<p>And what influenced your choice?</p>
<p>I did. Family. Great humanities program. California.</p>
<p>I know a few. Some reasons they said influenced their decision:
-More diverse crowd in terms of academic passions (Stanford has a large number of both Fuzzies and Techies).
-Great weather
-'Chill' attitude
-Beautiful campus</p>
<p>I did. I plan to study CS, so academically they're both at the top. Except that Stanford also has amazing programs in just about every other field, so I have a lot of options avaliable if I choose to study something else. However, you can cross register at Harvard/Wellesley at MIT so it's not like you're limited there, but I didn't want to have to go to another school to take my classes. But academically, unless you plan to major in some sort of humanities, they're basically the same.</p>
<p>I was pretty stuck on this decision until I stayed at both schools overnight. I didn't like that MIT was 50% fraternaties and sororities, and seemed to be pretty divided socially between east and west campus kids. Most of the students in the frat I stayed at basically had like a "Yeah, I'm friends with some east campus kids, but I wouldn't want to live there..." sort of attitude. They described west campus as more of a typical college experience, while east campus is where most of the "wierd" (their words, not mine!) kids live who do all the hacks that you hear about. Basically everyone I met was course 6 (EE&CS) majors. Campus was not attractive.</p>
<p>At Stanford there's a lottery every year for housing, which is probably a drawback in terms of convenience, but I felt that it kept people more open to meeting new people. I liked the fact that I could meet hardcore techies but also find many fuzzies in the dorms. Campus is gorgeous, I mean, you can't even compare the two... I actually didn't really care about the weather, since I live in New England so I'm used to snow and pretty colors in the fall.</p>
<p>The students at both schools were really chill, and equally diverse (other than academically). No matter which school you go to, you'll find a group of people who have similar interests to you. I definitely recommend that you decide after you visit both schools. Everyone will see things a different way, and you're the one who knows yourself best.</p>
<p>I'll post here what I posted in the MIT thread (which I think may explain part of the reason why others chose Stanford over MIT) in response to:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Just putting my two sense in...</p>
<p>MIT obviously has a slight edge in math/science fields while stanford has the edge in humanities. Don't forget that you can take classes at other boston universities for no charge. So, if there is a class at harvard you really like; it's just down the street pretty much. In my mind, that's the reason I am deciding not to even bother applying to Stanford, but rather taking MIT and harvard, and hoping I get into at least one of them.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>My response:</p>
<p>Thinking that cross-enrolling at Harvard will compensate for MIT's limited humanities program is a highly misguided and - I don't mean to offend or pick fights here - a naive assumption. What you miss while foregoing even applying to Stanford is interaction with the actual humanities students themselves. And, after speaking with countless students from most of the top schools, the interaction and relationships you develop with your classmates are so much more important than anything you could possibly learn in a class.</p>
<p>And this is what did it in for me and made me realize MIT just isn't for me.</p>
<p>The decision between Stanford and MIT really boils down to the type of student you are. At MIT, the overwhelming majority of students are interested in science/engineering, and will most likely pursue a career revolving around these disciplines. Not to suggest that the MIT student body is strictly homogeneous, and that everyone there is just a science nerd, which of course isn't true, but there is indeed less academic diversity than at Stanford. And, while I'm an uber geek for math/science and will probably study engineering at Stanford, I wanted to be around bright students who thought differently than I did. I wanted to expand my realm of thinking, create social networks for the future outside of my fields, and so become acquainted with future politicians and lawyers and writers and diplomats and journalists and historians. Alums I've talked to almost unanimously attribute their most exciting times in college to moments where they would step out of their comfort zone and learn something totally new, and I personally felt Stanford facilitated this idea better than MIT.</p>
<p>I'll be a techie above all, and Stanford is, along with MIT, the foremost school for science and engineering in the country, so it's not like anyone's academic opportunities relating to their primary techie focus will be compromised in any way.</p>
<p>However, some people just won't really take advantage of such an environment, and are simply more comfortable interacting with similarly-passionate students.</p>
<p>Some may find living with like-minded individuals empowering, in which case nothing can beat MIT's ubiquitous nerd culture. But others may find it limiting. Like me.</p>
<p>So really, it depends on who you are. But you've got your priorities ALL messed up if you think cross-enrolling in Harvard humanities classes will somehow round out the MIT experience to your liking.</p>
<p>I also chose Stanford over MIT, although in MIT's defense I will say that the Greek system there is very unlike the stereotype. Yes, there is a jock frat, but there are also plenty of geek Greeks as well.</p>
<p>Also in MIT's defense, Cambridge is a kickass city (I used to live there), and of course Boston is the nation's best college town. If you're lucky enough to get into both places, I would say you really can't go wrong, just go with what feels right. </p>
