I was accepted to Chicago EA and have been considering Chicago my first choice since the early fall (when I decided to apply instead of SCEA to Princeton or Yale). I had decided not to apply to any other schools if I were accepted to UChicago, given that I had already picked it instead of others (because of the intense academic environment, location, and commitment to free thought). Now though, I am wondering if it would be nice to potentially have a choice in the spring, when many of my classmates will be making decisions between multiple colleges. I am planning on studying comparative literature and Chinese wherever I go- could anyone offer some comparison regarding programs in comparative literature/asian languages between uchicago and princeton? Of course there is no reason to believe I would actually get in to princeton, but I am basically wondering if it would be in any way worth the time/risk of applying.
There’s no reason to have believed you would actually get into UChicago either before you applied. But it was worth a shot, and it paid off. I’ll suggest you toss your hat into the ring for Princeton, and then worry about making a decision, if any, later.
If you are intent on graduate school, I would not expect there to be much of a differential between UChicago and Princeton in terms of placement. What’s more important is your experience at the two schools, and that is largely determined by the constraints of each school’s programs. Look at both Princeton’s and UChicago’s requirements for their CompLit majors and see which one may fit your interests more. Look at their elective courses as well. Figure out which school’s program is more appealing to you, and you’ll be better equipped to potentially make a decision come April.
I don’t know anything about either school’s specific programs, but I can vouch for UChicago’s strength in the humanities generally. I happen to know of one faculty member, Thomas Pavel, who moved from the CompLit department in Princeton to UChicago, if that suggests anything (he’s a big deal - google him). Some students interested in the humanities also opt to take part in the Fundamentals: Issues and Texts program as well, and that program has a significant foreign language requirement which may align with your interests, so it would be beneficial to explore that avenue as you come to a decision.