<p>I have a problem. Its a good problem dont get me wrong, and I do feel obnoxious asking this, but I am in a dilemma. I got into Princeton and Harvard, and I have trouble deciding which school to attend.</p>
<p>I probably cant go wrong at either schools, but I dont want to be in a situation in which Ill regret the decision later on to attend one or the other.</p>
<p>Academically, I feel Princeton has the edge, since nearly all of its resources and faculty are focused on undergraduates.</p>
<p>Socially, I also feel Princeton has the edge, as most people at Princeton seem less competitive. The things I hear about Harvards social life is how competitive and cutthroat everyone is, which I think could detract from the quality of life.</p>
<p>In terms of location, Cambridge probably has more things to do than Princeton. But how important do you guys think this is? I feel both schools are pretty campus-oriented, so it wouldnt matter so much. After all, Princeton has a nice town of its own.</p>
<p>Harvard has greater name recognition, but how much should I consider this in making my decision?</p>
<p>Princeton is fighting grade inflation, and in doing so, fewer students are receiving good grades. How will this affect my chances for graduate school? If most people at Harvard College receive As and Bs, I would presume it would be easier to get into a top law school than it would be from Princeton.</p>
<p>I haven't heard or experienced anything about folks here being competitive.
I don't really think it's a case of resources being focused on college versus grad students--I think that's sort of a popular false dichotomy. I've never felt, or heard anybody say, "drat those grad students; they're getting all the attention/funding/opportunities." Rather, it's more of a sense of "oh, I can take this course that's cross-listed at the Law School, or do research at the Medical School." It is often the case that grad students function as TFs, though; I don't know whether Princeton has that.
As I think I posted on another thread, the main advantages of going to a school in a city are a) it's easier to get a good job, especially a good summer job, since there are more opportunities in the area and you don't have to travel a million miles to interview and b) it's easier to do whatever your city thing is. Some of my friends, for example, have a tradition of going to Chinatown for dim sum every few weeks, but most people are deluding themselves if they think they're going to go to Boston every weekend to take in the cultah. Clubbing is probably the most popular city-based activity.</p>
<p>You should probably look into stuff like what graduation requirements at Harvard and Princeton are, and what course caps are like, and so on.</p>
<p>My son, a pre-med freshman at Harvard, has not experienced the so-called cuthroat atmosphere that you mention. And he has loved most of his profs and feels that they are genuinely interested in undergrads.</p>
<p>Also, in evaluating the two schools, consider how you feel about Princeton's eating clubs, which many find elitist and off-putting.</p>
<p>Finally, I believe that the "look" of a campus has almost no effect on the quality of experience after about the first 5 minutes. However, the surrounding community, availablity of outside diversions, etc. has a lasting effect,---and becomes even more important in the last year or two when campus novelty has completely worn off.</p>
<p>I completely agree with Donemom. I found the environment at Princeton was not what I was looking for... H was a much better fit for me, so I applied EA to Harvard, and did not apply at all to Princeton.</p>
<p>and H's campus is quite beautiful in its own way :)</p>
<p>Lots of people like to talk about the lack of undergraduate focus at H, TAs teaching all the courses, and cutthroat competitiveness, but I've never heard any of those complaints from a student who actually goes there, and that's got to be worth soemthing.</p>
<p>Does anyone know the differences in graduate school matriculations for Harvard and Princeton? In other words, for top law schools, which school sends more of their graduates to them?</p>
<p>The thing that is always nagging in the back of my mind is how everyone seems to decry the relatively low quality of life. This isn't just from reading The Boston Globe or glancing at the Princeton Review ratings - I know some people at Harvard who say that quality of life would probably be better at Yale or Princeton... Is this all a misconception? Or is there some validity to it?</p>
<p>I know already asked this earlier, but how important is name recognition? Would it seem superficial and shallow for me to choose Harvard over Princeton based on name prestige?</p>
<p>I'm a freshman at Harvard and love it. But at the same time, I understand why some people might be miserable. I definitely couldn't fully comprehend what it'd be like here until it happened, and I'm not sure it's something I can put into words. I guess it's mostly about being surrounded by amazing people, and whether that makes you a smarter/stronger person, or intimidates you and turns you off.</p>
<p>There is a lot of intensity in classes + extracurriculars, but it's balanced by a ton of cooperation. I have NOT found this when it comes to social life... with the exception of finals clubs (a small upperclass scene), things are laid back. Probably not as many parties (Yale has frats + off campus housing, for example), but a lot of fun ones.</p>
<p>There are a million reasons to choose Harvard over Princeton that are all better than prestige/name recognition. Go to both of the admitted student weekends and see for yourself!</p>
