<p>Okay, I wasn't going to complain about this until I had actually visited these schools, but now that I'm done with all my tours, I want to know. To people who intend to apply to HYPSM and the Ivies, or any combination of at least six of these, why? </p>
<p>I saw Princeton, Harvard, MIT, and Cornell this past week. All of them are worlds apart from each other, and have little in common. Personally, I hated Harvard when I thought I would love it and adored Cornell when I thought I would be unimpressed by it. Princeton was nice, as expected, and MIT was a big letdown. When I consider how different the schools are, and how drastically different my perceptions were of two supposedly similar schools (Princeton and Harvard), I find it difficult to believe that people could like all of these schools enough to apply to them all. Perhaps my personal opinion is different from that of others, but I can't help being curious.</p>
<p>Some people just like the prestige that the schools’ name carry. It’s not just applicants who think like this but employers too. I choose schools based on the quality of their programs, that’s why I think it’s somewhat naive that people think like this.</p>
<p>People here that plan on applying to HYSPM claim that they “want a top-notch education”, as if HYPSM is miles better than other schools. I find it a little sad that these people think they could be happy at every Ivy + Stanford, MIT, Caltech & UChicago. There is no way that a student could be equally happy at all of these schools. Academics aren’t nearly everything about a school, and there is no student who will excel in EVERY collegiate environment.</p>
<p>Some people want to apply to HYPSM + Ivies to get in to a more “prestigious” school. They also may not have visited yet and didn’t take the time to do research on the feel of the school (which can be done without visiting.)</p>
<p>I agree with what’s been said so far. I’ve also heard this several times: “I’m not applying to all these schools for the prestige, I’m doing it so I have options if I don’t get accepted to some of them.”</p>
<p>As a rule of thumb, I find it ludicrous if you apply to more than, say, seven schools. Even if you use the reasoning I posted above.</p>
<p>I think it shows that, in most cases, they aren’t doing it because they like a particular school, but that they want the “best” schools. I’m considering applying to Harvard, but not for prestige… because their Celtic Language program is awesome (an education in Irish - supplementing History - also has me interested in NYU and Fordham).</p>
<p>It is kinda crazy to apply to more than 7 schools, and expensive. But I do it because I’m honestly scared I won’t make it in to the other schools. 
Half of them are reaches and half of them are matches/safeties.</p>
<p>^^^ I applied to 10 because I loved 9 of them and then had UMaine. Only 2 were top 25 USNWR Universities though, and only 1 Ivy</p>
<p>EDIT: and five of the applications were free</p>
<p>*Personally, I hated Harvard when I thought I would love it *</p>
<p>^That’s unfortunate :/</p>
<p>^^^Would you qualify for fee waivers? And 7 isn’t crazy, if there are a lot of schools you like (if those are just copied and pasted from the top 7 schools in some report, yes, but not what you described). I’m applying to more than that (but no Ivy League schools, unless I do decide Celtic Languages is worth applying to Harvard)</p>
<p>Of HYSPM, I honestly loved HYM each for their own special reasons. H people all seemed so professional and put together. Yale seemed so intellectual and artistic. M just seemed like a ton of fun. Ironically, P and S were the only ones that didn’t really impress me. Figures.</p>
<p>^Then why did you choose Princeton over Harvard, Yale, or MIT?</p>
<p>^ He was rejected from HYM and accepted to PS.</p>
<p>I’ll be applying to HYPS, no MIT or Caltech, simply because those schools (plus Wharton) position me best to break into Wall Street.</p>
<p>Yes, in short, I didn’t. Which makes me confident there was some sort of divine intention here, because the only way I would have gone to Princeton was for things to play out the way they did.</p>
<p>I’ve visited HYP as well as a few other similar schools and I could realistically see myself thriving at any of them. I don’t really see why people stress the importance of some arbitrarily conceived notion of “fit” and how they can derive such “fit” from a 24 hour visit and some brochures.</p>
<p>I feel you. From what I know about Harvard, I dislike it intensely as well. And MIT’s campus is just horrifying. I’ve never visited Cornell, so I can’t comment on it, but Princeton’s definitely my type of thing.</p>
<p>Ahh, my mother hates MIT’s campus so much. She’d love this thread. She hated it when she went to Northeastern, she hates it when she visits. She relishes in any time we spend at Northwestern.</p>
<p>I applied to HYM (+, among others, Cambridge, UChicago, Dartmouth), and applied to 12 schools in total. I paid basically the same amount (+$4, I think) as I would have applying to eight, given that applying to five schools costs the same as applying to two in England and applying to two is little more than applying to one. Also, there’s one app in the UK with no supplementary essays, so there wasn’t any extra time. It was sort of like “Oh, well, there’s a max of five schools to which I can apply? Might as well fill it up.”</p>
<p>Actually, I guess I didn’t like Harvard that much. But I adored YMCCDSELYGM.</p>
<p>Yeah, I feel you Jersey. I honestly don’t think using rankings is any less likely to lead to happiness than “fit” among peer institutions.</p>
<p>@ Jersey13 </p>
<p>It’s more or less the first impression that got me, and the general ambience of the school itself. Not even the most extensive of research can provide that. It’s true, only complete immersion in a specific college environment can give you an accurate notion of “fit”, but most high school students do not have the benefit of an opportunity like that. A visit at least provides a window into the college experience. In short, “fit” matters because I want to enjoy college, moreso than I want to succeed after. I’ll break down my impressions (completely subjective and personal).</p>
<p>Princeton</p>
<p>Pros: Undergrad focus, beautiful campus, jack-of-all-trades academics
Cons: didn’t like the town, slight elitism, unattractive student body (I judge rather quickly)</p>
<p>MIT</p>
<p>Pros: unique, unparalleled strength in engineering (my intended major), wonderful post-college opportunities, Boston
Cons: ugly campus, I’m don’t feel comfortable around math nerds, and generally intimidating</p>
<p>Harvard</p>
<p>Pros: It’s Harvard, Boston
Cons: lack of undergrad focus, a little too sophisticated for my taste</p>
<p>Cornell</p>
<p>Pros: freaking everything
Cons: nothing</p>
<p>My favorite is obvious, I would think.</p>
<p>EDIT: As a side note, I don’t see how anyone could possibly apply to both Harvard and MIT. The two are as opposite as two schools can get.</p>
<p>When I was applying, I was only thinking Yale and Princeton for me. Mainly because I don’t think it’s worth the prestige. I know some people at these schools. Some of which impress me and others that don’t. Schools pick students not only on their academic success, but also their personality and how he/she will fit in. I didn’t think I would fit in at HSM and, to be honest, Princeton (I was only applying since I got their book award junior year).</p>