<p>I've been accepted to both universities and just attended both of their admit weekends. I was selected as a Questbridge Match to Pton, and got into Stanford Regular Decision. However, I plan to attend Stanford now that I realize how strong their engineering program is (I plan to major in ChemE or EE). I haven't officially committed, but will soon...but I feel so bad declining Pton's QB Match offer after I emailed the admissions lady saying thank you and that I would attend...is this the right decision? I just have a gut feeling that Stanford is the right school for me...and not Pton. I just got an email from the regional admissions lady saying "hope to see you in the fall, we're excited for you to attend." Should I reply or ignore it?</p>
<p>Where you decide to attend is going to depend on where you think you fit best. If that’s Stanford, then you should go there. If it’s Princeton, then you should go there.</p>
<p>As far as the strength of each school’s engineering programs, Stanford, overall, is more versatile, but Princeton’s engineering is no joke, that’s for sure. As for the specific programs you’ve listed, it’s a little different. Princeton and Stanford’s ChemE programs are pretty similarly ranked. For EE, I think Stanford has an edge over Princeton, but not by that much.</p>
<p>In reality, both schools have very good engineering programs. If you feel Stanford is the right school for you, don’t let that opportunity go. The same goes for Princeton.</p>
<p>You’d change the course of your life because you don’t want to be a bit impolite?</p>
<p>Stanford’s engineering program is far superior to ours… And it’s in California.</p>
<p>^That last point is a definite drawback.</p>
<p>Plus, the ChemE program is nothing at which to scoff – you can look at where the graduates go. I mean, pick Stanford if it is better socially, but I don’t think that the academic distinctions between HYPS are significant enough to worry about – I would go for fit, and it sounds like Stanford is a better one.</p>
<p>On the other hand, please remember not to promise what you are unwilling to deliver.</p>
<p>East Coast vs. west Coast. completely different style. academics on par.</p>
<p>Quarter system kind of a pain. Princeton’s semester timing is annoying, but most adapt.</p>
<p>People who hate on Cali are only jealous. There’s no possible legitimate reason to dislike the best state in the country.</p>
<p>The heat. The enviros. The liberalism. The giant cities. The total lack of appropriate dress code. etc.</p>
<p>In other words, it comes down to personal preference.</p>
<p>Princeton’s ChemE is #6, Stanford is #5
[Chemical</a> - Best Engineering Schools - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/chemical-engineering]Chemical”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/chemical-engineering)
Not too big of a difference. </p>
<p>besides that, Stanford is beginning to get a bad rep in the employment industry due to enormous grade inflation and the increasing laziness of their students…i know someone who is an engineering director at NASA Ames, and says most of the Stanford interns are “useless”</p>
<p>if you find offense with that claim or believe its not true, talk to some people at the high tech firms in the bay…they will attest to it as well</p>
<p>Besides, Princeton is the best for undegrad hands down, and to get into banking / government, Princeton will open many more doors</p>
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<p>[Creative</a> Writing at Lewis Center - Lewis Center for the Arts](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/arts/arts_at_princeton/creative_writing/about_the_program/]Creative”>Creative Writing - Lewis Center for the Arts)</p>
<p>*The heat. * </p>
<p>Uh name one state with better weather than CA.</p>
<p>The enviros. The liberalism.</p>
<p>And this affects your life how? Do you think people are running around yelling at people to save the environment in Cali?</p>
<p>The giant cities.</p>
<p>If you don’t like giant cities, go live somewhere away from them… Not that hard.</p>
<p>The total lack of appropriate dress code. etc.</p>
<p>People dress about the same as in Cali as anywhere else I’ve been. Except more flip flops.</p>
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<p>The entire Northeast – I cannot stand heat. Heat is evil. Only cold, with some warm days (i.e. seasons). Do you see how this is subjective?</p>
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<p>Excuse me? Given that my religion and politics basically constitute my entire identity, yeah, that matters. The government in power matters, and the government is elected by the people. I want to be able to belong to a very traditional community of my faith. Having been to Mass in California, I can tell you that that will be very difficult to do, if not outright impossible.</p>
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<p>You’re right. Like quiet suburbs. Like the ones in Washington. Or Virginia/D.C. Or Connecticut. Or New Jersey. Or the South.</p>
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<p>We have clearly been to different places, because nowhere I have ever lived (four states, three countries, two continents) has ever come close in any way to the total lack of standards that California so cherishes.</p>
<p>I find the place a total cesspool.</p>
<p>You can argue, but ultimately it will be futile – much like trying to find the objectively best color. Why? Because it is, quite literally, impossible because it relies on personal opinion.</p>
<p>News flash: it gets hot in the northeast too.</p>
<p>You’ve been to one religious ceremony in all of California and think “there exists no traditional community of my faith in all of California” is a valid conclusion?</p>
<p>There are plenty of quiet suburbs in California, with better weather and access to large cities.</p>
<p>I guess we have been to different places. I’ve lived all around Southern California, go to school at Princeton, and also live in North Carolina. I see no noticeable differences between anyone’s clothing, except the flip flops. </p>
<p>Sure, there’s a lot of subjectivity. But I’m just trying to show you that your opinion is largely based off of irrationalities. </p>
<p>“I hate heat. California has heat. Therefore, the Northeast is better.”
