Princeton over other top schools?

<p>If I want to major in Economics, would MIT be a better choice or is Princeton still superior? That’s kind of sad, I’m a big fan of Paul Krugman and read his blog everyday.</p>

<p>Honestly, economics isn’t respected much at MIT, it’s viewed as too easy a major. There really isn’t much in econ undergrad that’s covered past intro Micro and Macro that all non-majors take anyway. The curriculum has to be accessible to students without a background in real analysis, topology or dynamic optimization, so the material is quite simple- so much so that standalone econ majors are at a disadvantage when applying to econ PhD programs (math is viewed as a far superior undergrad major). That said, math at Princeton or MIT is absolutely not for those who were good in math in HS. You have to be the equivalent of a grandmaster in chess to excel at these places.</p>

<p>Krugman teaches WWS masters students as far as I can tell. Blinder teaches econ 101 and the 310/311 mathematical approach is a strong introduction to the type of econ that is done in grad school.</p>

<p>Krugman teaches some UG courses every now and then as well</p>

<p>yale - ugly campus? Have you been there? I think it’s wayyy nicer than Harvard’s (haven’t visited Princeton’s so I can’t compare). It’s pretty much an amazing campus…</p>

<p>FYI - Last spring I spoke to the head of Harvard’s MD-PhD program who said they LOVE Princeton applicants, whom they find to be extremely well-prepared. He had high praise for Princeton’s president and the school’s attention to science.</p>

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<p>Uh…not really. Yale’s biology/biomedical/neuroscience programs are far stronger than Princeton’s. Chemistry is about the same or a little stronger based on US News rankings. Earth Science is also the same. Yale is weaker than Princeton in Math, Physics, and Comp Sci.</p>

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<p>At Harvard-MIT HST MD program, which admits 30 students/year ,<br>
10 of them are from Harvard UG ( most of them are bio chem major and one east asian studies major), 4 are from MIT UG, 2 from Yale, 2 from Caltech, 2 from Columbia, and 1 each from Brown , Princeton, and Dartmouth and state schools…</p>

<p>I guess Harvard Medical School loves others more…</p>

<p>jomjom - I have trouble grasping your point. You take a ridiculously small sample of graduate schools - really - professional schools, and then use that small sample to attempt to demonstrate that somehow Princeton is inferior? </p>

<p>Look. the point is that all students should go to the place where they can get the most out of the school they attend. That answer will differ based on the student. But to maintain that someone will have different life prospects because they attend Harvard over Yale or Princeton over Dartmouth is silly. It is far more important what one does when they get to any one place than the name of a school. </p>

<p>A fellow down the hall from me in college thirty years ago is now the world’s most famous public health and tuberculosis physician. He went to a “top ranked” school, but that has nothing to do with why he is where he is. He has passion, commitment, and a way of looking at science that consistently questions the status quo - in fact the opposite of what you are arguing in terms of a follow the herd mentality. He is so well known any quick Google search will find him. </p>

<p>Besides, now is not the time to argue for the efficacy of Harvard Business School. One could argue that it has contributed greatly to pumping out any number of myopic case study desk jockeys who have driven the global economy into the ground. </p>

<p>In any event, it would be helpful if you could relate something meaningful, irrespective of “how right” you think you are.</p>

<p>I have committed to Princeton and I chose it over Harvard, UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, Swarthmore, NYU, and Haverford</p>

<p>I don’t think jomjom’s a ■■■■■, I think he’s just stupid…</p>

<p>^I actually looked at some of his past posts… He asked if Upenn was a part of Wharton…</p>

<p>Dude, I think you’re right. Maybe jomjom’s just like a 10 year old autistic.</p>

<p>Yo I was making fun of non-Wharton Upenn students…</p>

<p>Oh ahhahahah. Dude, love being on your side at the Columbia/Barnard threads. Too bad we have to be enemies here.</p>

<p>I just picked Princeton over Stanford. I have a friend who picked it over Dartmouth.</p>

<p>interesting discussion on the Penn thread about Princeton ORFE vs. Wharton</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania/701318-wharton-princeton-financial-engineering.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania/701318-wharton-princeton-financial-engineering.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>i think it depends where you are. if you are the princeton campus you’ll find more kids who chose P ove HY. If you are at H you will find more people who chose it over PY… you get where i’m going with this</p>

<p>go where you are happy.</p>

<p>“go where you are happy.” Agreed. Most of the posters here have made a good choice–one based on fit rather than rankings.</p>

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<p>Been to all three. Campus-wise, Princeton > Harvard > Yale.</p>

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<p>My favorite prestige whore story was profiled in US News & World Report. Some girl matriculated to the #1 school (Harvard) one year, the year after the rankings changed and Yale was #1, so she transferred to Yale. Then the rankings changed back and she transferred to Harvard.</p>

<p>It’s something you all can aspire to.</p>

<p>I feel sorry for her future husband(s) and children!</p>