<p>Oh and lastly, MIT has Noam Chomsky, which I think is in and of itself a legitimate reason to attend. That man is a genius and may not be around for much longer, so get a hold of him while you can.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, you can cross register at Harvard/Wellesley at MIT so it's not like you're limited there, but I didn't want to have to go to another school to take my classes.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah, but the rejoinder is that the Stanford campus is so large and sprawling that the time it may take for you to get from one side of the Farm to the other is comparable to the time it would take to get from MIT to Harvard. </p>
<p>
[quote]
The decision between Stanford and MIT really boils down to the type of student you are. At MIT, the overwhelming majority of students are interested in science/engineering, and will most likely pursue a career revolving around these disciplines. Not to suggest that the MIT student body is strictly homogeneous, and that everyone there is just a science nerd, which of course isn't true, but there is indeed less academic diversity than at Stanford. And, while I'm an uber geek for math/science and will probably study engineering at Stanford, I wanted to be around bright students who thought differently than I did. I wanted to expand my realm of thinking, create social networks for the future outside of my fields, and so become acquainted with future politicians and lawyers and writers and diplomats and journalists and historians. Alums I've talked to almost unanimously attribute their most exciting times in college to moments where they would step out of their comfort zone and learn something totally new, and I personally felt Stanford facilitated this idea better than MIT.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But the rejoinder to that is that, as stated above, the Boston/Cambridge metro area is one of the most vibrant college areas in the country, if not THE most. Let's face it - Palo Alto is a boring suburb. My brother goes to Stanford, and even he freely admits that there isn't exactly a whole lot to do in town. San Francisco is a great city, but not terribly convenient to get to from Stanford. In contrast, Boston is literally a short walk across the bridge away from MIT, and the subway is readily available. Furthermore, as stated above, from MIT, you can easily visit that 'other' school in town. </p>
<p>Hence, while I can agree that the Stanford campus is more diverse than the MIT campus, I would argue that the Stanford area is LESS diverse than the MIT area. In other words, it's a wash. If you're an MIT student and you can't find a diverse set of people with which to interact, whether at one of the myriad other schools in the area, or just regular people in Boston, then frankly, that's because you don't WANT to find it. Boston is one of the most interesting and diverse cities in the country. </p>
<p>Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that that makes MIT automatically better than Stanford. I think the decision between the 2 schools ultimately breaks down to personal preference. I don't see either school as being 'better' or 'worse' than the other.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yeah, but the rejoinder is that the Stanford campus is so large and sprawling that the time it may take for you to get from one side of the Farm to the other is comparable to the time it would take to get from MIT to Harvard.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Every student at Stanford has a bike so, no, they don't take the same amount of time given a normal student from each respective school. Unless you mean from the edge of Palm Dr. all the way to the Dish, which is unfair because that consists of trekking through a lot of undeveloped land (which people only do for the sake of hiking/exercise/adventuring, not for getting to classes). So it takes the average student at Stanford much less time to get from one class to another than it takes the average student at MIT to get to Harvard.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Hence, while I can agree that the Stanford campus is more diverse than the MIT campus, I would argue that the Stanford area is LESS diverse than the MIT area. In other words, it's a wash.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's absolutely not a wash. It's a whole 'nother level of exposure to have diversity at your actual school, with the people you interact with, speak with, eat with, study with, have fun with, travel with, and spend 95% of your time with, as opposed to some people your walk by and nonchalantly chat with at a local pizzeria. It's not even a comparison, because at Stanford you'd be exposed to different sets of people not just on a social level, but on a residential and academic level. Which is the whole friggin' point.</p>
<p>"puting my two <sense> in" ---that's sup. to be a stan/mit applicant</sense></p>
<p>
[quote]
Every student at Stanford has a bike so, no, they don't take the same amount of time given a normal student from each respective school. Unless you mean from the edge of Palm Dr. all the way to the Dish, which is unfair because that consists of trekking through a lot of undeveloped land (which people only do for the sake of hiking/exercise/adventuring, not for getting to classes). So it takes the average student at Stanford much less time to get from one class to another than it takes the average student at MIT to get to Harvard.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No, that I would dispute and strongly. Sure, most Stanford students have bikes. But Harvard and MIT are well-connected via public transportation. Hence, I highly doubt that it truly takes "much less time" for Stanford students to get around. </p>
<p>
[quote]
