Here're my thoughts, your input is appreciated (Y or H)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>I need some help figuring out which college to choose to attend. Sometimes typing things out really helps to organize thoughts, and sometimes when strangers read the writing, insights previously unknown to the writer will surface (I'm hoping this is the case for me). Now, here's my list between Harvard and Yale; please read then give me your input!</p>

<p>Campus: I love the closed off feeling of Yale--the school is distinctly separate from the city of New Haven. At Harvard, Cambridge essentially runs through the campus and I don't like that. It makes everything feel so disjointed and scattered.</p>

<p>Location: Um, Boston over New Haven any day, I think. So Harvard wins in this respect.</p>

<p>Academics: Both are great schools, but Yale has this five-year masters program with their School of Public Health that I'm totally interested in. Although this program requires a separate application in junior year and I might not get in, the thing is, if I go to Yale, there's that option there. If I go to Harvard I won't even have that option. Aside from that five-year program though, the academics are basically even. So no one really beats the other out here, but for sure Yale's masters program is a HUGE plus (actually, one of my main reasons for wanting to go to Yale).</p>

<p>Housing: Yale has the residential college system that is absolutely amazing. You really form this connection with people in your house and I'm excited to be a part of it. Harvard has something similar, but nothing compared to Yale. However, when I visited both campuses, I felt that the roommates at Harvard were like family--they all worked in the common room and really were best friends. At Yale though, my host didn't even talk to her roommates and the common room was bare (to the point where I wondered whether anyone lived in the suite). I have to keep in mind that my host isn't really representative of what freshmen roommate connections are like at Yale, but it certainly shows that because Harvard has you take this roommate survey as opposed to Yale's random assignment, I might not be able to recreate a family at Yale (does that make sense?). On the other hand, I don't want to feel like I can NEVER get alone time in my own room. I like doing my homework by myself, for instance, but if my desk is in the common room (like at Harvard), then I'll never be alone.</p>

<p>Food: I'm going into Nutritional Sciences, so obviously food will play an important role in my college years (not only that, but I love food =D). Boston easily wins in this department (though I know New Haven is getting better).</p>

<p>Opportunities: For everything else, the opportunities are the same at both schools (ie, traveling abroad, grants, research, etc.), but the opportunities that Boston presents are so much greater in terms of hospitals I can intern in, or public schools I can work with (in nutrition). But Harvard does not have the opportunity of getting a masters in five years. So I really don't know. In addition, I know that Yale has this sustainable farm that they recently started and I'd love to be a part of it. I don't know if Harvard has anything similar.</p>

<p>Weather: Okay, I admit it: I'm a total wimp when it comes to cold weather, so every little thing counts. New Haven is two and a half hours SOUTH of Cambridge, meaning that their winters would be slightly less harsh.</p>

<p>Calendar: Yale DEFINITELY wins here: they get a whole week off for Thanksgiving! Harvard gets the typical four days.</p>

<p>I'm probably missing a category, but that's all I can think about at this time. I simply don't know which to choose because both have pros and cons. So what are your inputs after reading this? Thank you!</p>

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<p>This is actually not true at all. We take a really comprehensive survey to determine our suites - it’s the college assignment itself that’s random. This means they determine your best match based on the people randomly selected for your college.</p>

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<p>This is also not really true. I’m sure you’ll find more healthy/interesting restaurants within walking distance of your dorm in New Haven. Literally closer than the nearest dining hall, there’s 2 sushi restaurants, a pizza place, an indian place, a greek diner, this kinda bizarre sushi place, 3 thai restaurants. Then if you explore the other areas immediately around the campus, you’ll discover even more. You’re hosts were not good too you! You should have found me :).</p>

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<p>Also not exactly true. Yale has tons of reach out programs to local schools in New Haven - you should check out the programs that exist through Dwight Hall. <3</p>

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<p>this is VERY true. We also have a two week spring break :).</p>

<p>My input is most of these things will not affect your life as much as you think they will. It’s really about going with your gut and thinking about where you could see yourself being happy even on your worst days. For me, that was Yale. </p>

