<p>Haha, it could become a movement if several Yalies turned down Harvard for Yale and they all put up framed Harvard acceptances.</p>
<p>Anyway, I agree I would choose Yale over Harvard. I heard it gives an actual undergrad experience compared to the other 3. I would make the same choice as you (as in experience/fit over prestige) and I think you should push away Harvard prestige from your mind. If I ask you "Where are you going to school" and you say "Yale" and someone else next to you says "Harvard," I wouldn't think any less of you or any more of the other person.
People get into Harvard but not Yale. I have a friend who got into Harvard but rejected from Tufts.</p>
<p>For heaven's sake, just go to Yale and enjoy it.</p>
<p>I went to Harvard, and am glad that I went there because Harvard matched what I wanted in a college. I wouldn't have wanted to go to Yale because I don't like New Haven. You felt Yale was the best match for you, so you made a good decision.</p>
<p>Other than where they are located, the universities are remarkably similar and virtually equally renowned. </p>
<p>Yeah, what the other posters said. Even though I can't fathom you turning down Stanford (jk, I can lol) your decision was the best for you. Virtually everyone has second doubts about where they picked, even I am, which is surprising considering how exciting and sorta lopsided it was for me to make my choice. Trust me. Everyone, before fall, who had two reasonable choices, is feeling this way (what if I chose college X, what if I applied here, etc.). Yale is not just an excellent school but one of the best in the nation, yes and even in the sciences. If you wanna get psyched about your decision, look at some of the stuff Yale has sent you telling you about what to expect next fall. Trust me, you'll love it and remember why you picked Yale again. You're gonna have so much fun at Yale and get an excellent education! Good Luck!</p>
<p>Wow, I was in your position a couple of years, but allow me to explain. I decided on the Naval Academy after much deliberation and family input. Before you say, "Well it's not Harvard", I will explain. I liked Princeton when I visited and could not believe it when I got my acceptance letter in the mail. It was like I was set on the Naval Academy and then an unexpected suprise came in the mail which forced me to make the toughest decision of my life.</p>
<p>I never applied to Harvard because it was too close to home. Would I have gotten in? Who knows, but I felt the same way about Princeton as you do about Harvard. Sure the Naval Academy is a good school, but in terms of academic reputation, it's hard to compare to Princeton. I decided on the Academy because I always had a calling to serve in the military, I always felt that it's something everyone should do for a short time in their lives. Before I left home, I wondered what I'd be sacrificing: my personal freedom, access to my friends, prestige, and in some ways respect.</p>
<p>But when it comes down to making a decision about where you want to go to college, it comes from deep down. You just know where you belong, and there's nothing wrong with it. Eventually, you get well immersed with your environment, and two years later, I realize I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. </p>
<p>It's not about what brand name college you went to in most cases. It's really all about taking your undergrad experience and being able to apply it in the real world. If you have a knack for learning and everything you do has a worthy cause, it really doesn't matter, even if you went to community college. Employers and people on the outside world are looking for people who have passions in specified fields.</p>
<p>Hopefully your gut tells you that Yale was the right place for you if that's how you truely feel. First impressions and gut instincts are usually right. Embrace that and try to enjoy your time at Yale.</p>
<p>OK I have a situation that I'm still having trouble getting over. My son is a recruited athlete (with excellent grades) that was heavily recruited by all the Ivy (including HYP) and Patriot schools. The Ivies were giving him 0 dollars, he would get a full ride in the Patriot League. On his official visit he completely fell in love with one of the Patriot League schools (which still is a top 20 LAC, bit it's not Harvard) including the coaching staff, and chose to go there. We told him to follow his heart and we would support his decision. I know in my heart it is a perfect fit for him and he hasn't looked back. But I have looked back, and every time I think about the fact he could have gone to HYP and didn't ,I get a pit in my stomach. However, getting a tuition bill with $0 dollars owed, did help the teensiest bit!!</p>
<p>We knew going in the Ivies don't give athletic scholarships. We were willing to pay if my son decided on one of the Ivies, but the full scholarship he received from the school he chose has certainly made things much easier from a financial standpoint--especially with a daughter who will enter college in 2 years.</p>
<p>My D was choosing between H and Y. I admit to secretly hoping she would choose H, which she did, but after visiting both she said she would be happy at either one.</p>
<p>Ive been closely involved with both H and Y. Without a doubt, I think you will have a better undergraduate education at Yale. No comparison. And your intuition told you the same when you visited and experienced both places. Enjoy your awesome decision!</p>
<p>from The Boston Globe:</p>
<p>"Student life at Harvard lags peer schools, poll finds"</p>
<p>By Marcella Bombardieri, Boston Globe Staff</p>
<p>Student satisfaction at Harvard College ranks near the bottom of a group of 31 elite private colleges, according to an analysis of survey results that finds that Harvard students are disenchanted with the faculty and social life on campus. . . . . The 21-page memo, from staff researchers at Harvard to academic deans, documents student dissatisfaction with faculty availability, quality of instruction, quality of advising, and student life factors such as sense of community and social life on campus. </p>
<p>The article also notes that
[quote]
. . . students can go through four years on campus with limited contact with professors. They often take large lecture classes, divided into sections headed by graduate student ''teaching fellows." Small classes are frequently taught by temporary instructors instead of regular, tenure-track professors. And in many cases, advisers are not professors, either, but graduate students, administrators, or full-time advisers.