Harvard vs Princeton vs Yale vs Stanford

College Search & Selection
21

<p>I think the poster above me's username is in fact the most appropriate response to the question posed in the OP.</p>

22

<p>^touche. of course harvard, princeton, yale, and stanford are all secondary to MIT.</p>

23

<p>I'll let you all be the judge.</p>

<p>[URL="<a href="http://www.k1bond007.com/wp-content/gallery/misc-k1bond007/SolidSnake.jpg%22%5DHarvard%5B/URL"&gt;http://www.k1bond007.com/wp-content/gallery/misc-k1bond007/SolidSnake.jpg"]Harvard[/URL&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p>

<p>[url="<a href="http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/items/assist/images/assist11/assist11_071107a.jpg%22%5DStanford%5B/URL"&gt;http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/items/assist/images/assist11/assist11_071107a.jpg"]Stanford[/URL&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p>

<p>[url="<a href="http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/379/mgs4e32006520smalllc4.jpg%22%5DPrinceton%5B/URL"&gt;http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/379/mgs4e32006520smalllc4.jpg"]Princeton[/URL&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p>

<p>and...</p>

<p>[url="<a href="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2001/ps2/mgs2/mgs2_screen022.jpg%22%5DYale%5B/URL"&gt;http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2001/ps2/mgs2/mgs2_screen022.jpg"]Yale[/URL&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p>

<p>Let's be honest...how many of us REALLY think the last one is as good as the other three? </p>

<p>IMO it's a toss-up between Harvard and Stanford with Princeton right behind, but that's just me...</p>

24

<p>What is so good about Yale anyways.....other than its age, selectivity, networking connections, productin of a lot of political figure heads, endowment wealth, smarts, and specialitzatio in the humanities?</p>

<p>I really don't know what Yale is <em>good at</em> you know what I mean...</p>

25

<p>In general, fit is most important. But in some cases, you really can make distinctions. For example, if you want to be an engineer, then your rankings should probably look like this:</p>

<ol>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Yale/Harvard</li>
</ol>

<p>If on the other hand you want to go into finance, Harvard and Princeton are probably better choices than Stanford and Yale. </p>

<p>The point is that if you're lucky enough to get into all four, there's a better way of deciding than pulling names out of a hat. But that doesn't mean you can say that one school is generally superior to the others.</p>

<p>EDIT: Phead, Yale is very strong in the humanities--English, history, etc.</p>

26

<p>This post doesn't deserve recognition. Anyone with even half a brain knows that SUNY Oswego owns all. I must admit though...Long Island University is a VERY close second, after SUNY Buffalo...Believe it chimps.</p>

27

<p>Well thanks for the input butchokoy, but what exactly are you basing that on?</p>

28

<p>^^ personal criteria, which should be the ONLY way to rank these schools.</p>

29

<p>
[quote]

Nope. Why do you ask? Were you admitted to all four or something? If not, then what's even the point?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>whats the meaning of life then? does god really exist? if he doesnt then whats the point of believing? why should we help the poor if they are not going to help us back? etc... just answer the fricking god damn question you detective. no i havent been accepted into hyps and i probably wont but does that mean i dont want to know who would come out top? geesh just answer the questions without trying to get a glimpse of my life.</p>

30

<p>For undergrad I'd put it: </p>

<p>1.Princeton
2.Stanford
3.Yale
4.Harvard</p>

<p>Princeton first because of its well-roundedness and supreme undergrad focus. Stanford next because of its well-roundedness+depth but too many grads/professional schools.
Yale next because of its strong undergrad focus but not really well-rounded.
Harvard last because its not well-rounded (no engineering really) and too many grad schools, also its undergrads are not as happy as the other 3 schools undergrads are.</p>

<p>Overall however:</p>

<p>1.Stanford/Harvard
3.Princeton
4.Yale</p>

<p>For overall schools, IMO, Stanford and Harvard are in a class of their own. They have elite professional schools and a great undergrad. Furthermore, both are the respective "masters" of their domain, Stanford West, Harvard East. Princeton is still pretty good because its supreme undergrad focus with a school of such high caliber is extremely impressive. (Generally schools become really good because of their grad/professional schools). I never really saw Yale as belonging here, so I ranked it 4th. I don't think there's anything that Yale offers of note that you cannot get at the other three.</p>

<p>If we were to include MIT, I'd place it last on the first list and second in the second list (before Princeton, but after Harvard and Stanford)</p>