<p>Also, don’t think too much about it - it’s been empirically proven that large decisions should be made very quickly (while smaller decisions whose outcomes only have relevance in the short run should be more thought out… strange, right?).</p>

<p>PM me if you have any more specific questions, I too chose between Harvard and Yale.</p>

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<p>On an individual level, it seems that Yale better suits your criteria.</p>

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<p>If a 5 year masters program in public health is a big attraction for you to go to Yale, then go to Harvard. You’d be better off doing a Harvard bachelors and then public health at Hopkins or Harvard or UMich or Columbia. Who cares if you spend an extra year? It will be a better experience overall. You are also correct in presuming that Boston will offer many more opportunities in public health. Besides, you sound to me like you’d fit better at Harvard.</p>

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<p>Here’s what I liked about New Haven in comparison to Princeton, NJ (I was waitlisted at Harvard so I didn’t have the same opportunity to compare the city of Cambridge).</p>

<p>This might sound backwards, but next to a campus that is beautiful and safe, its sort of grounding to see some poverty or etc. It gives you an opportunity to work in the community and not be stuck in a bubble of people who are either wealthy or fortunate.</p>

<p>Yale has the reputation for having less pretentious people than the other two, and I think that’s partially because its much easier to stay grounded when you’re not in a wealthy, sheltered community. Plus, I didn’t get the feeling that New Haven was all that dangerous when I was there for Bulldog Days. The campus is very separate from the city, when you’re trying to stay on campus, and while it felt like a city, I didn’t feel like I was necessarily in a lot of danger.</p>

<p>But I’m from a small town, so my judgement of cities might be from a poor perspective.</p>

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<p>OP, you have a lot of misconceptions about Yale that eating food hopefully corrected for you.</p>

<p>Btw, eating food, can you expand upon that last tidbit about decision making? Maybe an article I can read? It sounds interesting</p>

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<p>I actually thought all the OPs concerns were legitimate. But I would still choose Yale, given the information.</p>

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<p>Food: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>[Yale</a> Sustainable Food Project](<a href=“http://www.cis.yale.edu/sustainability/foodproject.htm]Yale”>http://www.cis.yale.edu/sustainability/foodproject.htm)</p></li>
<li><p>[Dining</a> Hall Gastronome](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/dining/31yale.html]Dining”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/dining/31yale.html)</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Do you have the source/study for this? I’m interested in reading up more on this concept :)</p>

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<p>Read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. The premise of the book is that decisions based on first impression/intuition are as good as decisions based on methodical reasoning. </p>

<p>OP: My take is that you’re on the right track. Do your analysis, make your lists, talk them over with your parents (and even with strangers on the internet). Then make your decision based on gut – underpinned by deep knowledge.</p>

<p>A counterexample to your experience with your guest host at Yale: My son and his roommates are four very different guys. I don’t know how Yale did it, but it worked. Really well. They are anchors for each other, and they are rooming together again next year. Because they have disparate interests, each has separate circles of friends. But they also have each other and their little home. More like a rat’s nest. I wish the Common Room were a little more bare. You can hardly walk in it.</p>

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<p>I think you’re over analyzing housing. Some suites are best friends, some are just groups of people who are good at living with each other (your suitemates don’t <em>have</em> to be your best friends, and sometimes this is actually better). This is true at Harvard and Yale. The biggest difference is that we sort/are a part of our colleges from before even getting to campus, which is (imho) the reason why college activities and community are more prominent at Yale. At Yale, the people in your college are the first people you meet, live with, make friends with, etc. But you still meet lots of people from other colleges on Old Campus. </p>

<p>Also, for MPH, if you are a yale undergrad, and you’ve taken the right coursework, and you’re a serious/prepared candidate, you’ll get in. If you want it and put together a good application, you’ll get in. I wouldn’t worry too much about that. I have several friends who are doing the 5 year MPH.</p>