<p>The funny thing about Princeton (the town) is that it's so WASPy that even as a white person I feel uncomfortable whenever I go there. Incredibly homogenous community.</p>
<p>I think the feeling of being intimidated by amazing people would occur at Princeton OR at Harvard, so it's not just that. When I visited Princeton, I was among kids who were absolutely brilliant, yet interacted with me and those around them in a comfortable and normal manner. It was only when a topic of intellectual concern arose that they began showing their genius, and it was a little terrifying. At the same time, however, it was utterly inspiring to see these kids sitting around their room, video game controllers in hand and feet on tables, having an in-depth discussion on the moral and ethical ramifications of eliminating ROTC on compus. This was just their ordinary conversation. </p>
<p>But ... forgive me my rant. I visited Harvard as well, shadowing a kid who was as nice as could be, a good friend of my brother, who was also visiting. Yet somehow, neither of us liked that atmosphere. It was intimidating, but also felt cooler, less friendly. I felt more of a sense that we were among kids who KNEW that they were brilliant, and expected to be treated that way. </p>
<p>The thing is, I have known kids who were very happy at Harvard. I also know kids who have not liked Harvard as much as they expected. I have known kids who love Princeton and can't imagine going anywhere else. It's very personal. Visit the schools, or you'll never know which one is right for you. It's really the only way. Good luck!</p>
<p>
[quote]
When I visited Princeton, I was among kids who were absolutely brilliant, yet interacted with me and those around them in a comfortable and normal manner. It was only when a topic of intellectual concern arose that they began showing their genius, and it was a little terrifying. At the same time, however, it was utterly inspiring to see these kids sitting around their room, video game controllers in hand and feet on tables, having an in-depth discussion on the moral and ethical ramifications of eliminating ROTC on compus. This was just their ordinary conversation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That description is exactly what I observed when I visited. I could not have said it better.</p>
<p>just<em>forget</em>me...do you have this info for medical school?
I'm deciding between Harvard, Columbia, and a small liberal arts college right now. Not sure where to go as of now.
--Thanks</p>
<p>My brother is at Princeton. He told me that if I get into Princeton (I dont know if I have yet, I'm an international who still hasnt received my decision letter) that I should chose Harvard (where I'm already accepted). He hates Princeton and it has turned him into an absolute downer because he finds it boring and dull. He basically can't wait to get out of there.
But, keep in mind that it's all about each individual and what they are looking for. You can't just make generic statements about each college and see everyone either agree or disagree with it.</p>
<p>The WSJ rankings include med school. I don't have info on where HMS students come from. I do know that in Harvard's case, the grade inflation seems to help med school applicants a lot (while kids from MIT, for example, get screwed).</p>
<p>Oh, and if you'd like to visit Harvard and see socially adept kids who are also kinda smart, feel free to PM me and set up a visit. I have some very cool roommates, along with a common room with a futon. There are definitely arrogant people here, and people here lacking social ability... but they're definite minorities.</p>
<p>every year Harvard undergrad is the best represented college at HMS. However, this is common nepotism found at every ivy league university, in that their professional schools will take an disproprotionally large sampling from their undergrad (per capita). But do not get caught up in going to HMS, nor should absolutely anyone, and I mean this with the utmost force, choose their college on trying to get into a medical school. That is completely short sighted and can backfire, as it is far more important that you do better and be happy, than be at an institution where you think it is statistically favorable of going to a medical school about which you have absolutely no idea anyway. The top medical schools are all just about equally prestigious and have amazing matches. Do not get caught up in USNEWS which probably unfairly ranks my alma mater above other because of NIH funding, which honestly does not affect your clinical education. That said, it is an amazing medical school and I encourage all to apply!</p>
<p>In my opinion, all the great things people said in this thread about Harvard are true, AND all the great things they said about Princeton are also true. You can get a great education, interact with brilliant classmates, develop a ton of friends, attend some great parties, earn a very prestigious degree, be very happy, earn admission to a lot of grad schools, and have a wonderful time at EITHER school.</p>
<p>So my advice: visit both schools, do overnighters, and then just pick the one that feels right to you.</p>
<p>From what I've heard about both schools, Princeton is a lot more academically competitive because they limit the number of people who can get A's. This makes students less likely to help each other, work together, learn from each other, etc.</p>
<p>All the top elites are "competitive" - don't let anybody kid you ... particularly among people who are focussed on doing well in a professional field and expect to seek admission to law school, medical school, engineering school, etc., but also among those who expect to seek a PhD. Ambitious people put the pressure on themselves ... the schools don't do it.</p>