<p>THE QUESTION: Where are you applying SCEA? </p>
<p>Why I'd apply to Princeton:
-I live in NJ
-Harvard's admit rate is consistantly lower
-2nd best school in the US</p>
<p>Why I'd apply to Harvard:
-Harvard is Harvard. Nuff' said.
-My HS frosh grades were the best of my 3 years and Princeton discounts frosh year</p>
<p>Choices + reasons + stats would be nice.</p>
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<p>now, why would you say this about the best school in the U.S.?</p>
<p>Well. Yes, US News 2012 has them both as #1, but in terms of prestige and worldwide fame, Harvard as slight ups on Princeton.</p>
<p>(You may not want this type of response, so I apologize beforehand.)</p>
<p>The reasons you listed are, to be honest, solely centered on each school’s prestige or the weight of certain criteria in their application process. Wouldn’t it help you more if you instead listed more personal reasons for wanting to apply to each school? If, say, Princeton/Harvard were no-name schools in terms of prestige, but kept all other aspects they currently have, which would appeal to you more?</p>
<p>You might view each school as equal in every regard except those few factors listed; if that’s the case, my point’s obviously worth no weight. As your post stands now, though, it seems that prestige and admission rate are the only factors you’re trying to balance in your decision.</p>
<p>I guess the crux of my point is that no student enjoys four years at a college because it happens to rank highest on some list or boast the lowest acceptance rate. They enjoy it for what it has to offer them specifically. </p>
<p>It would help us to assess which college might be a better fit for you if you offered some more personal reasons for wanting to apply.</p>
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<p>ahhh, but when you say “worldwide fame” you are talking about all the grauduate and professional schools of Harvard, not the undergraduate school, compared to Princeton - which is what you are looking at, is it not?</p>
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<p>No, that’s not “nuff’ said”… </p>
<p>Why not Harvard: they attract the most “prestigers” (not really Harvard’s fault, I guess) and then proceed to accept many of those prestigers. Of course, that’s probably not a negative in your mind.</p>
<p>Even though it’s inevitable that all Ivy League colleges will attract people fixated on prestige, Harvard blatantly has the worst of it. I know people at both schools whom I would not want to go to college with, and people at both schools whom I would want to go to college with.</p>
<p>But, to answer your original question, I’m not applying to either one early ;)</p>
<p>JamieBrown, you make an excellent point. Princeton’s focus is basically undergrad, which is indeed what I want. Are you applying to Princeton?</p>
<p>Concerto, you’re right. I actually don’t have personal reasons to apply other than that I hear that Princeton’s Molecular Biology (my intended major) is basically the best in the nation. As for Harvard, as I said, the word is basically “you can’t go wrong.” First, I have to get into them to even consider which one though.</p>
<p>Chrome16, I guess I’m one of those “prestigers” in a way and don’t mind having school with prestigers; yet, I haven’t completely ruled out going to my state school Rutgers on a full scholarship if a “prestige school” becomes too expensive.</p>
<p>To anyone seeing this, which would you rather apply to given the circumstances I gave in post 1? </p>
<p>How about from your own circumstances?</p>
<p>How about you figure out what YOU want, not what everyone else would want. You’re asking people to make the decision between two of the best schools in the country. It’s a personal preference and it’s clear you don’t like either school beyond their label and hopefully the admissions committee will recognize that. </p>
<p>You’re listing things about each school that apply to everyone, yet some people apply SCEA Princeton and others to Harvard. You know why? Because they know something about the schools beyond “Omg #1 everyone knows it!”</p>
<p>I already know what I want: a quality education in some sort of biological science at a respectable school which will help me place into a good graduate/medical school. Idc what everyone else’s “personal preferences” are (I simply posed that original question to start a convo). Which school is “better” is outside the point, because my main interest is getting INTO EITHER school in the first place, which is why I asked what someone would do in my situation.</p>
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<p>so now the question by the OP is not which is the better undergraduate school. It has now changed to “which school does he have a better change of getting in”.</p>
<p>my guess is that the OP will be accepted at neither school based on his posted messages…</p>
<p>If your HS frosh grade is the best of the 3 yrs, you’ll have a hard time getting into either school unless you are a hooked applicant.</p>
<p>It is the best, but barely. My unweighted GPA has been 95.0, 94.1, then 93.2. My weighted GPA for those 3 years have been 102.6, 101.5, and 102.4. So it’s not like a DRASTIC difference.</p>
<p>Don’t choose a school based on prestige.</p>
<p>Princeton is the best school that’s close to me that will give me the best financial aid and will get me the best chance of getting into a good med school. Prestige is a bonus ;)</p>
<p>Perhaps I have found my answer as to which to apply to…</p>
<p>Lol. That is true. But i mean when you have schools like harvard and princeton, just go to the one you like best!! (:</p>
<p>rraghuraman - Let me answer you seriously. You are looking for a way to work the system. Go you. That’s a good skill. However, in my experience, when there is no clear way to game the system, it’s best to go with your heart. Because if you lose, having gamed the system incorrectly, and you DIDN’T choose the place you liked best, the regret will dog you all your life.</p>
<p>See, look at it this way. The outcomes are:
<p>The average of outcomes 1+2 are better for your state of mind, over all, than outcomes 3+4.</p>
<p>Good luck. I think you sound like a smart kid, and I hope you knock that application right out of the park:).</p>
<p>Alumother- thank you so much! Your responce brought a smile to my face! Also, I have decided to apply to Princeton, my favorite. If I don’t get in, atleast I’ll live knowing I gave myself the best chance I could apply SCEA.</p>
<p>^^^
I’m very glad. Wishing you the best of luck. For all of you applying, if you ever feel you’d like an eye on your essays, let me know. I am glad to give thoughts, although I will not edit it, because that would be cheating.</p>