<p>So I got into Yale EA. Hooray! But not so much. I don't really know much about the school and I've never even been to connecticut. I'm so excited about my opportunity to go to arguably the best university in the nation. But at the same time, I don't want to be one of those shallow people who goes to a school because of its name and reputation.<br>
My original first choice was Brown. I loved everything I knew about it (which wasn't that much). I'm applying RD. If i get in would I be an idiot to chose Brown over Yale? I mean it's Yale
Yale is a little more structured than Brown, especially with Brown's Pass/Fail system. And brown is safer. Apparently New Haven is brutal. And everyone who comes out of both schools have thoroughly enjoyed their experience. </p>
<p>I'm asking for specific reasons or examples of why I should choose one school over the other. Thanks.</p>
<p>if you like brown then stick with brown. You will find yourself doubting you decision to attend yale later on. Trsut me about this. Then you will have to apply to brown as a transfer, and brown doesn't give finaid for transfers.</p>
<p>You should visit each and choose the best school for you. I think the only dumb thing would be to choose a school for its name (especially when choosing between two very prestigious, very amazing, very different schools).</p>
<p>By the way, Brown gets a bad reputation for its Pass/Fail system. Brown courses are very rigorous and Pass/Fail is entirely optional, most students choose to get a grade (A, B, C..) for almost all classes they take. Brown students I know take the occasional Pass/Fail class in order to get to take classes in areas that they normally would be scared away from (for example, giving an Anthropology concentrator the ability to take an Astronomy course). </p>
<p>Don't ask us for specific examples of why you should choose one or the other. What you need to do is (worry about getting in, then) research both schools IN DEPTH -- the information you need is out there!! and visit if at all possible.</p>
<p>New Haven is by no means "brutal," contrary to what a lot of prospective Yalies hear. The area around Yale is really vibrant--tons of restaurants, museums, and stores. I've also never heard anyone at Yale say they wished they'd gone somewhere else (well, except the University of Miami, as a joke). That said, go to Bulldog Days and whatever Brown does for admitted students, and see where you feel most comfortable.</p>
<p>Matt7 is right - you really do need to visit even if it's just for Bulldog days and the Brown equivalent. New Haven is not a bad city - it has it's bad areas - as does Providence but the area that Yale occupies is safe and vibrant. I work there and live nearby so it's not hearsay on my part. Decide what is best for you and forget the prestige factor and you will be much better off in the long run. And too...if you decide on Brown you've opened the door for someone on the Yale waitlist!</p>
<p>I am very familiar with New Haven, having lived in CT for many years and having two daughters who live there, one at Yale and the other out of college and working there. Others who have replied are correct: the area around Yale is not only perfectly fine, it is a compact, bustling, and attractive area. The older daughter lives on the other side of the downtown, in a loft apartment in a converted underwear factory (true!) in the Wooster Square area, also extremely attractive. Additionally, New Haven is under extremely competent municipal management and the downtown area near the Yale campus getting better and more prosperous with each passing year. By all means go to Bulldog Days and keep your eyes open. For the record, my daughter has loved everything about Yale (well, except maybe the gross winter weather, but that comes with the New England territory, whether Providence or New Haven).</p>
<p>I HATE THIS JUDGMENT!! BAHHH!! Having been to New Haven more than once, and having my parent's knowledge of it in the 70's (when it was supposedly really bad), it is SO obvious that this idea was formulated by rich, spoiled, preppy white kids from private schools in chic areas of the US. </p>
<p>I live in the murder capital of the US, arguably a dangerous city. I have only once been mugged, and have never been on the receiving end of any violent crime in 17 years. Despite the crime, it's still a highly livable city if you keep your wits about you and know how to deal with things like that in the rare case that they do happen(i.e. give them the money if they have a gun!!) it's hardly bad at all.</p>
<p>New Haven, in comparison to where I grew up (which could reasonably be argued as dangerous, though I don't agree) is positively TAME. Kids, you will be FINE there. That doesn't mean you should walk alone at night, but you shouldn't do that anywhere.</p>
<p>New Haven had the lamest "bad neighborhoods" I've ever seen. There were no projects, no real slums, very few panhandlers. I fail to see the new haven that everyone is scared of/says is a dump. I thought it was a beautiful, safe, and vibrant town.</p>
<p>haha! yes, yes, i agree with all of the above. new haven rocks. i grew up there, and look how i turned out!!! ...okay maybe don't. new haven's bad rep is fron 10-ish years ago, when things really were pretty bad. it's beyond gorgeous now.</p>
