<p>S got accepted to these two schools, he favors computer science/engineering. should he just forget about Princeton?</p>
<p>I don't think Princeton should necessarily be written off immediately, although if he's pretty set on computer science, MIT's program is definitely better.</p>
<p>Has he visited both schools? Does he like MIT's culture?</p>
<p>he knows Princeton well since we live in NJ. he only had a half day visit of MIT last year, and he may not be able to make it to the campus event. As parents, we worry about the perceived more competitive environment of MIT. He probably fits into MIT though since we always feel that he is nerdy, the problem is that whether he would become more so in MIT. He has written off Columbia, Penn, Dartmouth and a bunch of others. It is a good problem to have, but he can only go to one school in the end.</p>
<p>MIT is tough, but it's not competitive -- it's a very collaborative environment where everybody works together in groups to do problem sets.</p>
<p>Go to this link and watch the first 12 minutes or so of the first lecture. It is the first class in circuits, but it pretty much diagrams the educational philosophy of MIT.</p>
<p>I will add that if you are planning to go to MIT, you should visit the campus and see if you like the campus. Don't make a decision blindly.</p>
<p>I am in the same situation. I hope it doesn't come down to financial aid, because princeton's is much better.</p>
<p>Do you think I can bargain with MIT to get them to match Princeton fin aid?</p>
<p>Prospective:), I just got off a heated debate at home about
exactly this topic ** MIT V Princeton **. In my case the best Princeton
will be able to do is equal MIT from a fin aid perspective.</p>
<p>I was quite sure it would be MIT >> Princeton in other areas
when I started the debate with my brother and ended it feeling
MIT ~ Princeton. </p>
<p>I stayed overnight at MIT and just fell in love- the people, the atmosphere,
the classes. I have never ever visited Princeton other than on Google Earth.
I am a bit trepidatious about what to expect of Princeton students. I found
that the MIT culture to some extent reflected what I gleaned from CC. The
real thing was not all that skewed from my CC view...and I loved it....</p>
<p>Quandanj can you share your perspective on the students at
Princeton please?</p>
<p>Course 20 V Integrated Science(Mol Bio) .....thats going to be a tough call as well. </p>
<p>MollieB may have researched this in the past?</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Princeton has an excellent computer science program, and they are both excellent schools. At this point, it comes down to which he would get the most out of, which one he enjoys being at the most (and financial considerations if they are relevant for your family).</p>
<p>
[quote]
MIT is tough, but it's not competitive -- it's a very collaborative environment where everybody works together in groups to do problem sets.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>== Mollie. I don't know why people think MIT is so cutthroat; it's very much not.</p>
<p>
[quote]
He probably fits into MIT though since we always feel that he is nerdy, the problem is that whether he would become more so in MIT.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If he's like most people I've known, he would become more geeky (in terms of interests, participation in geek subculture, and the like), but also better-socialized. There are very few safer, better, more welcoming places for undersocialized nerds to learn social skills than a place where most people are doing exactly the same thing along with you.</p>
<p>Arwen, I have no perspective on Princeton -- I didn't apply there for undergrad or for graduate school.</p>
<p>MIT's biology-related faculty are better than Princeton's, for sure.</p>
<p>@quandanj:</p>
<p>My daughter is a current freshman at MIT, and I'm quite pleased with her social skills. Over the break, she joined several of my colleagues and me for dinner and a show in New York City. As the only person at the table younger than 45, she held her own beautifully in the conversation. As her parent, I take credit for the fact that she knows how to navigate her way through the silverware of a six-course meal, but I can attest to the fact that MIT has certainly not contributed any extra gloss of "geekiness" to her personality. If anything, she is far more confident, and she demonstrated that she can now carry on a well-informed conversation about cutting-edge developments in machine vision with the CEO of a well-known technology firm.</p>
<p>MIT is intense and rigorous, but the culture there is also extremely cooperative. All in all, I would say that at MIT, your child will learn the social skills necessary to successfully lead his or her own company one day. </p>
<p>Campus Preview Week (CPW) is invaluable for both prospective students and for their parents. The culture of MIT is quite distinct from the cultures of the Ivy Leagues schools. I hope you and your son have the chance to visit and see this firsthand.</p>
<p>"I was quite sure it would be MIT >> Princeton in other areas
when I started the debate with my brother and ended it feeling
MIT ~ Princeton."</p>
<p>There is no "right" answer in choosing between MIT and Princeton in the absolute sense; there is only right relative to you. However, if someone has to debate you to make Princeton as appealing as MIT, then maybe Princeton isn't the school for you. Follow your gut feeling. In decisions like this, it is usually correct imo. (Actually, there were studies done about this.) If one school is more appealing to you, it is not important that you can articulate why so that you can win a debate.</p>
<p>If you are actually considering turning down MIT for Princeton, you should actually visit Princeton and talk to the students.</p>
<p>Not to try to hijack the thread, but I'm in the same exact position, trying to choose between Princeton and MIT. </p>
<p>If I was dead set on engineering, I'd pick MIT, but I'm still very unsure of what I want to major in. I know it's definitely going to be either math/science/engineering though. So in terms of someone who's unsure of what to major in, is there a better choice?</p>
<p>@ arwen- i'm in the same situation. i love MIT, but i've never even been to princeton and it has some great things to offer.. i dont know if i'll be able to get out and visit princeton in just one month..
and love those heated debates at home haha =] i know what you mean.</p>
<p>If you're really sure that you want to do something in math, science, or engineering, you can't go wrong at MIT. Without checking the exact rankings, I think MIT is in the top 10 (or top 5) programs in every one of the majors offered by the Schools of Science and Engineering.</p>
<p>^^I'm pretty sure everything is top 5.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the suggestions. won't be able to get any money from these schools (Rice offers 20k/year! he would have saved at least 100k by going to Rice, but...). </p>
<p>Unfortunately he can not go to the CPW because he would rather go to a scheduled HS choir trip (suggested him to cancel it but...). He loves music, which was probably his hook (top woodwind player in all eastern). Don't know how MIT's music program is. We will go there later in April during the school break. There is a good chance he would end up with MIT. Not the least because that when we visited MIT many years ago (when he was 5), I famously told my son in front of the MIT dome "this is where you are going for college". Guess I have to fulfil the prophecy</p>
<p>qandanj my son is a sophomore at MIT and music is and always has been a major part of his life. The music program there is excellent. He studies privately and is involved with chamber music. Puts on recitals 2x year in both. And just as important, he has met many other kids who share the same love of classical music. There are also special student cards that get them into concerts in Boston for very little and sometimes free. The concert halls are close enough to get to by walking or bicycling.</p>
<p>Ahh, I got too curious and had to check.</p>
<p>School of Science
Chemistry 1
Biology 2
Physics 2
Brain & Cog Sci 4
EAPS 2
Math 2</p>
<p>School of Engineering
Civil and Environmental 4 (Civil), 10 (Environmental)
Mech E 1
Mat Sci 1
EECS 1 (Computer), 1 (EE)
Chem E 1
Aero/Astro 1
BE 6
Nuclear 2</p>
<p>mollie, where did you happen to find those rankings?</p>