<p>ok this is just a case of one guy (a senior at harvard, my friend's brother). He played football at my high school, loved outdoors, and enjoyed lots of things besides studying. </p>
<p>He told me he "hates" harvard because what everyone does is study study study. He doesn't like the weather (being from socal), and all that people do is study. I mean, it's kind of expected since the best students go there, but still I was surprised.</p>
<p>So .... we have a YOUNG Princetonian ("hello123") and an OLD Princetonian ("Strawbridge") who both proclaim the superiority of Princeton. </p>
<p>No surprises so far!</p>
<p>But I note conflicting testimony from the witnesses, Your Honor!</p>
<p>Young "hello123" disses Harvard by saying (per his informant) that all they do there is "study, study, study"</p>
<p>The old-boy "Shawbridge", on the contrary, sniffs that lazy Harvard students "get by without working to (sic) hard" while at the more virtuous Princeton "students work harder."!</p>
<p>Welcome to the new derivative alias, making its maiden post!</p>
<p>I note that the earlier poster, "Shawbridge" - also, coincidentally, making his first post under THAT alias - is no kid, but informs us that he is a "Management Consultant, Author and former Ivy prof" born in 1954.</p>
<p>And Byerly, you post articles from 1985. </p>
<p>Poor sourcing, indeed.</p>
<p>The 1985 article was posted, as you know (or should know) to show that the cross-admit numbers involving Harvard and Princeton have been consistent over a long period of time.</p>
<p>The same is true for Yale (to which you applied ED) and Stanford (where you are currently a freshman.)</p>
<p>get into princeton.... the name sounds alot better than harvard dont you think>?</p>
<p>I was in a grad school class last semester at Harvard with Howard Gardner and he proclaimed that Princeton provided the best undergrad education.</p>
<p>Continuing the sighting of yield numbers only proves that brand names will not be outsold in most cases. Chevrolet is hardly the best built car in the US but it was the top selling "brand name" in 2005.
Only a good used car salesman could convince you of Chevy's superiority to other marks.</p>
<p>Princeton is like a Volvo.
Great quality,safe and easy to live with.
Also will give high mileage (alumni giving & connections):)</p>
<p>Anyone care to guess who might be selling used cars?
Especially around this time every year.</p>
<p>Umm... I think that the Toyota Camry is the top selling car, not Chevvy, "nopoisonvy."</p>
<p>At least I'd "sight" this link making that assertion:</p>
<p>Byerly,</p>
<p>Perhaps you should read more carefully before firing back a response next time. Nopoinsonivy claimed that "Chevrolet [...] was the top selling 'brand name' in 2005." He was making no claim as to the top selling car; he was discussing the top selling marque.</p>
<p>In any event, his claim was accurate</a> as of a short time ago. There's actually been some recent controversy over whether</a> the Ford brand outsold Chevrolet, but even so his analogy remains valid. Detriot has manufactured subpar vehicles as compared to its foreign competitors and yet been able to maintain superior market share.</p>
<p>The broader point is that perception does not necessarily reflect reality, a concept fundamental to evaluating the American university system.</p>
<p>Thanks General. Here is a news link.</p>
<p>Popularity doesn't necessarily = quality.</p>
<p>Isn't Hillary the Senator from the great State of New York?</p>
<p>Harvard still has the greatest name recognition period.
Any pushcart vendor in Mozambique has heard of it.</p>
<p>BTW...I have nothing against used car salesmen or pushcart vendors:)</p>
<p>you guys are hilarious!</p>
<p>Byerly,
I didn't read any of the previous posts. And I frankly do not care if my info matches with another person's claim. I'm not trying to forge anything. I'm just telling you a story I know. And I've stated that this is one guy's experience.</p>
<p>"forge????"</p>
<p>My father's friend recently discussed college decisions with me. He went to Princeton for undergrad, then Yale Law. He said that the only people he knew who found Yale Law EASIER than college were his Princetonian classmates. While students from Harvard and top LACs were stunned by the amount of work required, the Princeton graduates had become accustomed to working even harder while undergraduates.</p>
<p>On a more recent note, my brother goes to Princeton now, while my friend's brother is about to graduate from Harvard. Here is the ultimate difference I see between Harvard and Princeton in terms of social life and work, based on their experiences. At Harvard, the kid worked very hard, and the social life was very limited. At Princeton, my brother has worked harder than he's ever worked before, harder than anyone else I know. He is constantly reading and writing papers. I hardly heard from him last semester because he could barely spare time from his work. He's also having the time of his life. Whenever he does have a few hours of free time, there are friends to hang out with, arch sings to attend, intramural sports to participate in. I don't think it can be argued that Harvard kids all work harder, just that they don't have as much fun in their off time. </p>
<p>This is a personal viewpoint based on the experiences of kids I know, so please don't attack me for speculation or stereotyping. I know it may be inaccurate, but it is based on some personal knowledge.</p>
<p>Princeton - Where your BEST effort has been NOT GOOD enuff since 1746.</p>
<p>Tremendous reading and writing work assigments, coupled with recent grade deflation policy are literally killing students at both schools.
But remember, those went thru crucibles often come out triumphantly in the end.</p>
<p>Correct me if I'm wrong but PRINCETON gives decile rankings to its students on their transcripts?</p>
<p>They are quintile rankings and they do not appear on the transcript.</p>
<p>Here's an article on the system:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Given the sensitive nature of academic records, University officials stressed the confidentiality of the data. "The quintile ranking is only for your own information. It will not be reported externally. Like your GPA, it is available internally only to academic deans, directors of studies, and Registrar staff," Greenberg said.</p>
<pre><code>Though students routinely volunteer their GPA on resumes and graduate school applications, Malkiel said she does not believe that graduate schools or employers would request that students voluntarily report their quintile rank, since few other academic institutions use the same system.
[/quote]
</code></pre>
<p>And student reactions:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Three weeks after the University announced a grade point average (GPA) quintile ranking system, the student ratings are in. Reactions were mixed, ranging from apathetic to inspired.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Heh, funny how the Princeton policy is among the first things that comes up on Google when you search for "quintile rankings".</p>