<p>I need help deciding between harvard and princeton (undergrad):
-I am looking to study humanities
-prestige/reputation/rankings are not factors at all (please don't write about them, I literally could not care less)
-I care a lot about the atmosphere/attitude of students
-I'm generally a laid back kind of person</p>
<p>Okay, here’s the best I can do. Obviously people’s experiences vary greatly inside each institution… you have lots of leeway to find friends who are like you, and at big places like this you are virtually guaranteed to if you try. The largest difference between Harvard and Princeton is location and what it does to the school environment. H is urban, inside a dynamic neighborhood (Harvard Square) 20 minutes away from a top-notch, clean, cultural, educated city (Boston). Princeton is in a smaller, quieter town in New Jersey two hours or so away from one of the greatest cities in the world. This does have an impact on campus life, to an extent. Harvard is more diffused… with things to do in the city and neighborhood, there is comparatively less campus unity. Of course there still is plenty, but the plethora of options leads to a slighted more fragmented and outward focused social scene. I really like it, to be honest… for me the opportunity to explore Cambridge and Boston at my leisure is well worth the smaller emphasis on campus community. Princeton is more inward focused due to its location, one manifestation of this is eating clubs, which I know little about but basically function as part frat part dining hall (corrections welcome if I’m wrong)… which in itself sort of fragments the social scene the way Harvard’s houses do.</p>
<pre><code> Other than a few slight things like the above, the schools are quite similar. I would strongly recommend trying to get a sense of the “attitude” of the thousands of students at each institution. You will find a mix at all of them, and the differences might be a few percentage points here or there at most. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
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<p>My D at H was not interested in P due to its small size and location. She wanted a big university experience in a city, which H with its grad schools and awesome Cambridge college town provides.</p>
<p>Dear OP-- you are asking the right questions with the right attitude. If there is anyway before 1 May you can visit each campus you will have a much better sense of where you fit in by soaking up the atmosphere of each place.</p>
<p>If not–I think 10jarsle’s post is pretty spot on as a way to look at both schools. </p>
<p>Remember there is no “wrong” choice-- both are terrific and you will have as good a time at either as you decide to have. </p>
<p>Last point-- once you decide–FORGET about the other school–the last thing you want to do on those days in which you are miserable (and they will happen) to second guess your decision. </p>
<p>Enjoy the dilemma–it is a nice one to have.</p>