Stanford Vs. Princeton

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

Hello all! I just got into Princeton yesterday and I’m incredibly shocked. Out of all the schools I applied to, I never expected to get into Princeton, which is why I’m somewhat at a loss as to which school I should pick now. I applied REA to Stanford and was deferred --> accepted. I like Stanford because of it’s proximity and familiarity, though that’s also something that I also consider a con in some ways–it would be nice to get out of California for a while.

I applied for Art/Gender and Sexuality at Princeton and Art/Global Cultural Studies at Stanford. I’m a decently laid back CA kid so I’m not sure how well I’d fit in at Pton (plus weather issues possibly). Do any of you have any advice for me as to which school I should pick? I’m currently very conflicted.

2

Hey, I’m in the same boat as you. I’m deciding between Stanford and Princeton. Honestly, both schools are amazing, but I ended up choosing Stanford.

In terms of prestige, both schools are world-renowned. Regardless of major, you would be getting an amazing education. Though, Stanford is more known for its entrepreneur and research environment, while Princeton is known for its law and economics.

In terms of education, I would have to say Stanford hands-down. Princeton’s grade deflation was a HUGE turnoff (only a certain # of A’s allowed). I don’t care so much for not getting the A, but grade deflation creates unnecessary conflict and stress between students. I want to learn, not compete with students, so I choose Stanford. That is not to say that there won’t be conflict because at any school full of bright individuals, you will have some conflict. Since you are more laid back, Stanford would probably be a better fit. Stanford’s quarter system might be an issue due to the fast pacing, but considering you got into Stanford. You should be fine.

Location is a bit different for you and me. I’ve never been to California, so it would be a nice change of pace. Though I plan on going somewhere up North for graduate school. Since you live there, going up to Princeton might be better. When I went to visit schools up North, I was not prepared for the weather since I live in the South. However, with a little planning and shopping for winter clothes, you should be fine.

Another point that I really considered was social scene and environment. You would probably have a more enjoyable and active environment under the California sun, but my older brother, who goes to another Ivy, has never had a lack of enjoying the environment. Princeton is more connected and accessible to the rest of the world with the subway systems than Stanford, which from what I’ve read is limited to biking and cars.

If you still can’t decide, make sure to visit both schools, which is what I’m doing even though I am pretty set on Stanford. Better to be sure that you “fit” than regret it down the line.

3

Congrats on your acceptances! Both are great schools where you can get an amazing education. The school that works best for you might not be the one that’s best for another poster. With that said, here’s why Stanford was my #1 over Princeton:

  • Less elitist: seriously, it was a huge turn-off visiting Princeton and talking with some folks there. Princeton was my #1 until I visited. While many students there are not at all elitist, the overall level of elitism felt a lot higher.
  • Collaborative environment: grade deflation like at Princeton means that if you help someone else you’ll be decreasing your chances of doing well. That sounds like a recipe for a depressing environment. To my knowledge (and based off of 4 years of experience) no classes at Stanford have deflation.
  • Weather/location
  • Better programs for my areas of interest
  • Atmosphere: more laid back, happier student body, students usually are involved in clubs or activities outside of just academics
  • Quarter system: I love it. It’s more intense but it gives you the chance to take more classes and explore more areas. Most students here seem to prefer the quarter system.
4

Congratulations—you can’t go wrong at either one! One thing I’d add to what’s already been mentioned is that Princeton is definitely not “more connected and accessible to the rest of the world” than Stanford—quite the opposite! Princeton is relatively isolated, though it is possible to get there by public transportation. At Stanford, all you have to do is catch the campus bus (Marguerite) to get to places in Palo Alto, including the CalTrain station. Or you can walk 20-30 minutes to the CalTrain station down beautiful Palm Drive. CalTrain can take you north to San Francisco and south to San Jose and beyond (plus many places in between), and it connects to BART, which can take you all over the Bay Area and connect you with countless bus systems. (There are also bus systems on the Peninsula.) Finally, if you want to go farther afield, you can use a Zipcar at Stanford.

5

congratulations. i had to make the same choice (many moons back) and chose princeton for the following reasons

  1. undergrad focus, smaller size, more focus etc. this is not just a marketing spiel. one feels for the poor grad students - who are tucked away in splendid isolation, away from the main campus !
  2. prettier campus and more of a sense of history !
  3. the senior thesis

i dont agree with others on the thread on the elitism point (i think all top national univs at this level are as good or as bad on this). or on the connectivity point (it’s perfectly well connected)

6

When I see threads like this all I can think is that these are the problems I wish to have next year lol

7

If you are interested in doing a senior thesis we have that at Stanford as well (usually completed to receive honors within a major). Some majors also have the option of senior capstone projects. You could even do both if you wanted. I believe (although feel free to correct me if I’m wrong @godot786 ) that Princeton requires the thesis. Personally I like having it optional.

Princeton does have a higher percentage of undergrads in its student body than Stanford (although Stanford is roughly 50-50 so it doesn’t feel at all graduate focused). Personally I like having the option of taking graduate level courses with grad students at some of the top grad schools in the country. Undergrad courses are great too of course, but sometimes the more specialized subjects and intensive courses are a nice extra challenge. I’d guess that you can take grad courses at Princeton too, but with smaller grad programs I’d imagine the options for lab research/grad courses are more limited.

Princeton has a beautiful campus, without a doubt. We have some pretty beautiful buildings at Stanford as well as newer state-of-the-art ones. I like the combination of old and new (e.g. Memorial Church compared to Bing Concert Hall).

