<p>You mean Morningside Heights, not Harlem.</p>
<p>pizza, yes, Columbia University ends at 120th street, which is still Morningside Heights, 5 blocks south of where Harlem begins, 125th Street.</p>
<p>^lol, just reminded me of my Columbia info session. The adcom assured the parents that Morningside Heights is a nice area (second safest neighborhood in the city), surrounded by a seminary, teachers college, and whatever you call a Jewish “seminary.” As he put it, “You have nothing to worry about unless you have an inordinate fear of priests, teachers, or rabbis.”</p>
<p>But OP: Yale has one of the top college papers in the country. That, coupled with pre-law/poli sci opportunities, makes it the best option.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with either of these schools, but Columbia gives out the Pulitzers…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/9912.html[/url]”>http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/9912.html</a></p>
<p>OP is in Russia. If you think something she has heard isn’t correct, then it’s better to explain why than to give a snarky answer. Of course, if asking a question like this makes a Princeton person think you don’t belong at Princeton, then maybe it is the right question after all…</p>
<p>Yale does have a pretty friendly atmosphere.</p>
<p>Hunt</p>
<p>I think you know better than to insinuate, based on the answer of one anonymous poster on the internet, that Princeton students are snarky or not friendly.</p>
<p>To the OP, I think that Princeton, more than many schools, has been plagued by old myths about it being stuck-up, preppy, overly conservative and even unfriendly. Most of these assertions are based on the fact that in the past, Princeton did attract more of the conservative, fratty types of students than Yale or Harvard and also because people who don’t go to the school make assumptions based on the existence of eating clubs. However, the Princeton of today is much different than the Princeton of 30-40 years ago. It is incredibly diverse, it offers terrific financial aid, half of the eating clubs are sign-in clubs that anyone can join and the students are low-key, happy, friendly, caring, very bright and extremely active in extracurriculars. In fact, the students at Princeton are similar to the students at Yale, Stanford etc. as you can see by the fact that you yourself are considering all those schools (and if you chose Princeton, you wouldn’t automatically become an unfriendly snob or a different person).</p>
<p>All the schools you’re considering are wonderful. From my perspective, Princeton offers a few things that make it stand out:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The undergraduate focus–I know that people throw around this phrase a lot, but at Princeton there are 5000 undergrads and approximately 2500 graduate students and no medical, law or business schools. The professors, many of whom live in town, are completely accessible. You see them on campus, you see them in town, you have lunch or coffee with them–they are there to help/teach and often learn from you. Overall, the quality of teaching is extraordinary high. From my standpoint, Princeton has the advantages of a small LAC in terms of professors, yet the resources of a large university.</p></li>
<li><p>Princeton, like most other US universities, has a decidedly liberal bent, yet there is also a conservative voice on campus. I love this about the school. It means that there’s a healthy dialogue and that students really think about their views. I have always thought of college as a place where students should be exposed to different ideas and perspectives and at Princeton you will be challenged by the ideas and the people you encounter.</p></li>
<li><p>Location–this is clearly something that people can differ about, but I love the fact that the school has a beautiful campus with lots of amazing recreational opportunities and green space, yet is literally right on the main street of a very pleasant suburban town. It is equidistant from NY and Philadelphia, with an on-campus train station, so you’re not isolated, but the life of the school is on this vibrant, wonderful campus. Students are incredibly supportive of campus theater, sports, dance, music etc.</p></li>
<li><p>The administration–while, as at any school, there are always a number of students who have gripes (and indeed, there are always ways to improve), the priorities of President Tilghman and her staff are outstanding. They have focused on the arts, and are building a new “arts neighborhood” with greater opportunities in music, theater etc. The administration believes that neuroscience is the wave of the future in science and even in the current financial climate, they are going forward with building a new state of the art building. They have established four-year residential colleges, trying to offer students different social options. They have established a “bridge year”, a paid for gap year before freshman year for students to do international community service. They have increased financial aid and gone to a no-loan policy. And the list goes on and on.</p></li>
<li><p>Senior thesis and junior papers–Princeton is a place where serious academic study takes place and much is expected. You have to write two long research papers junior year and an approximately 80-100 page paper senior year. While this can be stressful, the learning that occurs, the connection with your thesis adviser and the amazing sense of accomplishment you feel when you finish are factors that often define your academic experience at the school. And, sometimes these papers are published or provide you with an area that you continue to investigate in your subsequent academic or professional endeavors.</p></li>
<li><p>The “loyalty” factor. Princeton has the highest percentage of alumni who contribute to the school of any major university. People really really love the place–they come back to march at reunions and they are ardent supporters of the school.</p></li>
</ol>