<p>I've been a floater on these boards for a while, and I never thought I would actually be posting on here, but I definitely need the help right now.</p>
<p>I was accepted with full financial packages from both Harvard and Yale, and I have no idea what to choose. </p>
<p>As of right now, I don't exactly know what I want to do as far as a concentration - perhaps Biology, Engineering, and later on pre-medicine if it gets to that point.</p>
<p>Can anyone give me any insights on what to do? I'm pretty torn, and I would really appreciate any advice you could give me. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I second Yale. The atmosphere is better, especially for undergrad. On the other hand, Harvard cannot be beat for graduate school (except Law school). But I would say Yale because it is probably the best undergrad experience around.</p>
<p>Yale, without a doubt. Duh Harvard’s great, but at Yale you get the same without as much of the pretension/uptightedness. Basically the only thing bigger than their egos is the stick up their butts.</p>
<p>Visit both, and see which one feels like more of a fit to you. If that’s not possible, then perhaps post a bit more about yourself and the things that are important to you in a college, and solicit opinions from people <em>who have actually attended</em> Harvard or Yale for undergrad. No matter what happens, basing your decision on the words of people (on this board and in the real world) who have no idea what they’re talking about and are just repeating tired stereotypes is not a wise way to proceed. </p>
<p>If you have specific questions about Harvard, I’m happy to answer. Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>Actually, that may not be the case. First, neither school discloses the data from which to determine who wins the cross-admit battle. The 65% datum so often cited on CC comes from a study conducted in 2005 and based on data collected before that from a group of “theoretical” cross-admits. (Participants were asked, “If School X and School Y were both to accept you, which would you choose?”) No hard evidence there. </p>
<p>Last year, Harvard reported that Yale had won more cross-admits than anticipated. And there is evidence in the form of a 2008 statistical model that Yale actually won the cross-admit battle last year, 56% to 44%. <a href=“Mathacle's Blog: June 2008…-stanford.html%5B/url%5D”>Mathacle's Blog: June 2008…-stanford.html</a></p>
<p>Like the 2005 Revealed Preference Study, the 2008 statistical model may or may not be accurate. But there’s no certainty that 65% choose Harvard over Yale.</p>
<p>And for what it’s worth, all of the posters from the Yale board coming here to promote Yale sort of backs up my “Elis are overdefensive” feeling. Do Harvard students/admits post similar things on the Yale board? I’d hope not… but I don’t know.</p>
<p>You will be happier at Yale as an undergrad. This is not even a very biased opinion… it’s basically an acknowledged fact (even among Harvard students) that Yale kids have more fun and are generally happier and more accepting, down-to-earth people. </p>
<p>Wow this is the second time posting this link just today, but I really think it is a great article written by Harvard students (so it’s not even blue-biased) to help make a Harvard-Yale decision: </p>
<p>Check it out, lol, although they still managed to squeeze in quite a bit of Yale-bashing. </p>
<p>Anyway, save Harvard for grad school, when you’re more career-oriented. As of right now, when you’re young and free and want to have some fun during these next few crazy years… YALE is the place to be!</p>
<p>P.S. I humbly acknowledge that Harvard is a very respectable establishment. So I’m not SO blindly in love with Yale that I completely disregard anything mentioned about the Crimson School. Hah! :P</p>
<p>That often linked Crimson article above is from 6 years ago. Entire classes have come and gone from the school in the intervening time. Even if that weren’t the case, an article written by a select group of people does not in any way indicate that the idea that someone will be happier as an undergrad at Yale is “basically an acknowledged fact” among Harvard students. It isn’t.</p>
<p>People on these boards love to rehash tired stereotypes about schools they’ve never attended, so my advice to the OP - again - is to speak to actual students from these schools, ask them specific questions about whatever is important to you, and to visit if possible.</p>
<p>Either way, just don’t use that article as the only factor. It bases the opinions of a very very small group of students to characterize an entire school filled with almost 5000 total students! Talk about misrepresentation. Anyways, there are pros and cons of both; check out the preview weekends</p>
<p>I hate that “Cult of Yale” article so much. First of all, it’s extremely out of date and it’s written by people from FM, the Crimson’s weekly magazine, which is notoriously bitter and sarcastic about a lot of things. I brought this up in another thread, but the people who loudly complain about Harvard are generally the ones who shouldn’t have gone here in the first place because the school wasn’t actually a good fit. The huge majority of people I know here are extremely happy and love Harvard. </p>
<p>I also strongly disagree that Yale has a better undergrad experience. Perhaps Harvard just doesn’t hold your hand as much, which honestly, I wouldn’t want them to (thus, the thing about the right kind of people attending Harvard, where you won’t get spoon fed). I can’t say that my Harvard undergrad time is better than it would be at Yale’s considering I don’t go to Yale, but I can say that I am beyond happy and feel very satisfied with my experience. In a direct comparison between the two schools, I prefer Harvard’s location, campus/architecture, house system, student body (we’re way more diverse and way less pretentious than Yale, contrary to the opinions above), etc.</p>
<p>Also, merkalicious43, Harvard students’ egos are no bigger than those of Yalies…less so, in my experiences. (Harvard-Yale weekend at Yale last year was terrible in the sense that Yalies were just so obnoxious and pretentious, before they even knew that I went to Harvard…). And we certainly do more than study!! Please.</p>