degree. I have good friends in many clubs who will easily get me passes to get in to the selective bicker clubs. The non-selective clubs are always open on the weekends for students to party at. Yes, certain clubs may draw more of a certain type, but most people don't confine themselves to one club. Since they're all located along one street, students will often club-hop throughout a night.</p>
<p>The social scene I just described is not what is written about on these boards. Instead, what I read is about financial restrictions, elitism, and class conflict as "major problems" of Princeton. The system is indeed flawed and could be improved, but keep in mind that the clubs are only part of a student's experience. The papers don't publish on the mundane, everyday experience of students - it only writes about problems, changes, and flaws that certain individuals will point out. And in publicizing such flaws, we forget about the positive aspects of the college experience that overwhelm any negative things we notice.</p>
<p>Finally, I think it's idiotic to constantly post about Harvard's high yield. Harvard's high yield is less a result of it providing a better "experience" than its commanding lead in reputation, nationally and internationally. Kids will have fun at whichever college they choose, be it Princeton, Harvard, or even a (gasp!) less selective school. USNews is heavily at fault for this, too; by distilling a school's essence into mere numbers, it attempts to say something about an experience at that school. Unless the stats discrepancy is huge, you really can't say one school is better than the other is this or that aspect. </p>
<p>If admitted students are forced to make their choice on numbers and a short visit, their choice is not entirely informed because they simply have no conception of what college is like, and only after the complete four years will students gain a true understanding. What they need to understand is that each person's experience is individual and unique. Both Princeton and Harvard offer the resources and the environment to help students have fun and acheive their dreams. These resources are there, but it is ultimately the student who must shape his or her experience. The posters here, from my past experiences, end up debating the smallest points of each school and seem to forget that important lesson.</p>
<p>So, why debate stats? We should be encouraging kids to visit. We should have informed current students talking about their experiences here.</p>