<p>Hi! I am thinking about whether I want to apply EA to Yale or Princeton...I like to plan ahead so that I am not struggling to decide in the fall. I go to a pretty small private school and am thinking about studying economics or government. I am very conservative, both personality-wise and politically. </p>
<p>Also, any opinions on eating clubs at Pton vs. residential colleges at Yale?</p>
<p>Can’t go wrong with Woody Woo.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>While Princeton is known to have conservative components to it such as The James Madison program with Robert George, it, like all other schools of higher education of Princeton’s caliber, are unabashedly liberal. My son went for Princeton’s Preview in April and found that most clubs are liberal leaning. But, you would find the same thing at Yale. There are no doubt a few conservative groups on both campuses.</p>
<p>Having said that, from what I know about Princeton (I don’t know Yale so I can’t comment), it would be a great place for you to study economics and government.</p>
<p>You would receive an amazing education at either college. It would probably be good to research the college’s websites in your areas of interest.</p>
<p>Very conservative - Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Can they actually be called “conservative”? Or are they simply more conservative than their ultra-liberal counterparts?</p>
<p>I agree with texaspg … though I would say that Princeton could be deemed ‘moderate’ while Yale’s culture is very liberal. I repeat, very liberal. (Though, my vision may be skewed because when I visited Yale, I stayed with a HS friend of mine who is a LGBT activist and I when I visited Princeton, it was through Preview)</p>
<p>I would agree that Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School is hard to beat. In fact, that is what I plan to go into. If OP “goes to a pretty small private school” he/she will fit right into Princeton. </p>
<p>Also, regarding eating clubs vs res. colleges: Princeton has both. Sure, the rescol system at Princeton isn’t as predominant as at Yale, but I personally like the role that the eating clubs play. At Yale, you are put into a rescol with strangers and live with them your four years. At Princeton, this happens your first two years, then you get to choose who you want to live with and with what group of people you want to spend most of your time with (eating, studying, partying, and hanging out at an eating club).</p>
<p>Of course, I’m biased because I got into Princeton, where I’ve matriculated, and got wait listed at Yale. But had I gotten into both, Princeton would’ve been my choice.</p>
<p>“At Yale, you are put into a rescol with strangers and live with them your four years.”</p>
<p>A point of correction. You are matched with “strangers” as a Frosh. After that, you cobble together your living situation w/others in your Res College or transfer out to another Res College and buddies you make there (rare) or move off campus (also rare).</p>
<p>It’s hard to say a person you’ve been living with for a year, and decide to live again with them as Sophomores would still be considered a “stranger”.</p>
<p>I lived in a suite of six as a Yale freshman. Four of us stayed together the entire 4 years – it was great.</p>
<p>@T26E4</p>
<p>You are absolutely right, I didn’t mean to say that you don’t get to live with people you like, but rather, that at Princeton one can choose to live in a Residential College all four years, or to live in other upperclassman dorms. For me, I think having the option to live with people from other Residential Colleges for my upperclassmen years is a plus. </p>
<p>Also, from what I have heard, Yale Res. Colleges have lots of pride and camaraderie, something which exists at Princeton but probably not to the same extent. My impression is that, at Princeton, this sense of pride also comes from Eating Clubs.</p>
<p>how true is the princeton stereotype?</p>
<p>It’s not very true. Although people dress nicely, it doesn’t mean they’re snobbish. Wearing preppy attire might carry an arrogant stigma to the ordinary person, but most people at Princeton really aren’t that elitist or stuck up. In addition, the town is so close to campus and most of the townies (people who live in Princeton) fit the “Princeton” rich and elitist stereotype much better than most of the students do.</p>
<p>I’m not too sure considering I don’t start until this fall, but this is a poll of people on the Princeton Class of 2016 Facebook group. The results are interesting.</p>
<p><a href=“https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=bhs&chs=345x210&chbh=24%2C6&chco=0000e0|1c1ce3|3737e7|5353ea|8a8af1|6f6fed&chxt=x%2Cy&chxl=0%3A|0|9|18|27|36|45|54|1%3A|Religious+Right|Fiscal+Right|Center+Right|Moderate|Center+Left|Very+Liberal&chxs=0%2C000000%2C12%2C0%2Clt|1%2C000000%2C12%2C1%2Clt&chds=0%2C54&chd=t%3A45%2C47%2C26%2C12%2C20%2C4[/url]”>https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?cht=bhs&chs=345x210&chbh=24%2C6&chco=0000e0|1c1ce3|3737e7|5353ea|8a8af1|6f6fed&chxt=x%2Cy&chxl=0%3A|0|9|18|27|36|45|54|1%3A|Religious+Right|Fiscal+Right|Center+Right|Moderate|Center+Left|Very+Liberal&chxs=0%2C000000%2C12%2C0%2Clt|1%2C000000%2C12%2C1%2Clt&chds=0%2C54&chd=t%3A45%2C47%2C26%2C12%2C20%2C4</a></p>
<p>Depends in part upon where you want to live. I got into both Yale and Princeton but felt much more comfortable in Princeton, NJ than in New Haven, Ct.
I wandered around a lot in the evenings and at night in my college days, did a lot of walking, exploring, both on campus as well as around town. I can’t help but think I’d have had to have been much more careful doing that as a young, dorky kid in New Haven than in Princeton.
Otherwise you really can’t go wrong with either one, good luck!</p>