Princeton or Yale

[Denlah]

<p>Also useful is this post by modest423 in March 2012:</p>

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Fellow cross-admit here (Accepted to HYPSM, choosing Princeton)</p>

<p>I think Yale and Princeton both have very strong undergraduate focus. Harvard only wins in the cross-admit battle overall because of its prestige that is undeniably greater than Princeton or Yale’s. (Although in my opinion, I think going to Princeton or Yale carries enough weight that you can undoubtedly impress people, if that’s your desire, without turning them off or making them judge you constantly.)</p>

<p>I chose Princeton over Yale mostly because 1) Princeton is a much more diverse and interesting place. They focus a lot on race relations, service, diversity, student leadership, etc. A lot of stress on how students can thrive in a changing global environment. 2) Princeton’s campus is beautiful. 3) Princeton’s town is safe. But if you’re bored, you’re not too far away from two great cities that are literally only forty minutes to an hour away. 4) The school spirit and alumni network at Princeton is undeniably fantastic. It has the highest alumni giving rate and if you ever go to reunions, it’s crazy. In the best of ways. 5) Princeton’s sciences and engineering programs blow Yale’s out of the park. It’s humanities programs are pretty much at the same level as Yale’s, give or take a few departments, but Princeton’s humanities faculty are also stellar. It has really strong economics, and Woody Woo is at the top of its game. English (esp creative writing), history, linguistics, comp lit, East Asian studies, all very very reputable programs. The Princeton Art Museum is also renowned for its works.</p>

<p>This is a post from the admitted student’s homepage that I find particularly beneficial to anyone considering Princeton:</p>

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Teaching Journalism and Writing at Princeton
by Prof. Evan Thomas</p>

<p>Every Tuesday afternoon at 1:30, sixteen undergraduates–one senior, one freshman, eight sophomores and six juniors–gather in a seminar room in Joseph Henry House, a yellow-brick 19th century house nearby Nassau Hall. They are students in JRN 400: Media in America, an introduction to journalism that I have been teaching for the past five years. Every week, we talk about the ethics and practice of journalism. Last week, we discussed how the internet has changed an old and famous literary magazine, the Atlantic Monthly. My guest was Bob Cohn, the editor-in-chief of the TheAtlantic.com. Next week, we will explore how to write an op-ed piece.
The students will write op-eds, and then meet with me at office hours to go over their work. I meet individually with each student for a half hour each week. These one-on-one encounters are the most important part of the course. Individual instruction, I have found from long experience, is by far the best way to learn how to write. My students write every week.
I worked as a reporter, writer, and editor for Time and Newsweek for 33 years. I was the Washington Bureau Chief for Newsweek for ten years. I wrote over a hundred cover stories, and I have written seven books, including biographies or Robert Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower. In 1999, I won a National Magazine Award. I try to bring my experience into the classroom at Princeton, and I often invite professionals as guests. (In the fall I teach a seminar on narrative writing). My students challenge me to explain and justify what journalists do. I challenge them to think more critically and write more clearly. The classroom can be a very exciting, engaging place at Princeton. I am a very loyal Harvard alum (class of 1973), so it pains me to say this, but among the so-called Big Three (Harvard-Princeton-Yale), Princeton is the college that pays the most attention to its undergraduates.
In future blogs, I’ll tell you a little bit more about Princeton’s journalistic offerings, but in the meantime, if you have questions email me at <a href=“mailto:ewthomas@princeton.edu”>ewthomas@princeton.edu</a>.

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<p>Every school has its ups and downs, but for me Princeton just works.

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