<p>does your final decision card have to be postmarked by may 1st or does it have to arrive on May 1st?
secondly, can anyone give me some rationale for this decision. i am really having trouble deciding. thenks</p>
<p>Since they are both great schools with highly intelligent students, I would think that the most important rationale for one or the other would be something personal to you, such as your preferred living environment, distance from home, etc.</p>
<p>I see from your other posts that you seem to prefer Yale, but have been concerned about the possibility of crime there. I also see that some Yale people have attempted to address your concerns.</p>
<p>There in fact is some crime at Princeton, as well as at Yale. Still, overall IMO both places can be considered to be safe. No matter where you are, there is always the (perhaps remote, but still nonzero) possibility of crime.</p>
<p>But if your concerns about crime at Yale are going color your experiences to the point that you personally are afraid to move freely there--even when others do feel quite comfortable and see no need for your precautions--then you might want to go to Princeton.</p>
<p>My son goes to neither school but I live close to Princeton and let me put in a plug for Princeton. It is a beautiful, serene campus, safe and idyllic. Crimes do happen, so don't misunderstand me. But Princeton is beautiful and spectacular in it's own way. Beautiful libraries, great museum etc.</p>
<p>But as others point out, you cannot go wrong at either school.</p>
<p>That you are having such difficulty with a decision that doesn't make a hill of beans worth of difference does not bode well for your future when you will face decisions that really matter.</p>
<p>Maybe you should take a year off?</p>
<p>Perhaps that sounds harsh, but I should hope that a student facing a Yale/Princeton choice should be better prepared to take charge of his own future. You know all there is to know, or you are going to know, before May 1st.</p>
<p>Might I suggest Muskogie State?</p>
<p>I'd go to Princeton for the undergrad focus and better town.</p>
<p>Personally I love Princeton's campus. I'm not sure of what studies you're planning but if everything were equal.. I'd go to Princeton.</p>
<p>If you are comfortable with both schools, evaluate them on these factors: </p>
<p>1) the programs in the academic areas of your interests - e.g., does P/Y have more professors in (subject), are the departments ranked more highly at P vs. Y, are there more small seminars at Y vs. P, etc.</p>
<p>2) special programs that interest YOU related to academics (e.g., outstanding study abroad opportunities, opportunities to take part in faculty research projects, etc.) </p>
<p>3) the support for, and prevalence of YOUR favorite ECs (IMO, very important for your happiness) - this was weighted heavily in my son's final decision - Example: University of Chicago, theatre opportunities were limited, therefore it was out. If you play an instrument, one school might have outstanding orchestral opportunities, the other not as great - and so on.</p>
<p>4) living situation - are there special areas for freshmen, are there residential situtations organized around particular interests that attract you, are the social opportunities in/around your residence of interest? (another important aspect of life at college)</p>
<p>5) the vibes you got from the students you met in your visits - subjective, based on your personal style versus what you picked up in visits.</p>
<p>If there are no discernible differences that make a difference to YOU in any of those five categories, just flip a coin - and if you like the answer, that's the one! And if you don't - you have your answer!</p>
<p>I do not agree that this is a specious question - all colleges are different, and your experience at P would be different that your experience at Y. It is an important decision, and it is all about YOU. Best wishes!</p>