Irrational - the Northeast gets hot in the summers too, and more humid. </p>
<p>“I’ve been to Mass in California and it sucks. Therefore, living in a traditional community of my faith is impossible in California”
Irrational - you have no idea, you’re just basing your entire opinion of religiosity in California on one experience.</p>
<p>“I like quiet suburbs. Therefore, the Northeast is better.”
Irrational - Cali has quiet suburbs too.</p>
<p>“People are liberal in California. Therefore, my identity will be compromised by living in California.”
Irrational - you can maintain your identity and live in California (lol), especially when Californians enforce their religious and political views onto others just as much as residents of any other states, if not less.</p>
<p>“California totally lacks standards when it comes to dressing.”
Irrational - Californians dress just like everyone else in the country, except with a higher likelihood of wearing flip flops.</p>
<p>Regardless of what your personal tastes may be, saying “red is better than blue because blue is darker than red” is just (objectively) wrong.</p>
<p>But no matter, I’m glad there are Cali-haters such as yourself in the world, or else getting into Californian med schools and obtaining Californian residencies would be even harder!</p>
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<p>I acknowledged as much. But to say that California has the same weather as the Northeast is asinine. To say that California’s weather is unequivocally better is similarly asinine, because it is a perfectly subjective statement. Do you understand this? Why argue what cannot be argued any more?</p>
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<p>Let’s make this easy, because you are setting up a strawman. Where did I say that I had been to only one religious ceremony? And given how hierarchical my religion is, I know the leadership of California and the approach to religion thereof. So although I have not been to every service in California, that does not mean I do not have a very good sense from a variety of media of the faith.</p>
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<p>Sure.</p>
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<p>I guess we have. So you acknowledge this point.</p>
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<p>Hardly.</p>
<p>And about the city/suburbs – it is SF and LA that I do not like in particular. I also hate Seattle.</p>
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<p>Where are your sources on this? It just seems like Stanford’s engineering program tops Princeton’s any day. And Silicon Valley is a big plus. They also have more student organizations (Such as Solar Car, Darpa team), co-term which allows one to get their Masters in 5 years instead of 6, thus saving money, and undergrads get access to graduate resources. From visiting campuses, looking at info/websites, it just seems like Stanford has so much more accessibility to research/internships for engineering. What can you guys say about that? I’m 50/50 right now, extremely undecided, with the deadline to submit my decision in less than 5 days. Ahh…</p>
<p>pton pton pton! (who’s #1 on us news and world report? ;))</p>
<p>If you were smart enough to get accepted at both Princeton and Stanford, you should know that you won’t find the answer on a message board. The two most useless types of threads are “chance me” threads and “School A versus School B” threads. In the latter you get slanted opinions, manipulated data, and ridiculous claims (i.e. ib612). These posts are a complete waste. </p>
<p>Do you really think posts such as that of ib612 are of any value? Ignore everything you read on CC (even my post) and concentrate on your experiences at the admit weekends. That is your best gauge for deciding the best fit for you.</p>
<p>I’ve got no opinion on either of the two schools. But if you visited both and feel as though you are meant for Stanford, then go for it. Don’t ever feel guilty about doing what will make you happy. Admissions officers are used to students changing their minds, they won’t take it personally.</p>
<p>^That’s not the problem.</p>
<p>The problem is that the OP outright lied, and chose to. That diminishes the credibility of his counselor and his school – if you think I’m kidding, then you definitely need to talk to my high school, where this has been an issue in the past. </p>
<p>Again, to the OP: If you say something, do it. Otherwise, why believe anything you say at all?</p>
<p>The OP didn’t lie. At the time he/she genuinely thought they would be attending Princeton. And now after more thought that doesn’t appear to be the best course of action. Again, Princeton won’t be hurting to find someone to fill the now open spot, and while its a possibility that the credibility of their hs and counselors could be hurt (though I don’t know why they would since its ultimately the student’s decision) - oh well. Why should the OP take a spot at a school they don’t 100% want to be at; that’s only taking a seat at Princeton from a kid on the wait list who’s dying to go.</p>
<p>It’s life. If what you’re doing truly makes you happy and isn’t hurting anybody else (which turning down Pton for Stanford isn’t) then do it. You don’t really owe them anything but an explanation that you simply changed your mind. It wasn’t a binding decision. You haven’t paid the money. Better to break off the engagement than get married and eventually divorce.</p>
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<p>Not to defend California unduly–it’s overcrowded and, at the moment, a financial disaster–but it’s also incredibly diverse and to thus characterize it gave me a good laugh!</p>
<p>Meanwhile, attacking the OP for “lying” is preposterous. People are allowed to waver, and even change their minds. It’s part of being human and–guess what–people at Princeton are actually capable of dealing with that. </p>
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<p>OMG, how on earth does one decide? ;)</p>