It's absolutely not a wash. It's a whole 'nother level of exposure to have diversity at your actual school, with the people you interact with, speak with, eat with, study with, have fun with, travel with, and spend 95% of your time with, as opposed to some people your walk by and nonchalantly chat with at a local pizzeria. It's not even a comparison, because at Stanford you'd be exposed to different sets of people not just on a social level, but on a residential and academic level. Which is the whole friggin' point.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That is NOT the whole friggin' point - unless you're lazy. I agree with you that if you're just lazy and you don't want to go out and meet people and you just want to stay in your cocoon, then Stanford can offer a more diverse experience. But come on, with Harvard a short subway ride away away from MIT, and other schools like BU, Northeastern, Tufts, etc. not much further away, as well as the general diversity of Boston being readily available, if you can't meet a diverse set of people as an MIT student, it's because you just don't WANT to do it. And if you don't want to do it, then there isn't a whole lot that anybody can do for you anyway. THAT is the whole friggin' point.</p>
<p>I think the thing you are wrongly assuming is that MIT kids have enough time to just venture out into the Boston/Cambridge area and take advantage of its great opportunities. My friend who attends there says that is a far cry from the truth for most students he knows.</p>
<p>Please chance me:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...d.php?t=380548%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...d.php?t=380548</a></p>
<p>I went through almost the exact the same reasoning process as wired_LAIN, but dammit, I forgot about Noam Chomsky!</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think the thing you are wrongly assuming is that MIT kids have enough time to just venture out into the Boston/Cambridge area and take advantage of its great opportunities. My friend who attends there says that is a far cry from the truth for most students he knows.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And I would argue that that's a matter of self-desire If you want to make the time and you are actually interested in a diverse experience, you can and will get it.</p>
<p>Let me put it to you this way. To this day, a significant percentage of MIT undergrads live in fraternities/sororities, or independent living groups (which are akin to coops) - the vast majority of which are located in Boston (usually in Back Bay). Hence, if you live in one of these arrangements, you can't help but expose yourself to the opportunities of Boston. </p>
<p>Furthermore, we have to fairly compare MIT to Stanford. Let's face it. A lot of Stanford students, especially the tech students (i.e. engineering, science) choose to ensconce themselves in their studies and only minimally interact with anybody outside of their discipline. My brother goes to Stanford and he himself freely admits that he does this as he admits that he's generally more interested in his work than in interacting with people outside of his discipline. He freely admits that he's a geek. </p>
<p>The point is that it all gets down to a matter of desire. If you want a diverse experience, and you're willing to put in the effort, then I would argue that MIT, because of the proximity of Boston and all of the nearby colleges, offers at least as diverse, and arguably a more diverse experience than Stanford does. {As a simple example, I know a lot of MIT students who have dated students from nearby colleges: i.e. Harvard, BU, Tufts, etc. As a Stanford student, who else can you really date besides other Stanford students?}</p>
<p>Now, if you're just not interested in having a diverse experience, then that's a different story entirely.</p>
<p>I wonder if Sakky remembers me.</p>
<p>Only you lucky ones are so fortunate to be accepted to both and have such a 'headache'!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Sure, most Stanford students have bikes. But Harvard and MIT are well-connected via public transportation. Hence, I highly doubt that it truly takes "much less time" for Stanford students to get around.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Oh geez. I bet by the time the Stanford student bikes to his history class, the MIT guy trying to get to Harvard for an equivalent class is probably STILL WAITING for his bus! Sakky, Stanford students don't bike 5 miles to classes!</p>
<p>It takes me about 10 minutes biking from dorm to class. It takes me about 15 minutes biking from southwesternmost part of campus to the gym (which is the northeastern part of campus). So it's not bad at all.</p>
<p>I turned down MIT for Stanford as well. Weather, excellence in a broad spread of programs, beautiful campus, diversity. I heard MIT was kinda ugly too - never saw it though.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Oh geez. I bet by the time the Stanford student bikes to his history class, the MIT guy trying to get to Harvard for an equivalent class is probably STILL WAITING for his bus! Sakky, Stanford students don't bike 5 miles to classes!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Let me put it to you this way. I know one guy at MIT who actually calculated that it takes him less time to get from his dorm at MIT to Harvard Square (via public transportation) than to get to some of his classes at MIT. That's because, again, public transportation is RIGHT THERE. </p>
<p>Now, I can agree that it probably takes less time on average to get around at Stanford than to get from MIT to Harvard. But the numbers are so small anyway that it hardly makes a difference. OK, let's say that the commute time was doubled. Honestly, what's the difference between a 10 minute commute (like pearlygate said) and, say, a 20 minute commute (and 20 minutes would be a very long commute indeed from MIT to Harvard)? Is that extra 10 minutes really going to kill you? Really? I would say that if your schedule is so tight that you can't even spare an extra 10 minutes (or 20 minutes if you want to figure in round-trip), then I think you have bigger problems to deal with.</p>