<p>What are all of the differences between an Ivy League school (Yale) and a state school (University of Washington - Honors program). I am seriously so confused as to which I should pick...
I thought Yale was the perfect place for me..its academics, its architecture, its prestige, and its residential college system. But now I am having second thoughts. It is very far away from home, New Haven is (ghetto) and does not even compare with a city like Seattle, and so many of my friends are going to UW. I feel like I would have a much funner time at UW.</p>
<p>However, it's so hard to give up on Yale. I guess I am wondering what kinds of opportunities would I give up if I did not choose Yale and if I will come to regret my decision to turn away the chance to study at one of the best colleges in the world. </p>
<p>I want to study either economics or pschology and work in a business field. I kinda want to work for Wall Street, but does going to UW completely remove that from my options?</p>
<p>PS: I got scholarships for UW so it will be like $5,000 per year, and financial aid from Yale so it will be like $24,000 per year. My parents want me to attend Yale, so tuition isn't a factor for choosing.</p>
<p>If your parents can afford it go to Yale. Also, you are not going to New Haven, you are going to Yale. But if the "ghetto" scares you then maybe you should stay in Seattle, not everyone can deal with diversity.</p>
<p>New haven is not as bad as your cursory description. It's a city with diverse strengths and weaknesses. I wouldn't hesitate one second to send either of my two daughters there. I agree w/UCLA PHD. </p>
<p>I am 100% glad that I didn't live in a bubble (although I could retreat to the many sanctums of Yale itself).</p>
<p>Weigh all the plusses and minuses but your "ghetto" is reality for most of the world's population. You're free to insulate yourself from this of course. Maybe Y isn't the place for you after all. </p>
<p>As for friends, Yale's RC system overshadows any other social situation that I know. 13 of my college classmates attended my wedding six years later. I've been to most of theirs, too. The no. of HS friends who attended? 2 or 3. Don't make your decision based on HS friends -- seriously. Come Thxgiving, you'll look at them (and they at you) completely differently. Distance from home is quite maturing too. I grew up in the Midwest and had never even been East of Buffalo my whole life before I did my visit of Ivy schools. I never skipped a beat moving to New Haven.</p>
<p>If you really want to be by financial mkts, know that all the firms regularly recruit at Y. I dunno how many go to UW, even for its honors students.</p>
<p>Regardless, best of luck on your two good choices. I'm sure that whichever spot you decline, you will make a waitlisted person very happy.</p>
<p>If what you want out of college is to have lots of fun with your high school friends in an atmosphere that you already are comfortable in, your best bet would be to go to U Wash.</p>
<p>If you want college to expand your horizons, then Yale is your choice.</p>
<p>College is often one's best opportunity in life to stretch, but not everyone wants to take advantage of that opportunity.</p>
<p>If you're willing to take a risk, risk by going to Yale. If you hate it, it won't be that hard to transfer to U Wash. If you go to U Wash and want to transfer to Yale, that won't be possible.</p>
<p>If your parents can afford it, go to Yale. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You will make new friends at Yale, and you can always move back to Seattle after you graduate and reconnect with your old friends if you want. You're not making a lifetime commitment to live in New Haven.</p>
<p>Previous poster - are you sure that it is easy to transfer back into the UW? That is not what I have heard word of mouth. Might be worth a call to the admissions office, if this is an option that is important to you.</p>
<p>Go to Yale. I chose Duke over staying at UW, and while it was sometimes hard I do not regret my decision at all. It is somewhat annoying being all the way across the country, but the greater opportunities at schools like Yale and Duke completely overshadow that. </p>
<p>Plus, if you want to go to Wall Street, there is almost no chance of that at UW, as the big firms only recruit at the top 20 or so schools. </p>
<p>And Basicmom, I don't actually know for sure, but I know three people that have already transferred to UW this year, one as a sophomore from WSU, one as a freshman from Western, and one as a freshman from a community college. So I have a feeling that a transfer from Yale would be fine.</p>
<p>Your decision is similar to the one you likely made in 10th grade -- (choose the regular track in high school, with less homework, more time to hang with friends, less stress), or choose the elite college track (with lots of honors/AP, academically challenging courses, lots of homework, zero free time for reflection, lots of stress -- so that all your options remain open).</p>
<p>You apparently chose the more rigorous route. Are you now not sure if the path of academic rigor is satsifying? do you still enjoy learning in that environment? </p>
