This past application season, I was lucky enough to be admitted to Harvard, Princeton, and MIT. After what has genuinely been the hardest decision of my life, I chose Princeton.
I see myself as having a 40% chance of going into engineering (ChemE or environmental), a 35% chance of going into a hard science, and a 25% chance of going into the humanities. After visiting each school, I felt the most at home at Princeton, and thought it had the balance I was looking for between a strong engineering program and a strong liberal arts education. I loved the campus, the undergraduate focus, and clicked with everyone I came across. However, most people I know think I’m crazy for not choosing Harvard, because it’s so renowned worldwide. The friends I made through science competitions and people I work with at a laboratory think I’m crazy for not choosing MIT, because of its dominance in STEM.
I know how lucky I am to to have been able to make this decision, and am extremely grateful for this opportunity. However, I also know that I’m in the minority for choosing Princeton, and can’t escape this feeling of doubt that I made the wrong choice. Does anyone have any advice for trusting in your college decision?
Most people are idiots, and that holds true for college admissions. This is your life and anything who thinks you’re living it wrong is likely just jealous that you got into all the schools they were rejected from.
First of all, you couldn’t have gone wrong with this particular decision — really — so of course you have made an excellent choice! The fact that the other two schools also have great qualities speaks to the caliber of your options, not the weakness of the one you chose. Princeton is outstanding and specifically known for its incredible undergraduate experience. A fabulous choice! More importantly, when confronted with such genuinely excellent options, you base the decision on where you feel most at home, and which school has whatever you’ve personally been seeking. You found your answer at Princeton, a world-renowned institution with incredible opportunities, great faculty, and an amazing student body. That some people you know would have chosen differently doesn’t NOT make your choice wrong. Trust yourself and move forward with confidence and excitement.
You used sound reasoning to come up with the best choice for you and your particular circumstances. That puts you ahead of most in your situation already.
I know a student who picked Cornell over Stanford and Brown this cycle. Different details, but same basic story. He picked what was best for his situation, not what what was highest ranked or would get the most approval from other people who don’t know the whole situation and who don’t get to go.
I am aware of a student in a similar situation as yours. She chose Princeton over Harvard.
You can ask 100 different people and get a 100 different answers. You made the best decision for you! And i think some of this is regional - I know everyone around me would take Princeton in a heartbeat. Enjoy your time at Princeton!
Congrats! From everything I’ve read, and based on college visits with my kid, Princeton > Harvard for undergraduate experience and education. MIT would be awesome for the right kid, but it also has the potential to be a really bad fit. Sounds like all would have been good choices for you but that Princeton was the best fit. Feeling at home somewhere is key. Don’t second guess yourself. Imagine how upset you’d be if you declined Princeton despite it being the best fit. If you can also get into H and M, you’ll be successful at P. And happy too!
Congratulations on Princeton, You will thrive there !
Its normal to feel anxiety over this four year decision for yourself. Its unfortunate that those that know you, have to weigh in, but the choices you had were so amazing, people are really jealous and express it in a negative way to you, thats their problem.
I know a student this week who picked Yale over MIT for similar reasons. A student who picked a flagship over MIT for cost reasons and fit reasons. And years ago, a student who picked Princeton over MIT, who got a degree in chemistry, and earned a PhD at Harvard, later. Princeton has intensity, and a purely academic pursuit type of feel, that the other two on your list may lack. Princeton seems more LAC like to me. Good choice.
You may have a chance to attend MIT and/or harvard for a PhD or postdoc.
There is no wrong choice between these three great schools. Based on what you say in your original post, I also agree that Princeton is probably the best fit. Both the undergraduate focus, and the strength across all of the areas that you are interested in, IMHO make Princeton a great choice.
Congratulations! Expect to need to work hard and to meet many interesting and very smart people! You will have great opportunities. MIT and Harvard will still be there if you are considering graduate school at some point in the future.
Once you break into top tier colleges of this caliber, minor differences of prestige and ranking become irrelevant. Your decision boils down to affordability and personal fit.
For undergrad Princeton, Dartmouth, CalTech, Rice, Amherst type smaller schools are better than Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, UChicago, UPenn type large schools. You get more attention, undergrad focus and close knit communities.
For graduate school, you should pick top programs for your intended field. You may pick UPenn’s Wharton over Harvard Business or Johns Hopkins’s SAIS over Stanford or vice versa as people in the field know these programs well.
In a candid response to the Proust Questionnaire, a well-known political figure associated his attendance at Harvard with his “greatest regret”:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/10/15/charlie-baker-takes-proust-questionnaire/p2B2GsYFIUnYnVLsZCiX3I/story.html
Converting this to your stated criteria for your college selection, I think you made the right choice.
Congratulations!! At this level, you should definitely choose based on fit, which is what you did. Princeton is regarded as well as any other school - hard to believe people can make you feel bad about that choice. Ignore them. Make the most of Princeton and don’t worry about naysayers.
FWIW, I think you made the right decision. Sounds like you approached the decision thinking about all the right things. If engineering is even slightly on the radar (but not a definite), Princeton was a much stronger choice than Harvard.
Congratulations!
Ignore the people second guessing your decision. They are clueless!
Ignore the naysayers. If you’d chosen Harvard they would have asked you why you didn’t apply to Oxford.
I read this just today on the New York Times’ Crowdwide blog: The author asked the question “what is your greatest regret” and received this answer from one respondent: I regret all the time I wasted regretting. Wise advice: “You made the best decision you could w/the information you had at the time.” So, move on with confidence.
OP, do you really need us to tell you that you’re going to be fine after graduating from PRINCETON?
@dfimare You are the one with the brain to get in all those schools, I think you are fully capable to decide which school suits you better. I understand your inner conflict and second guessing but you better move on and celebrate!!!
I would hardly guess there is a majority viewpoint >50 on this question. Therefore it is statistically impossible to glean from this survey of “people” a “right” answer.
Choosing Harvard over the others wouldn’t even have enough votes to pass a condo association meeting. LOL.
Hopefully you’ll meet smarter people in Princeton than those who think Princeton is a crazy choice.
After making a hard decision it is common to have some remorse over the road not taken. Try not to worry about what other people say. You are the one attending college for 4 years, not them. You can always go to the others for grad school. Princeton is often ranked above Harvard in the US News rankings and it gives you the undergraduate focus and flexibility you desire. It sounds like you made a wise decision and chose the school that fits you the best. Congratulations!