H vs M vs P vs S

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I find myself in the very fortunate position of having to pick between Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Stanford (in alphabetical order so as not to reveal any subconscious preference). I'm pretty much equally split amongst the four, and since the enrollment postcard must be stamped and in the mailbox on Tuesday, May 1, I have decided to take a desperate drink from the fountain of wisdom known as CC :-D.</p>

<p>Background: I'm an Asian guy living in suburban Boston, about ten minutes away from Harvard and MIT, with my parents. I'm not quite sure what I want to study, but I'm leaning towards computer science/some type of engineering (I enjoy the problem solving that goes on in these fields), but I would also like to come out of college with excellent communication skills in both the written and spoken word. My main extracurricular passion is classical piano, which I play somewhere between an intermediate and an advanced level. My main academically-based interest is government and politics. I'm a political junkie who reads blogs and follows the news closely on a daily basis. I applied SCEA to Stanford and RD to the other three.</p>

<p>Here are the pros and cons that I have come up with for each school:</p>

<p>==Stanford==
Pros: Weather, really outgoing and friendly students, lots of school spirit, cheering on D1 sports teams would be fun, strong computer science & engineering, but also strong generally across the board in case I switch my mind</p>

<p>Cons: Really far away, students seemed to adopt a nonchalant attitude regarding academics (think the duck analogy), music didn't seem to be a central part of many students' extracurricular life, I'm not sure how well connected Stanford grads are along the east coast (I plan to stay in the east coast after college), boring suburban location</p>

<p>==Princeton==
Pros: Beautiful campus, lots of school spirit, strong across the board in engineering/natural sciences/humanities, classical music/performing arts in general get a lot of support from students & school alike, heavy undergraduate focus</p>

<p>Cons: typical concerns about elitism/eating clubs, boring suburban location</p>

<p>==Harvard==
Pros: Close to home, students there seemed to be the best collegiate kids in their respective fields with the exception of engineering, Boston/Cambridge is the greatest college playground, government department there is pretty much unparalleled, great music </p>

<p>Cons: Weak CS/Engineering, most students reported a negative social experience (my tour guide said it "sucked"), learning seemed to take place more as a result of the brilliance of the students than as a result of the teaching of the faculty</p>

<p>==MIT==
Pros: Noam Chomsky is the man, close to home, grueling undergraduate education ensures that you come out ready for anything (that was the impression I got), heavy student collaboration and an "us versus the professors" mentality that really prompted students to band together and form combined social/study groups, engineering/CS very very strong, Boston/Cambridge is the best college playground, I had a lot of fun during CPW, great music</p>

<p>Cons: Humanities are lacking, which I would imagine would hamper my goal to write/speak very well after college...some kids seemed to be pretty unhappy about the place, there wasn't this great institutional love like there was at Stanford, Pton, or even Harvard (IHTFP mentality)</p>

<p>I don't know why I'm posting this but just the process of writing it was very helpful. Input from current students at each institution or parents of students would be very much appreciated.</p>

2

<p>I would personally suggest Princeton. They are far enough away that it would be new, and close enough that you can still come home. But it sounds like you like MIT the most. Go where you want to go, period.</p>

3

<p>Awww, as an MIT student the whole IHTFP attitude is somewhat of a joke, although when you're hampered down by 4 PSets and 2 tests in a week you wonder exactly what you did to deserve such a fate. I'm not going to try and sway you any way, although I will agree with you about Princeton's eating clubs being a bit off-putting. When I was trying to decide between MIT and Princeton that was a major factor, especially since my brother (an alum of Princeton) said engineering students had a very difficult time finding an eating club that would take them.</p>

4

<p>I say Stanford :p</p>

5

<p>go to stanford - no harvard or MIT (mit otherewise the pick) because they are to clsoe to home - get away itll do u good, and princeton sint ogod at what u want</p>

6

<p>Congratulations on your acceptances. If you are probably going to major in science or engineering, Stanford or MIT would be a better fit. MIT does have fewer humanities offerings, but if you need to take a class on 13th century Slavic poetry, just take it at Harvard via free cross registration (5 minute subway ride). </p>

<p>Though I went to MIT and loved it, you might want to consider Stanford just for a change of scenery. However, they do work as hard as MIT students but are just better at hiding it (according to several friends who went there). Then again, there's that Harvard name ...</p>

<p>Aww, who am I kidding, come to MIT!</p>

7

<p>For what it's worth, I was very happy with the way MIT's HASS curriculum strengthened my writing skills -- just based on my interests, I ended up taking more of the "communication intensive" courses than I was required to take, and it was great for my writing. The humanities departments at MIT aren't poor or lacking, it's just that there are few people who choose to major in them.</p>

<p>Of course, you can't go wrong with the choices you have in front of you. :)</p>

8

<p>Harvard or Princeton. MIT's too much of a grind, bad male:female ratio, students are out-cooled by Harvard guys, too much of an ascetic, non-sexual World War II prisoner-of-war camp lifestyle for undergrad males; Stanford too far away, too suburban, too spread out, too feel-good-about-yourself.</p>

