<p>i also posted on the yale board, but i thought it would be useful to get a more pro-princeton viewpoint.</p>
<p>i have to decide between yale and princeton. at the moment, i think i'm leaning towards yale because i love the residential college system. but i recently discovered that princeton has a similar system, so now i feel like i've hit a dead end.</p>
<p>i've also heard that yale students arent quite as stressed as princeton students - mainly because they don't have to write a senior thesis.</p>
<p>so what are your opinions? can you advise me in any particular direction?</p>
<p>i'm visiting both campuses in april, but i'm not really sure what to look for.</p>
<p>any help would be much appreciated. thanks!</p>
<p>A senior year thesis is going to be AWESOME. I can't wait. in fact, I'm selecting something that will be cool and could spin it into a huge thing like Google turned out becoming</p>
<p>Both are amazing schools. After visiting both, I can't help but predict (in hope) that you would lean to Pton.</p>
<p>Personally, I chose to apply early to Pton because no non-LAC can compete with its undergrad focus. This point has been rehashed countless times, but at Princeton you experience all that it has to offer. In terms of location, my humble opinion is that an idyllic, beautiful campus 50 minutes from NYC is preferable to a mid-sized city with serious crime issues.</p>
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In terms of location, my humble opinion is that an idyllic, beautiful campus 50 minutes from NYC is preferable to a mid-sized city with serious crime issues
<p>Re the senior thesis, what it translates into is that right now the whole class of '06 is busy putting on their own music, theater, dance and music productions, most of which include the participation of and attendance by lots of other undergrads; writing novels, quite a few of which (including Jonathan Safran Foer's bestseller Everything Is Illuminated <a href="http://www.jonathansafranfoerbooks.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.jonathansafranfoerbooks.com/</a>) will be published; doing original research they're excited about; etc. Many of them spent last summer traveling around the world doing research and enjoying all sorts of financial support by the University. If they're lucky, their thesis will translate into some future endeavor, as it did for Wendy Kopp, who founded Teach for America after coming up with the idea while writing her <a href="http://www.teachforamerica.org/history.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.teachforamerica.org/history.html</a></p>
<p>Are they stressed out right now, getting down to the wire of the thesis due date? Yes, but from all I hear, they consider the senior thesis to be an experience not to be missed. It enriches enormously their individual education and life on campus.</p>
<p>They are on opposite ends of the country and there's quite a difference, but which would you pick? (that's the decision i'm facing, so i was just wondering)</p>
<p>I am not familiar with any of the systems at Yale as I do not attend that school, but I can talk a little about Princeton. The residential college system is great, currently there are five, and you are only in the residential college for 2 years, however, for your year that will change (as three of the six colleges will become 4 year systems). However, for many students, living in residential college for 2 years is long enough (as you cannot live with students in other colleges and most students have friends in all the colleges).</p>
<p>Princeton is a great educational atmosphere. Its in a quiet town, but there is plenty to do on campus. It is in very close proximity to both NYC and Philly with most students going to either students all the time. Its very safe, and a very beautiful campus. Students are all highly motivated and yes, Princeton is pretty stressful. Contrary to popular belief on CC, Princeton is actually quite difficult. You will be challenged and you will be spending a lot of time in the library. Since you don't have the thesis until senior year, or the JP until junior year, people don't really worry about those until later.</p>
<p>Ultimately, visit both schools and see how you like them. </p>
<p>As for Princeton vs Stanford, coming from the west, the temperature change was drastic and at first unbearable. I did not enjoy living in 10 degree weather, high winds, etc. However, you get use to it. Putting on layers really helps you ignore it. The campuses are very different as Stanford's buildings are much more spanish missionary style and the campus is much larger while Princeton is much smaller. They are very different schools (as athletics are much more important at Stanford). Athletic events at Princeton are generally ignored (except for certain games throughout the year). If you come from the west, Princeton was a nice change. It was interesting just to experience eastern culture and how people are (they are very different).</p>
<p>Look- Its a byerly running a Presidential election styled smear campaign. Funny- we didn't even mention Harvard and byerly is here in all his dodgyness :)</p>
<p>OP- Visit and see which campus has the life and vibe you like. Where can see yourself loving it? Where can you call home. Just stick to what fits your personality mate.</p>
<p>As an alum, I wrote a senior thesis. It was in Comparative Literature, on epic poetry. </p>
<p>My current career has absolutely nothing to do with epic poetry. However, I remember the experience of writing that thesis, and of sitting in my carrel in the library thinking as hard as I could, at least once a month. I expect I will never forget it. It is your opportunity to experience whatever brilliance you are capable of.</p>
<p>I think it's fair to note that a lot of schools offer the option of doing a thesis. Most majors at Stanford have an Honors Thesis program, and the ones that do not have a mandatory thesis. And there are non-major programs like the Honors Interschool Program in Security Studies, with a mandatory thesis. </p>
<p>I agree with Kjoodles's sentiment--visit and see which one you like best! Talk to students. Look at the academic programs. Look at the housing, location, all that. Don't make a decision based on what we tell you here if you can.</p>
<p>Alumother, yay! I'm complit, too. The greatest thing about comp lit is that you can basically write your thesis on anything. I love this department so much, haha.</p>
<p>I dealt with Princeton v. Yale for a long time, and the myriad opportunities offered at Princeton versus those at Yale seemed to make Princeton the better choice for me. While Yale has a great and very established residential college system, Princeton too has a rescol system (which it is expanding) in addition to many other residential options that will be available to you. I like that I have my college and I know a lot of people in it, but also that the system is so open that moving between the current five is so fluid. It's great. I couldn't imagine not being able to draw with some of my best friends who are in other colleges during end-of-sophomore-year draw. Yale is amazing, but the opennness of everything at Princeton puts it slightly above Yale in my mind.</p>
<p>I love Yale's historic prestige and rich residential college system. It has always been known has perenially equal to Harvard. But I hate living 2 hours from any major city and New Haven sucks. Moreover, Yale is really limited on the science front--OR IS THIS WRONG??--but Yale's humanities are second to none.</p>
<p>I hate Princeton, NJ, although Trenton is nearby it is just another New Haven. I love the fact that New York and Philly are both just an hour away. I love that Princeton has strong science and economics programs. I love Woody Woo. I love that Princeton is #1 on US news. I love the undergraduate focus. I dont like the lack of a rich house system. I HATE eating clubs. </p>
<p>Although it is true that many schools offer a senior thesis -- I wrote an honors thesis at Brown -- there is a cameraderie and excitement to the fact that virtually every senior now on the Princeton campus is just finishing up the thesis. And the word "thesis" is a misnomer; while many students write a traditional research paper, there are others who undertake an enterprise or creative project. Equally important, the thesis can be interdisciplinary. A few years ago a student researched the African-American community in the borough of Princeton (where Paul Robeson lived) and made page 1 of the NY Times. </p>
<p>Biz 17 - the house system isn't as rich here as at Yalae because most students - actually, until my year, all students - only stay for two years. However, I feel that having residential colleges is most important in the beginning. By Junior year, you should have friends and acquaintances from all over, and it is nice to have the option to live with friends regardless of what college they had been in. See philintex's post just before yours.</p>
<p>And the eating clubs - if parties with dancing and drinking is your thing, you should like the eating clubs, despite their reputation for snobbery, which comes much more from the past then from present realities. If it isn't, then you probabaly won't be a big part off the party scene anywhere. However, at Princeton, as at other places, there are alternatives, and the college is making an effort to make these alternatives more appealing to students.</p>