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<p>@Msauce: I had never thought about New Haven v. Cambridge/Princeton, but i think your observation is valid. There is a significant focus on undergraduates contributing to social services, city politics, community outreach, whatnot. It does keep us connected to New Haven, and aware of the privileges we have at Yale. I worked in a program with new haven public school students, and seeing the disadvantages they experience (and how Yale contributes to their education) has definitely made me more committed to improving public education. Just one example of how living in New Haven improves our collective social conscience and connects us to people who do not have the advantages of an ivy league education.</p>

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<p>@bookworm - Um, do you plan to major in Nutritional Sciences? Because neither Harvard nor Yale have undergraduate Nutrition majors, let alone a CADE approved program if you plan on becoming an RD.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all of the responses!</p>

<p>@eating food: I was told by my host that there is no roommate survey. For the first year, at least, the roommate situation is completely random. Only after freshmen year do you get to choose your roommate. </p>

<p>@Cheeky4409: They don’t, you’re right, but they both provide the option of not only taking courses in their grad schools, but also offering the chance to form your own major. </p>

<p>I’m so terribly indecisive: I come on the Yale board and I become pumped for Yale; I go on the Harvard board, and I become pumped for Harvard. I only have a week left and I simply don’t know! I think when the deadline comes, I’ll just choose quickly–after all, if eating food is correct, choosing quickly is the best I can do! :)</p>

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<p>Bookworm, that is incorrect. You must have misinterpreted what your host told you. Everyone fills out a roommate survey prior to freshman year at Yale. You can’t choose your roommates as a freshman (obviously, as you don’t know anyone yet) but there is an effort made to match you with compatible people. I am a Yale student, as I believe is eating food, trust us, we know what we’re talking about.</p>

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<p>Bookworm, you can confirm that the roommate survey exists by going to the Yale Admitted Students website and clicking on the Housing Form tab (top, right-hand corner). </p>

<p>One other thing: although both Yale and Harvard will provide you with excellent academic opportunities, there is much more emphasis on undergraduate education at Yale. Harvard is oriented largely toward its graduate and professional schools, and a good number of undergraduate courses are taught by grad students. By contrast, every tenured professor at Yale - including Nobel prize winners - will teach undergrads.</p>

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<p>Adding to beatitudo’s point, even SOME of the greatest academicians alive don’t even bother with undergrads at Harvard. An example is Amartya Sen, 1998 Nobel prize winner economist, he’s one of the best in the field, is a professor at Harvard, but only teaches grad courses.</p>

<p>On the other hand at Yale, even the university president himself(who is an econ professor) teaches undergrads. I’m using examples from econ, because basically that’s the part I know :P, but it applies to those colleges as a whole.</p>

<p>I just chose Yale over Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia today :P</p>

<p>Boola Boola! ;)</p>

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<p>As far as the calendar is concerned, I believe Harvard has finals after Xmas break while Yale finishes beforehand and you get a couple of weeks of real vacation. I think that is a bigger calendar plus.</p>

<p>Even with the Yale/Harvard/anywhere housing survey, you are more likely to get a match that doesn’t work your freshman year. You will identify close friends and choose to live with them each subsequent year. Although I rarely talked with my freshman year roomates after that year, my sophomore-senior year roomates are still in weekly contact.</p>

<p>As someone who lived in Boston for several years after my Yale graduation I can tell you that good food is not a reason to choose Boston. There is hardly a restaurant in the city I miss when I left and I have yet to find better vegetarian food/coffee cake, ice cream, or garlic bread than at Claire’s, Ashley’s, or Yorkside pizza at the periphery of the Yale campus. The restaurant scene is more sophisticated than when I was an undergrad but with a full meal plan you are not going to be spending lots of money at places like that anyway.</p>

<p>Academics are mostly comparable at either of these great universities. Make your choice on where you feel you would be happiest.</p>

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<p>^^YaleGrad, Harvard changed their academic calendar as of this year: the fall semester now ends before Christmas. Must have been the pressure to keep up with Yale.</p>

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<p>Another thought for the OP: on-campus food at Yale is infinitely (infinitely) better than at Harvard. If you care about food and, like most undergraduates, end up taking most of your meals on campus, this may be an important factor for you.</p>