Stanford vs Yale

College Search & Selection
1

Hi! I am a student who was blessed enough to have been accepted to both Stanford and Yale. And hopefully based on what I say you guys can help guide me in the best general direction.

I am wondering how either school stacks up against each other in Economics or Political Science.

How good is each school’s Humanities and Social Sciences departments compared to each other? I am definitely not interested in going into STEMs.

I currently live in South Carolina, but I don’t mind being away from my family and friends for college, so distance isn’t super important to me.

I do want to be at a school with a great social environment. I want my school to allow me to easily find my niche or even make my own niche. I want to go to a school with a strong community.

I don’t really know how I feel about living in a city. I’d like my college campus to feel like a campus as opposed to just being apart of the city.

I am most definitely not a cold-weather person. Personally, I LOVE warm weather and sunlight.

I am pretty terrible at math but excel in reading and writing. Which school offers a better ‘low-math’ option for Econ if its possible?

Are the Humanities well-respected at Stanford. I’ve heard many things about the underlying divide between the STEMs students and everyone else.

Brand isn’t a big issue with me. Both schools have a great reputation. Though I’ve heard Stanford may eclipse the Ivies in a decade or two. And does the brand name of each school hold up in different parts of the US equally?

How good is the alumni networking at either school?

Which school has a better focus on undergrad teaching?

After undergrad I was thinking of going into the Peace Corps or into Teachers for America, then after that maybe work for a few years for my foster dad then go to B-school to get an MBA and take over the business. Or after the Peace Corps go onto Law School. But that is WAAAAAAAAAAY down the line.

If you need more info, ask me.

2

Which gave you the best financial aid? and have you visited the campuses? which felt better?

3

Both schools’ FA is fairly comparable. Both are really cheap, so FA isn’t a big thing at this point. I’m visiting both campuses next week on their respective admit days.

4

The two schools have distinct vibes so hopefully your choice will become clear after your visits. There is no right or wrong answer to this one! Congrats!

5

Either or Tbh. Congrats

6

Both Stanford and Yale have excellent social science and humanities divisions and are great in the fields in which you are interested. Both of them have actual campuses (Yale is in New Haven, but has a very beautiful campus. Stanford is in the suburbs, really). I don’t know that there is an actual divide between students in the natural/physical/mathematical sciences and students in the social sciences and humanities at either of these schools. And yes, they are both very well known and well-reputed across the country. Alumni networking is excellent at both places. According to U.S. News the schools are pretty much the same for undergraduate teaching, whatever that’s worth.

If you don’t like cold weather…New England gets quite cold during the winter and will likely be cold at least 4 out of the 8-9 months you are on campus (November through February, and most of March is pretty chilly too). Stanford is the clear winner in that category.

7

Many would argue it already has.

While Stanford is perhaps more known for STEM and high-tech industry connections, it also has excellent non-stem programs, including PolSci (it’s got the Hoover Institution on campus).

Both will give you excellent education and opportunities. Palo Alto (Stanford) and the surrounding area is really beautiful - one of the nicest places in the country to live IMO. Plus, much better weather.

As for the “low-math” econ option, check the course list for Economics at each school. Or do PolSCi and this won’t be an issue.

8

Your weather preference seems to be the most distinguishing factor right now, and obviously it points to Palo Alto over New Haven. I’m not sure about low-math econ, though–the econ majors I know at Stanford are pretty solidly quanty.

9

If you are hesitant about a city, New Haven is not the place for you. I live in NJ and have spent a lot of time in that area and New Haven is a dump. As beautiful as Yale is, New Haven is easily the least appealing city in the Northeast. If you only visited Yale once, it might not have sunk in.

Based on your post, you should be able to make this decision pretty easily.

10

I would pick Stanford for the location !! West coast is always a preferred place for me even I am still stuck at the east coast. Not just for the weather but also for the job markets.

11

Stanford has great climate year round. They are big into sports. They are forced to stay in shape because of all the biking due to distances.

Although Stanford seems to have a slightly higher ranking for both Economics and Political science, it shouldn’t tip the balance in your choice because being 2 vs 4 or 5 vs 7 is a negligible factor.

You need to find other factors you value.

12

Have you visited those schools ? I feel like you probably will like S better when you described yourself as a “not a cold weather” and “not a city” person. Those are the factors you can not change. In terms of acedamic/math challenge/others, those factors can be change when you choose different majors. I would pick S for more sunny days.

13

Econ is essentially applied math and statistics, and more so at top schools such as Stanford and Yale. If you are averse to math, I sugges that you change your major.