I’m trying to decide between Harvard and Yale, and wanted to start a thread to help me decide on a school.
As of right now, I haven’t had the opportunity to tour either institution, but I will hopefully make it to Bulldog Days and Visitas. I have a friend at Yale that is pushing me a bit to go there, but I don’t really have anyone strongly selling me on Harvard. Since I really have no information, I do not feel that I am in a good position to judge either institution or even tell the main differences between them.
My major is undecided, but something in the social sciences most likely. Please let me know if you could use any additional information in helping me make my decision. In advance, I appreciate everyone’s input and thank you all for your comments.
Cambridge (a nice suburban area in a big city) vs. New Haven (a small city, with Yale located in the middle of downtown)
Harvard's 20,000 students vs. Yale's 12,000 students
Harvard's House system vs. Yale's residential college system (the residential college system is probably the best housing system of the Ivy League)
Harvard's direct access to Boston vs. Yale being a few hours away from both Boston and NYC
Harvard's red brick vs. Yale's Collegiate Gothic
Yale also places more emphasis on its humanities and arts programs. There is definitely a slightly higher population of creatively inclined students at Yale, with very active theatre and music scenes.
And any Yale prefrosh interested in the humanities and/or social sciences should consider Yale’s Directed Studies program. Taken in your first year, the program is a survey of the Western canon and consists of three year-long courses (Literature, Philosophy, and Historical & Political Thought). Benefits include small class sizes, a cohort of like-minded students, and the opportunity to cultivate close relationships with top Yale professors your first year on campus. However, the program is pretty rigorous, with weekly essays and lots of reading.
Yale’s social scene is also supposed to be superior. The university has pretty progressive policies regarding alcohol and drug use that emphasize student safety, and peer pressure is practically nonexistent (but that’s just in my experience). You can get into pretty much any frat party by showing a Yale ID, but the real fun is to be had at the more laid back suite parties (in my opinion). There’s also Toad’s Place, a club located just off campus; students flock there on Wednesday nights for Woad’s (Wednesday Toad’s).
All of the information I’m offering is pretty biased; I’m a current undergrad at Yale.
It may be a bit too late but I have a child at Yale and also one at Harvard (and Penn too…and one at a state school!). If you said “which school do you like better?” I would definitely say Yale. I believe it is more beautiful and relaxed, close knit, and less “snooty”. Yes Harvard has Boston but my child is a sophomore and has only been there once. Yale is a quick and cheap train into NYC to boot. However, engineers, stay away from Yale for sure. Harvard has a terrific Math program. I believe the Ivies are good for the social sciences where you really must for advanced degrees and the name may help etc.
If I may be so bold to post this on the Ivy thread, I will say that I feel I am somewhat of a professional on this topic with 3 kids of my 4 at an Ivy. Truly? I don’t think they are worth it. I am flabbergasted at the nonsense that goes on at the schools. And the sense of entitlement I see within the student body is beyond compare. A year ago, Harvard eliminated library book fines because they thought they were too stressful on the students for example. The liberal arts electives I have seen and that my kids have taken are a waste of money.
If you are going free on tons of financial aid (the only $$$ they give is financial aid. Don’t let anyone lie to you and say they are on a “full ride” - doesn’t happen at the Ivies…no merit aid period…and that means no athletic money either…it’s financial aid…one of my kids is an athlete) .or are extremely wealthy, sure go to an IVY. But the money I have wasted when my kids could have gone for free at so many institutions really upsets me. Though all of my kids have above a 3.85 or better, I can see their confidence slipping which baffles me. (And I just saw a Malcolm Gladwell video on this very topic on Youtube). I LOVE the education my daughter is receiving at the state school. Her confidence has soared…she is thriving…and she has been doing research since freshman year. And with her scholarship, 4 years at her school is costing me about the same as one year at her siblings’ schools.
There is sooo much I could write here, elaborating on many areas but I don’t know where I would begin lol. and this post is already too long… If anyone wants to ask me specific questions, feel free to send me a private message.
@eak622 Can you explain if you sent kid 2 and 3 to Ivy Schools, and payed for that,
once you learned about all the “nonsense” at the first Ivy school kid number 1 attended ?
Was it a big waste of money for you times 3 or are you just being snooty too? I do not understand posters
like you. Its almost like you are bragging and then saying the TRUTH is, its just the same as any other school.
Then how did three of your children land at such schools? Are you really serious that if you did it all again, it
would be state flagships for all four kids, or some other lower cost option?
