Stanford vs. Yale

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Hi!</p>

<p>I was accepted to Yale SCEA and am now choosing between Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, and Dartmouth '18. I think I am mostly interested in attending one of the first two. I have browsed the forums, and amidst all the "Yale vs. Harvard," "Harvard vs. Stanford," etc., one thread there seems to be a lack of is "Yale vs. Stanford." I find this weird because (as I see it) these are the two best places in the world be an undergraduate. Both offer top-tier academics alongside social scenes that other top-tier schools seem unable to match.</p>

<p>My question (since this is on the Stanford forum, I'm also posting on the Yale forum) - Why Stanford over Yale?</p>

<p>A couple of things about me:</p>

<p>I live in Connecticut, which would make going to Yale so much easier. I love California however and would consider myself to be more "chill" in terms of exhibiting a west coast vibe. I may like to end up on the west coast at some point in my life. My girlfriend will be in high school still (CT) and going to Stanford would make the relationship extremely difficult. My mom also wants me to stay close. San Fran and New York are two of my favorite cities, so access to each of them is an asset.</p>

<p>Harvard and Princeton gave excellent financial aid, Stanford did not, and I have yet to hear back from Yale. I'm hoping some matching will be done.</p>

<p>I am interested in science/technology stuff (maybe like physics or green energy or something), although I very well might end up going into business/finance. I enjoy the arts immensely - going to concerts, seeing plays, and just generally associating with people interested in these things. I will participate in a cappella in college. I enjoy anything outdoors like skiing and hiking. I enjoy watching sports as well as playing sports recreationally (think intramural). I'm not sure if I plan on being involved in Greek life, but I definitely want to be in a social environment. I also very much value a community atmosphere--I think Stanford and Yale each offer these in different ways. Yale the residential colleges (which I love), Stanford the "bubble" of campus and the unifying sports scene.</p>

<p>If anyone wants to throw in a word about the other schools as well feel free to do so. Dartmouth and Brown are more expensive and I can't imagine myself choosing them over the others. The atmospheres of Harvard/Princeton seem very competitive, not laid-back, not social, etc., which turns me off to both of them.</p>

<p>Thank y'all in advance!</p>

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<p>“Harvard and Princeton gave excellent financial aid, Stanford did not, and I have yet to hear back from Yale. I’m hoping some matching will be done.”
1]Have you asked the FA offices at schools that offered less to reevaluate their awards based on your acceptances elsewhere?That is the first thing I would do.
2] It is not so easy to get to or around SF without a car. Their is a Caltrain station about a mile from any housing on the Stanford campus ,and you will need a bike to get around campus and into Palo Alto, which has a very lively restaurant and bar scene.
3] Students on the Stanford campus are really spread out , so you wont get the “residential college feel” of Yale there.
Over 40% are engineering majors, and many are expressly interested in starting up tech companies either while in college or afterward in SV.
There are NOT as many of these type of students or these kind of non STEM type of activities at Stanford as you might wish-
“I enjoy the arts immensely - going to concerts, seeing plays, and just generally associating with people interested in these things.”</p>

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<p>Last year, they had 452 BS in Engineering degrees granted on a class size of around 1700 which is around 27%.</p>

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<p>Since you used CAPITALS for “NOT”, where do you get this from?<br>

  1. How many might he wish?
  2. How many are there?</p>

<p>My DS, a STEM guy, went to 8 of those events in the first two quarters there. There were many others he wanted to go to but he was busy with other things.</p>

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<p>@Jazzed‌ </p>

<p>I hope you have the opportunity to attend admit weekend for Stanford and the Yale equivalent. They are both great schools.</p>

<p>Since you are interested in “science/tech stuff” as a general idea and know that things may change a lot in the next four years (vs. a definitive “I am a CS or Physics person”), one thing to consider is the flexibility in the major. I don’t know anything about Yale’s programs, but what my DS liked about Stanford is the level of flexibility in majors/minors/cross-department, co-term program, etc. </p>

<p>As for the bubble, it is only as much of a bubble as you want.</p>

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<p>@Jazzed. Congratulations! Even before you posted on the multiple school threads…I have a strong feeling you KNOW where you want to attend and where you BELONG…</p>

<p>After having read your thread…I agree with @fluffy2017 that your interest in “science/tech stuff” along with being in a laid back, chill atmosphere screams a “particular” school…where you can wear flip-flops year round and have the time of your life…</p>

<p>…go to Admit Weekend and Bulldog days if you are still not certain. Best wishes!</p>