I can’t speak about transport at Princeton, but Planner’s points are true about Stanford. There’s a free shuttle that goes around campus and nearby areas (including Palo Alto, the CalTrain station, and nearby shopping centers). I’m sure you’re familiar with all the places you can go with the CalTrain and it’s only about an hour ride to San Francisco.

Definitely visit both if you can and decide which one fits you best. They both have a lot to offer and, at least in my experience, have very different environments.

8

Also, is it still the case that you can’t double major at Princeton? That would be another factor to consider. You can double major at Stanford if you want (you just cant count one class towards both majors, you need different courses in each).

9

@Lagging

yes, the thesis is compulsory at princeton.

and you have more than enough options to take graduate courses if you feel like. it may be low profile and not dominate the university narrative at princeton, but the grad school isnt that small - 2000 students if i recall.

if you adjust for the absence of professional schools (law/medicine/business etc) then a 2000 student grad program is very comparable to others. and, needless to say, each of the grad programs are top ranked in their peer group.

10

Grade deflation is something the university has finally decided to do away with, said the tour guide with whom I walked the campus. I believe as of Fall 2016 or 2017.

You cannot double major at Princeton. The admissions officer who said this to me said it would be nearly impossible considering the amount of work required for the junior and senior years, where one is working toward a thesis project.

You can have what other schools call concentrations, I believe. I cannot remember what Princeton calls it, but it comes close to being what other schools call their minors or concentrations, along with your major.

11

Hello all,

Thank you for all of your responses! I really appreciate y’all taking the time to help me out with this dilemma of sorts.

So far I think I’m leaning towards Stanford mainly because of the flexibility offered at the school–it seems like Princeton is far more rigid (with the semester system and the way that taking classes/declaring majors is structured). I’m very interested in interdisciplinary work which seems like it would be a little harder to do at Princeton.

Additionally, Stanford is very close to home which would make me feel a lot more comfortable since I would potentially have the option to come home if something important comes up. The California lifestyle definitely agrees with me and I’m not sure how well I’d fit in with the East-Coasters if you know what I mean.

The campus of course is lovely at Princeton and I definitely prefer it overall but weather seems like a major plus at Stanford. I’ve lived in the Bay Area all my life and I’m sure I’ll suffer from seasonal affective disorder in New Jersey!

After typing this all out, I’ve realized that it seems like my mind is already made up! I think my indecision was more due to my reservations about going to school in such a familiar place (Stanford) as opposed to believing that I might fit in better at Princeton.

But anyways thank you all for all of your input! I’ll try not to write off Princeton completely.

12

@godot786 I’m not saying there aren’t tons of higher level course offerings, just that there are fewer than if Princeton had more professional schools/graduate students. At Stanford you can take law school classes, med school classes, etc. Because Princeton doesn’t have, for example, a law school, you can’t take classes there. So there are likely fewer options for graduate courses (as well as research). I’m sure there are still quite a few of courses and of course Princeton has great academics like any top-tier school.

If OP isn’t interested in non-undergrad level courses or research then it’s of course not a factor in their decision. Or if OP is interested in subjects that Princeton does offer graduate study for. But it’s another thing worth considering.

13

Fitting in with East Coasters, btw, is not a problem for the cross-continental transplant. Don’t let Law & Order scare you into thinking it is. Climate might be the biggest hurdle for you, but the people, particularly in a college town such as Princeton is, will not represent any new data sets for you at all.

I found the greater challenge to be going from East to West.

14

I think Princeton is generally thought to have somewhat better Humanities quality than Stanford, and they’re probably pretty even in the Social Sciences.

I think what separates Princeton from the rest of the HYPSM gang is that they are the most focused on undergrads. Yale, Harvard, Stanford and MIT put relatively more into their grad programs than Princeton does (though Princeton does have some outstanding grad programs…), which means necessarily that they spend less of the pie on undergrads.

Not only does Princeton spend a greater percentage of everything on their undergrads, but they also sport the highest per-student endowment of any school in the United States. Which means they can afford to continue to outspend every other school should they so wish.

Pick the one you like best, the one that leaves you in better shape financially, etc. This is a no-lose proposition from a quality and prestige standpoint. I just wanted to point out Princeton’s edge in… I guess you could call it “personal
attention.”

15

@sunshineyy Good to hear you’re considering Stanford, I love it here! Definitely check out both campuses to get a sense of the feel at each in case it changes your mind. If (or when!) you do come to Stanford a few things you might be interested in based on your intended areas of study include:

  • Cantor Arts Center: an on-campus museum with one of the largest collections of Rodin sculptures in the world
  • Bing Concert Hall: brand new performing arts venue that looks and sounds great
  • Bing Overseas Program (study abroad options)
  • Crothers Hall: you can’t live here as a freshman, but this is the “global citizenship” themed dorm on campus
  • Kimball Hall: similar to above, you can’t live here as a freshman but the theme is “the arts”

You can check out a lot of these at Admit Weekend! If there’s a particular culture you’re interested in then also check out some of our cultural/ethnic/language themed houses (Casa Italiana, La Maison Francaise, Ujamaa, Casa Zapata, Muwekma-Tah-Ruk, Okada, etc.).

16

I would choose Stanford due to its flexible curriculum, interdisciplinary approach to education and location/weather. Stanford gives a less stuffy vibe than Princeton. Both are amazing choices tho and u can’t go wrong.

17

Princeton and Stanford are completely different schools. One is very traditional, liberal arts focused, with a more rigid structure, and somewhat more of an undergrad focus. The other is very interdisciplinary with a vibrant, entrepreneurial culture and a strong school spirit. Both are amazing, it’s just a question of what kind of overall environment you want.