<p>oh and veteranmom - i love the smoothie building!</p>
<p>I third the opinion that you should go visit both schools if at all possible. Getting a feel of the place where you will spend your next four years will probably help your decision. Umm ok concrete reasons? I don't know that much about Brown, but I'll try:</p>
<p>Course load: At Yale you are required to take 36 classes and at Brown the minimum is 30.</p>
<p>Housing: Yale has its famed residential colleges, while Brown has the "regular" housing system as far as I can tell- greek, social dorms, and a housing lotto.</p>
<p>Other resources: Yale does not have another major school nearby, Brown has Rhode Island School of Design, which I hear is a nifty place to visit. Also, Boston is closer to Brown than NYC is to Yale.</p>
<p>By the way, I'd recheck the facts I give you. I'm just pulling stuff off the top of my head, sorry. They are semi-accurate, in any case. In any case, you have 4 months to mull it over. Good luck!</p>
<p>New Haven does have some really bad areas, you just have to go looking for them. It's not like New Haven is all bad. The area around Yale is very very nice.</p>
<p>"New Haven does have some really bad areas"</p>
<p>Again, I'd disagree, since "really bad" is a highly relative term. I'm still almost positive that new haven has no projects, and I refuse to call a neighborhood bad unless it's decaying projects.</p>
<p>You have not gone looking for them, they are there, but they aren't anywhere near Yale. You have to go to the industrial areas, and by Hamden, things are quite projecty around there</p>
<p>bigndude - i'm afraid i'm with squirrel on this one. explore the outskirts of philadelphila, or anywhere in russia for that matter, and then we'll talk about slums.</p>
<p>I loved brown - or thought I did. I became increasingly unhappy with it as I realized that it essentially seemed to be a Yale minus a tiny bit of prestige and with a lot more leeway in what you're allowed to do. Seriously, everything is the same, just not quite as good. I would have settled for Brown, but felt like I was settling (not far though, I'd take either).</p>
<p>Well, it sounds like you want to go to Brown. Though the Yale-obsessed on this board will try to convince you that it is hands down the best school in the world that is just not true. Choosing a college is all about fit and all the supposed "stupid stuff" like quality of housing and food, surrounding area, social scene, general feeling of the administration, and extracurricular offerings (although these tend to be rather similar everywhere). The least important thing you can look at when choosing a college is academics, because believe me, if you have gotten into Yale EA the quality of the academics at whatever school you choose will be identical. Yes Yale might have amazing courses that cannot be taken anywhere else with incredible professors that are famous and award-winning, but Brown has their share of those professors and classes too (if they don't have quite the amount of big name professors they definitely have as many amazing classes and you will find out that the fame of a professor doesn't always mean much in the classroom). The only reason that one should choose a school for academics is if they knew for certain that they wanted to major in some obscure subject that was only offered at that particular school.</p>
<p>That said, apply RD to Brown and if you get in (which isn't at all a certainty) visit both Yale and Brown. One warning however, and this goes for all Yale admittees. Do not go to Bulldog Days if you want an accurate representation of Yale life. Bulldog Days was just about the fakest, least representative admittees weekend at any college I was admitted to last year. People claim that you get to meet your future classmates at Bulldog Days, but you won't make any lasting impressions in the carefully (almost obsessively) scheduled day and a half you are at Yale and even if you do they might not attend anyway. I got a much better idea of Harvard when I stayed with my friend there for a couple days in April that weren't part of the admitted students weekend, but ended up still choosing Yale despite Bulldog Days because for me all of that "stupid stuff" I mentioned earlier was best found in Yale. Just call the admissions office if you get accepted to Brown (and call Yale's whenever) and they will bend over backwards to set you up with a host that isn't during the admitted students weekend.</p>
<p>Listen I've been to plenty of places in Eastern Europe that are worse slums then you can imagine. I live down the road from Yale and have my whole life. Obviously you guys feel that you know the area better. So be it. Sure New Haven isn't as dangerous as Phila but some parts are no cake walk. Then again you probably wouldn't think Bridgeport is bad till your dead. I'm done here.</p>
<p>in all fairness, Brown's equivalent of bulldog days (a day on college hill or ADOCH), isn't exactly an accurate representation either. but it does give you an opportunity to be in the thick of it, and have your questions answered directly by the people that are most qualified to answer them</p>