<p>These are not questions anyone else can answer. You are correct that UW Honors will likely be less rigorous than Yale. Dennis Praeger (sp?), a popular columnist and radio commentator here in LA, believes we have robbed high school kids of part of their childhood by effectively pushing college courses, and the competition for elite college qualification, down to 10th grade in many schools' "college track" curricula. He spends a lot of time commenting on ethics, religion, politics, and the choices we make as a society. He doesn't feel good about the way we track earlier and earlier with each passing decade.</p>
<p>There really is no correct answer. On the practical side, it will be easier to get intenships and job interviews on Wall St. out of Yale than out of UW honors. Are you familiar with the life of an associate on Wall St?</p>
<p>If you plan on going to grad school, you really can't go wrong attending your state flagship, especially one like UW. You'd be saving about $80,000 by going to UW (even though your parents don't care, it's still a lot of money).</p>
<p>Going to UW won't remove wall street from your list of options. Just do really well there and get your MBA from a top tier institution. The salary difference between 2-3 years with a UW degree and 2-3 years with a Yale degree won't even come close to the difference in tuition.</p>
<p>Don't decide on college by where your friends are going. </p>
<p>Odds are you won't remain friends with those people even if you do go to the same college. It's completely different and people change a great deal. </p>
<p>You seem to have that West Coast attitude of "Ew! The East Coast is dirty!" New Haven's not a ghetto. That's quite insulting to a lot of people who live there. Also, you're not far from all the major East Coast cities (from Boston to DC), which generally trump Seattle in most ways that urban areas are valued. </p>
<p>Do what's best for you as an individual. In my opinion, I think it's time to take the pin and burst the bubble.</p>
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Perhaps. But Seattle is a wonderful city. Life in Seattle may, in fact, be far superior to life in Connecticut.
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<p>I think you meant "Life in Seattle may be far superior to life in New Haven." Comparing life in a city to life in a state doesn't make any sense. :) The sentiment is questionable to begin with, because life anywhere is what you make of it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Your decision is similar to the one you likely made in 10th grade -- (choose the regular track in high school, with less homework, more time to hang with friends, less stress), or choose the elite college track (with lots of honors/AP, academically challenging courses, lots of homework, zero free time for reflection, lots of stress -- so that all your options remain open).
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<p>If that's what you're looking for, you can still obtain that sort of rigorous education at a state school. And I'm sure you can get through Yale by seeking out less rigorous choices - so that's not really a good metaphor for what sort of choice he is making.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think you meant "Life in Seattle may be far superior to life in New Haven." Comparing life in a city to life in a state doesn't make any sense. The sentiment is questionable to begin with, because life anywhere is what you make of it.
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<p>Life in Seattle is definitely better than life in New Haven. I was actually backhanding the entire state. Which may be rude and uncalled for, but that's what I did.</p>
<p>Are you parents paying for graduate school too? If not, then go to the state school, and use the money they've set aside for Yale when you'll need it for graduate school.</p>
<p>Aside from the finances - it's very easy. Go to Yale. If you aren't happy, transfer to the state school.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your responses. First I would like to apologize to those who were offended by my comment that New Haven was ghetto...I did not mean any racial or other ethnic bashing to occur. All I wanted to say was that Seattle is a much more modern and vibrant city than New Haven, at least in my eyes. Going to New Haven does not "scare" me, but it does seem like a worse city than Seattle or another city, like LA for example. </p>
<p>That said, I agree with those that claim going to Yale is not the same as going to New Haven. And I do feel that Yale is going to give me more opportunities than UW can. Plus, like many have pointed out, if I absolutely hated Yale, I can always transfer to UW, but this probably wouldn't work the other way around.</p>
<p>Finally regarding high school friends, I guess if I went to Yale, the high school friends who are still close with me after our college years will be true friends. So, I pretty much made my decision, and am definitely looking forward to being a Yalie.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your suggestions and advice!</p>
<p>Yay! I give you a lot of credit for avoiding a knee jerk decision and really thinking it through until you got to a point where you were comfortable with your decision.</p>
<p>Definitely true - your true friends will shake out and still be there.</p>