<p>Agreed with Khachaturian re: Yale and New Haven. Most students actually are pretty engaged. Hell, some classes will even give you class credit for volunteering in New Haven, which is pretty cool.</p>
<p>I’ve spent some time at MIT and Harvard, and have several close friends at HPM. From what I’ve gathered:</p>
<p>MIT is absolutely wonderful so long as you’re the right “type.” If you love STEM, you’ll love MIT. There’s a frat scene and a nerd scene, so a relatively wide variety of people can fit in. However, if STEM is not your thing, MIT won’t be either. I love visiting, but as a historian, I would hate actually going there. </p>
<p>Harvard is similar to Yale in many ways, but if we’re going to nitpick I’ll say it’s a bit less social and a bit more competitive. I’ve had friends from Harvard who visit Yale and comment on the vibrancy of the social life in New Haven. So…Harvard has a lot of the resources that Yale has, and provides much of the same great experience, but my sense is that it’s not nearly as laid-back, which in my opinion (though others disagree!) is a downside.</p>
<p>Princeton is just as laid-back as Yale, but simply has a different atmosphere. While Yale is humanities-focused, artsy and politically active, Princeton is a bit more slanted toward social sciences and pure sciences (though, of course, still great in humanities), less artsy and less political. Princetonians BLEED orange (just attend one of their reunions and you’ll see), and while Elis adore Yale, they’re just a bit less effusive. Also, Princeton does have residential colleges, but basically no one cares about them; eating clubs are “the thing” there. The final difference between Y and P is environment – Yale is pretty urban, while Princeton is very suburban.</p>
<p>I agree that Yale is artsy, but I don’t think humanities-focused is the right thing to call it since there are many, many, many social science and science majors. If anything, Yale is currently science-focused since it’s trying to science-ify it’s incoming classes haha.</p>
<p>Anyways, I think the best way to put it is this: while HYPMS etc. are pretty comparable academically, they each have a different culture/atmosphere and it’s ultimately up to you to decide which place is best for you.</p>
<p>I’m surprised that current Yale students haven’t commented on the master’s teas. During my time, these events were great and remain some of my most cherished memories about the place. Anyone there care to comment?</p>
<p>I haven’t actually been to any Master’s Teas yet, and I’ve been told it’s the most valuable resource that Yalies don’t commonly take advantage of. This past semester I remember hearing about the U.S. Treasurer and a lot of famous magazine editors and such coming for those events.</p>
<p>I’ve been to a few Master’s Teas already, mostly with famous novelists and writers for the New Yorker and such. They have all been fantastic and were some of the experiences I enjoyed most this semester.</p>
<p>A note about Polyglot’s point that many of these features are available at other schools – mostly true but if you’ve noticed the detail and depth that some of the posters have relayed their experiences – these are their PERSONAL experiences with a huge variety of items. Whether it be access to profs or the vibrant arts scene, etc. Most yalies can give you a laundry list of “cool” things. I found my friends at other schools could easily brag about a few items. I found myself having to NOT brag about tons of items.</p>
<p>Note to Mochamaven: whenever I hear “Bright College Years” – it’s very sentimental. I vividly recall the sadness I felt as a Senior – knowing that my time at Yale as coming to an end and my friends would depart for their separate lives. But take comfort in this: invariably you and your Yale friends will likely maintain stronger ties than any of your subsequent buddies or spouse. I’ve been to practically all of my 12 buddies’ weddings and most were at mine. Our wives/husbands always were amazed at how close we were tied to one another.</p>
<p>River-thanks for the beautiful link. It is the day my d returns to boarding school and she spent 6 hours in Baltimore on a layover…can we say a long day.</p>
<p>She is very interested in Yale, thus I know she will enjoy the music and beauty.</p>
<p>Looking back, I wish I had chosen a school known for it’s “college life” (i.e. Greek, party scene, social events) and not one just for the name and because my parents went there.</p>
