<p>Hey guys/girls,
I got into Penn (Wharton), Princeton, Dartmouth, and Vandy (Scholarship) the other day, but I think I'm definitely choosing either Penn or Princeton. I'm not sure if I really want to do business or not at Wharton, but if not I figure I'll just transfer to the CAS. I have absolutely no clue which one to choose.
I really want a school that has the top academic resources and can provide me with the best post-graduate opportunities, but at the same time I want to really be able to have a good time in college and meet a lot of unique people that I can have fond memories of and stay in contact with for the rest of my life.
All I keep hearing is how terrible the social scene is at Princeton. In that aspect Penn seems like a much better fit for me even though Princeton supposedly has like the best academics in the country. I still want to have a lot of fun in college...I want to think that social reputation is false, but I have little proof otherwise</p>
<p>I'm usually pretty outgoing and lively, but at the same time, and more importantly, I am always very thoughtful and down-to-earth. I'm intellectual but also very unselfish. I'm not a big fan of any form of pretentiousness (which unfortunately seems all to prevalent in the ivy league). I know I'm speaking in abstractions here, but maybe this can help you get a view on who I am. </p>
<p>I'm going to visit all of them over the next couple weeks.
Vandy is still an option, but idk</p>
<p>Please give me any advice possible on my decision!</p>
<p>If you end up majoring in a business-related major, Wharton would definitely be the best pick and would give you great post-grad opportunities. The CAS isn’t shabby, either, if you decide to major in something else. I would pick Wharton.</p>
<p>CAS at Penn is excellent. I know a number of CAS seniors who actually have jobs lined up for after graduation, and a number of Wharton seniors who do not.<br>
If you really want to have fun, pick Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>If you’re wishy-washy about Wharton, I’d go with Princeton. Princeton grads end up with phenomenal opportunities in the business world, but it doesn’t limit you to just that curriculum.</p>
<p>That being said, Wharton is a great opportunity, and my friend’s brother who turned down Princeton for Wharton a few years ago now has a handsome paid internship and job lined up–for the business minded (versus liberal arts), Penn will take care of you.</p>
<p>You may also want to consider the location.</p>
<p>My friend at Princeton says people there are super intense about grades/academics, which could be both good or bad–depends on what kind of atmosphere you prefer</p>
<p>Go to Penn. Like you said, if you figure out Wharton isnt the thing for you, CAS will give you a world-class Liberal Arts education. Socially, youll have nothing to worry about at Penn. Theres a reason its called the “Social Ivy”</p>
<p>How big is the scholarship at Vanderbilt? Full tuition plus? Full pay at Penn and Princeton? 150K or more is not something to ignore, even if your family can afford the difference, if you think in terms of investing that money for after college.</p>
<p>If you are planning on a business major, Vanderbilt isn’t going to compare with Wharton. If you are unsure about business, and cost/money is actually a consideration, I might suggest keeping Vanderbilt as an option until after you make your visits. </p>
<p>The Vandy Scholarship is full+, but its weird, it would still be cheaper for me to go to Princeton. Penn’s package was less, but I’m sure I can negotiate it up if I really wanted to go there</p>
<p>Guys if it helps you at all, I’m not that interested in finance. If I were to go to Wharton I’d concentrate in Marketing & Communications (something I wouldnt be able to do anywhere else in undergrad and where I’d be somewhat preprofessional–Ideally working in this field for a big firm or a Fortune 500 company after college). If that didn’t work out, depending on how much I might like finance and all the I-bank stuff on Wall Street, I might just switch to the CAS. I’m just as interested in Psychology/Philosophy/Sociology as Marketing but I figure Wharton is an extremely unique institution that I’d get to learn alot and then find a job right after college.</p>
<p>At Princeton I could learn more about those other things mentioned above sinceI’m not sure what I want to do yet professionally…</p>
<p>Basically I’m deciding between the school spirit and social scene of Penn against the intellectual stimulation and all around education (and obviously reputation) of Princeton. There is little doubt in my mind that Princeton will provide me with a better education (though maybe not as good for my professional aspirations, I dont know). I’m trying to figure out which one has the better composite between campus environment/student life and my learning experience. </p>
<p>If it helps you guys at all with what I’m thinking about my collegiate experience, Stanford had everyone definitively beat but I got rejected there EA. Funny that a kid gets into Princeton and Wharton (I also would be a Benjamin Franklin Scholar if I went there), but then flat out rejected at Stanford. </p>
<p>“My friend at Princeton says people there are super intense about grades/academics, which could be both good or bad–depends on what kind of atmosphere you prefer”
AwPed</p>
<p>I hear Princeton is getting pretty harsh with respect to competitiveness with all the grade deflation stuff. But at the same time I’ve heard mixed reviews about the competitiveness of Wharton but then on the other hand I still get to take half my classes in the CAS. Most of the competition seems like its for I-Bank firms and I really dont give a s*** about them right now. Hopefully I wouldn’t have as much competition in such a unique concentration (to remind you, Marketing and Comm.)</p>
<p>I need to separate fact and fiction with this stuff- Do any of you actually go to either of the schools?
Again, My real questions truly involve the social life at Princeton, the harshness of the competition at each school, today’s true quality of a Princeton education vs. its amazing reputation, and what you guys might recommend…</p>
<p>You cannot go wrong with Princeton. If it is also the most financially manageable, the choice makes itself. People are willing to pay 50k premiums for Princeton, so your consumer surplus is enormous. Note that whether Princeton is worth 50k is not an issue worth discussing here.</p>
<p>I go to Princeton. It may be more productive for you to PM me about the social life so I can answer more specific questions (obviously, you can also post them here). The social life is unbelievable, and NOT one-faceted as many people believe.</p>
<p>Also, do not listen to anything about grade deflation unless it is inherently subjective (e.g. “It’s stressful”) or backed up by raw data (in the case of grad school admissions).</p>