I know that these schools are extremely difficult to get accepted. However, I don’t want to spend so much money applying to all three, so I would just like to apply to 2 of these 3 schools. Which two schools should I apply to out of these three? (I’m a science major)
In terms of social life/location, I love all three. Harvard- housing day, location. Yale- residential college system, strong music department. Princeton- eating club, proximity to NYC.
Also, is it true that the atmosphere at all these schools is very uncompetitive, welcoming, and friendly? That’s the ideal environment that I would like to be at, for I do not prefer the cerebral vibe that schools like UChicago have.
What other schools are you applying to and what do you plan to study? Once we have a feel for the type of school you like, we can suggest which of these are most ‘like’ the others and have the strongest program(s) in your areas of interest.
@N’sMom
I am not sure about what I exactly want, but I think premed. (although I might just go undecided). Even if it may not be premed, however, I am thinking about majoring in sciences because that’s what I like the most.
I’ve never heard this sentiment about any of these schools. I’m sure they are welcoming and friendly, but I doubt that 3 of the top 5 schools in the country would be deemed uncompetitive…
@CaliCash I read on some other threads that in these schools, the students aren’t very competitive- they work collaboratively, are friendly, etc. However, I found those descriptions a little questionable as well.
Yale is making extraordinary attempts to position their science and engineering departments in the 21st century and these days you can write your own ticket.
You should apply to Yale and Princeton for the reasons I outlined in the previous sentence. If you’re still uncertain, flip a coin to assess your happiness with my decision.
If you like all three, and have a plausible chance of getting into one of them, apply to all three. If you can’t afford the fees, you might qualify for a fee waiver.
“Also, is it true that the atmosphere at all these schools is very uncompetitive, welcoming, and friendly? That’s the ideal environment that I would like to be at, for I do not prefer the cerebral vibe that schools like UChicago have.”
To me, this absolutely sounds like none of these three schools are really what you are looking for. If I were you, I would look into some of the LACs.
I say you apply to all three for the simple reason that multiple admissions to the three respective schools, while potentially possible, is not that likely. After all, we are talking about acceptance rates that hover around 6% or so…
@boolaHI I personally am not sure if I am an extremely outstanding, well-qualified student that has a high chance of getting accepted to these schools. Even though I am not a very well-qualified student, do you still recommend that I apply to all three of these ‘dream’ schools?
Well, I would need some basic info:GPA, class rank (class size), relevant test scores (ACT/SAT), are you an URM, area of the country, M or F, hooks (recruited athlete, seminal musician, survive genocide, …etc) to even gauge a basic guess.
Typically speaking, you would have an unweighted GPA of 3.9 or so, SAT in the 2200+ neighborhood or ACT around 33+, be in the top 5% of your class,well-rounded ECs, and make a compelling and cohesive personal statement. Please note, that these are basic inflection points of accepted students, that is to say, many students have much higher scores.