<p>Hi, I'm new to CC and am hoping for some help in deciding between princeton and yale. I plan to major in some kind of biological science and I also want to go to a school that has strong programs in the humanities and the social sciences. I think both princeton and yale fit that bill, but there are pros and cons to each as far as the life sciences are concerned. i have visited both during admitted students days, and done some online research and talked to students. but i'm sure there's more to learn. i'm just posting here (and also over at the yale forum) to get input on the life sciences (not the residential colleges v. eating clubs, etc). thanks in advance for any help!</p>
<p>Newyork1, congratulations on your successful college applications!</p>
<p>It sounds as though you might be asking specifically about the academic strength and reputation of the biology departments at each of these two schools. The differences will be minimal and may not help you decide. The same can be said for their programs in the humanities. </p>
<p>If you are looking for independent judgments from the academic community, they can be found in the recently released National Research Council rankings. Those rankings were reported in a non-ordinal way through the use of ranges, but the ranges can still be averaged to provide a clearer picture. The results are analyzed here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/1006939-princeton-2010-national-research-council-nrc-rankings-news-item.html?highlight=national+research+council[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/1006939-princeton-2010-national-research-council-nrc-rankings-news-item.html?highlight=national+research+council</a></p>
<p>In the biological sciences, this is how the NRC saw it.</p>
<p>BIOLOGY</p>
<p>1—Cal Tech
2—UC San Diego
3—UC San Diego (different department)
4—Princeton
5—Rockefeller U.
6—Stanford
7—UCSF
8—Yale
9—Yale (different department)
10–Columbia</p>
<p>ECOLOGY & EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY</p>
<p>1—WUSTL
2—Princeton
3—Duke
4—Harvard
5—UC Davis
6—Indiana U.
7—U. of Chicago
8—Berkeley
9—UC Davis (different department)
10–Berkeley (different department)</p>
<p>BIOCHEMISTRY</p>
<p>1—MIT
2—Stanford
3—Berkeley
4—UCSF
5—Harvard
6—UCSF (different department)
7—Yale
8—Cal Tech
9—Harvard
10–Berkeley (different department)</p>
<p>U.S. News has done its own analysis and ranking. Those results can be found here:</p>
<p>[Best</a> Biological Science Programs | Top Science Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/biological-sciences-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/biological-sciences-rankings)</p>
<p>US News Ranking of Graduate Programs in the Biological Sciences</p>
<p>1—Stanford
2—Harvard, MIT
5—Caltech, JHU
7—Princeton, Scripps, UCSF, Yale</p>
<p>Let me caution you that you will find numerous critics of all of these rankings. The clearest picture probably emerges from looking at many different ranking systems. Unfortunately, relatively few rank individual disciplines as the National Research Council and U.S. News have done.</p>
<p>While I was not interested in biology, I too had the enviable choice you are making, along with some other schools. I hope the above is at least somewhat helpful.</p>
<p>Princeton has some very celebrated scholars of the Biological Sciences on its faculty; especially in the department of Molecular Biology. They have Nobel Laureate (for physiology or medicine) Eric Wieschaus, ([Princeton</a> University | Eric Wieschaus](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/whatsdistinctive/facultyprofiles/wieschaus/]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/whatsdistinctive/facultyprofiles/wieschaus/)), as well as Bonnie Bassler, who is pioneering research on Quorum Sensing, and Virginia Zakian, noted for her work in genetics and her research into the processes of aging and cancer.</p>
<p>To get a sense of the sort of teaching that goes on around there, take a look at Bonnie Bassler’s TED Talk… it’s fascinating. Also, note how specifically she mentions her students, at the end… 
[Bonnie</a> Bassler on how bacteria “talk” | Video on TED.com](<a href=“http://www.ted.com/talks/bonnie_bassler_on_how_bacteria_communicate.html]Bonnie”>http://www.ted.com/talks/bonnie_bassler_on_how_bacteria_communicate.html)</p>
<p>Congrats to NewYork for being admitted to two great universities.</p>
<p>The Scientist Magazine has rated Princeton University as the most desirable institution for researchers in the life sciences to work. Institutions were ranked on Job Satisfaction, Peers, Infrastructure and Environment, Research Resources, Pay, Management and Policies, Teaching and Mentoring, Tenure and Promotion. See: [Best</a> Places to Work 2010: Academia - Top Institutions](<a href=“http://www.the-scientist.com/fragments/bptw/2010/academia/bptw-academia-top.jsp]Best”>http://www.the-scientist.com/fragments/bptw/2010/academia/bptw-academia-top.jsp) </p>
<p>The town of Princeton is considered very desirable by faculty as a good place to live. Safe with many good cultural events. </p>
<p>In the past Professor Bonnie Basler, a MacArthur genius fellowship winner and Professor Eric F. Wieschaus, the 1995 Nobel Prize winner in medicine have taught a freshman biology course. At Princeton you will immediately be taught by world famous professors. Undergraduate research in conducted on the main campus-not across town at a medical center. </p>
<p>Shirley M. Tilghman, Professor of Molecular Biology is the President of Princeton University. In 2002, Tilghman was one of five winners of the L’Or</p>
<p>Hey don’t hate on bulldogs! 
(Although, admittedly, I can’t imagine someone doing a song called “eye of the bulldog”…)</p>
<p>thanks to the posters for these wonderful responses – there’s so much useful information here. I really appreciate all your help!</p>