9

<p>I say Stanford or Princeton....</p>

10

<p>You've always got a home on the East Coast, and you can come back whenever you'd like. But going out to the West Coast, experiencing a new lifestyle and establishing connections in the thriving Silicon Valley/San Francisco is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you go to MIT or Harvard, you'll be stuck on the East Coast and you'll regret the opportunity you passed up to experience West Coast culture. Remember, you've always got a home near Boston and you can come back whenever you want; but Stanford offers you a wealth of new opportunities. Don't give them up. This is why I would stay away from MIT/Harvard.</p>

<p>I chose Stanford over Harvard and Princeton, and I live very near Stanford. Though the close distance is definitely the biggest con for me in terms of attending Stanford, I chose it because its atmosphere fit me so much better than Harvard and Princeton. Had the decision between the schools been so close (as it is in your case), I would've chosen Harvard/Princeton over Stanford, no question.</p>

<p>Also, you seem to be a fairly well-rounded individual who will ultimately want to pursue CS/engineering in college. Stanford and MIT are the obvious academic powerhouses here, and in terms of job recruitment in these fields straight out of college, Harvard and Princeton are a little lacking in comparison. But if you went to MIT, you'd be surrounded by people who have their long-term sight set on a career in science/engineering/business and not much else. Stanford offers a level of academic diversity that MIT simply doesn't; you'll encounter lawyers, politicians, writers, journalists, historians, etc. at Stanford and they'll help expose you to ideas outside of your academic comfort zone and establish social networks bigger than your field of interest, which I find extremely vital for life experiences post-college. And also, if you're into government/political science, Stanford boasts top programs in those fields, so if you want to take courses relating to them, you'd know you'd be getting the full deal (Harvard-MIT cross-enrollment is a pain in the ass from what I've heard).</p>

<p>MIT's relative academic homogeneity (in respect to other comparable schools) is one of the biggest reasons I didn't apply to MIT despite my interest in Engineering and CS. That sort of environment just isn't as exciting for me, even though the opposite is true for numerous other students. I wanted to learn new things from the people around me. Most of the education you get in college isn't from the classes you take; it's from the people you interact with.</p>

<p>As a person who had to go through (roughly) the same decision as you, I just thought I'd share a bit of my thought process. Hope it helps. :-)</p>

11

<p>
[QUOTE]
MIT's too much of a grind, bad male:female ratio, students are out-cooled by Harvard guys, too much of an ascetic, non-sexual World War II prisoner-of-war camp lifestyle for undergrad males

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>Not sure which MIT you are referring to, but I've never been to any one that could be described like that. Although it is kind of a grind for your junior year.</p>

12

<p>I'm a current student at Princeton so I'm here to dispel the myth that Princeton's eating clubs are elitist. 75% of juniors join an eating club, and anyone who wants a place on the street is guaranteed one. What's more, most of the parties are open to any student with a PUID, including freshmen, sophomores, and students who opted out of joining an eating club. Because the street is such a party location, Princeton doesn't spread out into cliques at dorm parties, which means many more chances to meet new people!</p>

<p>We might also be in a "boring" location, but really, I love the way Princeton is situated. We're so safe and in such a gorgeous place and the town of Princeton is very warm and inviting. At the same time, we're an easy hour train ride away from NY and Philly on either side. I always go to NYC for shows/shopping/having fun with friends during breaks and sometimes during the weekend.</p>

<p>The train also connects Princeton easily to Newark so it makes flying anywhere a snap.</p>

<p>Also, the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton sounds like something you'd definitely be interested in. They always encourage analytically minded applicants to the Woodrow Wilson School because it's understood that we need scientists in the public sector.</p>

<p>That being said, I'd say Stanford is a great fit as well. I agree with previous posters who stated that it's your chance to try a new culture and as someone who's so interested in politics, I think you'll find the experience valuable. I'm from California and chose Princeton because it was my favorite school, but Stanford was a definite second. It's true that Princeton's undergraduate focus is phenomenal but your college years are what you make of them, so with some effort you'll definitely get the interaction you want at Stanford, too. Stanford's well known enough to carry clout when you return to the East Coast. It's funny, but I think Stanford might be a fit for you precisely because it doesn't fit your previous experiences.</p>

13

<p>If, like you, you have good choices on both coasts, go to college on the opposite coast from the one on which you grew up. Expand your experience.</p>

14

<p>
[quote]
MIT's too much of a grind, bad male:female ratio

[/quote]
</p>

<p>53:47 is a bad male-to-female ratio?</p>

15

<p>Go to Stanford & expand your horizon.</p>

<p>Besides, Stanford CS dept will be flooded with money soon:</p>

<p><a href="http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070425006002&newsLang=en%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070425006002&newsLang=en&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>/s/ TOP COR</p>