<p>Just my 2 cents, its not purely personal preference but I'm not going to pretend that its scientific.</p>

31

<p>^^ uh, Yale's Law, History, and Fine Arts are basically untouchable. Other humanities in general are also overall exceptionally strong[er]. Yale's sciences are catching up, since $1 billion has recently been invested to build science and engineering (although Yale already ranks respectably high in all of the natural sciences).</p>

<p>It seems like everyone and their mom on CC care about only science.</p>

32

<p>While Yale's Law school is elite, it's been generally assumed that Harvard's and Stanford's Law schools are easily peers of Yale's. Harvard's, Stanford's and Princeton's history programs are also peers of Yale's. I'm not familiar in anyway with fine arts programs so I can't comment. Even though Yale's natural sciences are really strong, their engineering can't be compared with Stanford's or Princeton's. Yes, it does seem everyone on CC only cares about science, but that's because science and engineering majors are the most lucrative and are, likely, the way the future is heading.</p>

33

<p>Yes, but your statement, "I don't think there's anything that Yale offers of note that you cannot get at the other three," can also be applied the other way around (minus engineering).</p>

<p>Yale is consistently top in humanities, just as Stanford is consistently top in sciences (though it too has "peers" as does Yale). Yale's medical school is also a peer of Stanford's. Princeton doesn't even have that many grad offerings so I don't know where its superiority in grad schools comes from (At the grad level, I would put Harvard and Stanford on top, with Yale and Princeton tied underneath). </p>

<p>I don't think that there's anything that the other schools offer that Yale does not, except for engineering (which is one of the "fastest growing in the nation" due to the amount of money being poured in). </p>

<p>In the end, for undergrad:</p>

<p>Harvard = Princeton = Stanford = Yale. (although I would place Harvard and Stanford at a level lower than Yale and Princeton due to too much grad focus). </p>

<p>Still, there is really no point in making distinctions at the undergrad level. All that matters at such a level is fit.</p>

<p>I think the OP just wanted to turn this thread into another bickering argument, which I hope this does not become.</p>

34

<p>I understand that Yale is consistently at the top for humanities but, so are the other three schools. And Stanford and Princeton do this with a strong engineering program. My reasoning for Princeton ontop of Yale overall was that while Princeton's grad programs certainly aren't stronger than Yale's, its undergrad program can't be beat. I agree that in the end fit is most important, even more so if you aren't planning on majoring in engineering. And, as long as Yale continues improving its engineering program, major of choice will probably soon become a non-issue.</p>

35

<p>I don't think there is an answer to that question. There are at least 44 answers in regards to grad school -- 41 Ph.D. disciplines plus Law/Medicine/MBA.</p>

<p>As to graduate school, what does it matter how a school is ranked in the 43 disciplines other than the ONE you are accepted into?</p>

<p>FWIW, Stanford and Berkeley vie for #1 in the 41 Ph.D. disciplines, and Harvard is #1 in average ranking of the three professional schools. But again, one never goes to MBA/Law/Medicine at the same time, so what difference does it make?</p>

<p>As to undergrad, they are all ranked 1-4. H has a distinct wow factor advantage built over 350 years, and regardless of actual student experience (which apparently is less than satisfying), has a value separate from the other three.</p>

<p>If you are a sportsman/scholar or engineer, it is hard to beat Stanford. For performing arts, Yale stands alone. For journalism/comedy, Harvard stands alone. I can't actually think of anything for which Princeton stands alone, but I'm sure there is something.</p>

36

<p>Math is strong at Princeton. Andrew Wiles heads up the department.</p>

37

<p>it it means anything, Yale has much more laymen prestige than Princeton, both domestically and internationally. I would argue that Harvard and Yale are two most famous U.S. universities in Asia and Europe, with Stanford behind. Princeton isn't very well known outside of U.S.</p>

38

<p>Drawing lines between HYPS and the other top national universities if funny enough without drawing lines between they themselves.</p>

<p>Undergraduate academic quality:
1. Princeton
2. Yale
3. Stanford
4. Harvard</p>

<p>Prestige:
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Princeton
4. Stanford</p>

39

<p>I hope to get into Yale Med school for med school. If that means anything for anyone.</p>

40

<p>


</p>

<p>Thats obviously not subjective at all. I think Harvard has the most name recognition and prestige and I doubt anyone can seriously refute that. Yet, it makes no difference. If you tell anyone you go to any of these schools, they will think your a genius.</p>