<p>i posted this in the harvard forum as well and these threads are getting annoying... but it would be nice to see what people here think.</p>
<p>i'm thinking of studying something science related (pre-med, even?). which has stronger science departments?
i've heard that i'll probably get more attention from faculty at princeton, but others have also told me that it's pretty much the same at harvard and princeton (taught by TAs and such).<br>
also, i'm just curious about the social atmosphere, level of snootiness, and anything else that makes either harvard or princeton awesome. </p>
<p>any opinions would be greatly appreciated :)</p>
<p>at the graduate level, harvard is stronger in the sciences. I don't think that's true at the undergraduate level-- also harvard medical school is the part of harvard that is really strong, and it is a good commute from the undergrad campus. That means that if you do go to harvard and want to work in a lab, that you have to go all the way to longwood. There's a lot to be said to be able to walk.</p>
<p>in terms of attention from the faculty, I have not gone to harvard, but at princeton what people say is true. The faculty are here because they really really care about teaching. All professors have to teach at the undergrad level. They could easily get positions somewhere that they only had to interact with graduate students, but they like interacting with the undergrads. In terms of TAs, most classes have TAs for sections, however every professor is required to act as TA for atleast one of their sections. Also, often other professors will decide to TA classes of their colleagues because they are interested in the material. </p>
<p>The senior thesis and junior independent work provide opportunities to get to know professors really well. I have invited my adviser to dinner, and currently have a weekly dinner going with a bunch of students where we each bring our adviser. So there is definitely a lot of interaction between students and faculty. I had no problem getting 3 recommendations from professors who knew me very well for graduate school, and had I needed more I couldh ave found them easily.</p>
<p>both choices are excellent, I think that you sholud attend both weekends and see for yourself</p>
<p>I'd say Harvard. Especially after this year, the pool of students at Harvard will be stronger (most of the kids accepted at both these schools will choose Harvard) which translates to a more fulfilling time.
A lot of people see having a graduate school as being negative, but that is just more people to learn from and meet. Harvard, of course, has a lot of the brightest undergrad, AND grad students.</p>
<p>Holas, I think youre showing a bit of a grudge against Princeton here. Harvard is a fantastic place. I was accepted and turned it down for Princeton but I attended Harvard for law school, interacted with the undergraduates there and am confident the experience for them was great.</p>
<p>However </p>
<p>Youve now visited each of the following threads all across CC to advise every student in one of the comparison threads to pick ANY school over Princeton. Shall we review?</p>
<p>Youve been busy, but not very helpful to the students trying to get evaluations from people who actually know these schools and your comments about Princeton are far from accurate.</p>
<p>Tetrisfan is right, however, the academics at both school are so superior, that it should come down to what feels right. I am totally in love with Princeton because it is in a laid back environment... Princeton NJ is not exactly New York City.
If you like the city and high-energy stuff, go to Columbia. If you like rural-ish small town, go to Princeton. If you don't really care... then I'd say Princeton.</p>
<p>Here's another vote in favor of visiting and deciding based on instinct. At this level, both schools will give you the great college experience I'm sure you seek. At the same time, we'll be happy to welcome you to the Princeton Class of 2012!</p>
<p>I personally love the campus and the professors. Yesterday I talked/helped my professor move files for a hour into a new office, and the day before, had lunch with a different one. Only one of my classes- introductory physics, is taught by a preceptor - not a TA. He's just not a professor. I go to his office hours regularly and I've been amazed at the amount of individual or small group time/help I can get.</p>
<p>What often happens is that students come to Princeton for the undergrad, and go to Harvard for the grad. That really takes advantage of the distinct strengths of both schools.</p>
<p>It all depends on how much attention you want on the undergrad experience. Personally, I'm looking at 8 years of hahvahd (4 at HC, 4 at HMS hopefully). If I had gone to princeton, I would have a harder time proving my residency for HMS (or JHU, since I'd be in NJ and not MD or MA). That said, I'm not bothered by a few professors focusing their time on the grads. It just means I gotta wait a few more years before I get their attention :P</p>