<p>OP- I’ve seen your posts on other threads. So I know you got in to Georgia Tech which you are not considering. My DS is going to GT however if he had the choice I’m sure he would have seriously considered MIT or Stanford.
They are both Great options. Good luck!</p>
<p>A common metaphor used by MIT students about their academics is “drinking from a firehose.” This is from kids who are already among the most academically intense in the world.</p>
<p>Although I disagree somewhat with the “middle of nowhere” description of Ithaca, you should trust your gut with respect to Stanford. It is an outstanding learning environment.</p>
<p>I guess my main issue is that I am pretty sure that I will have a much more enjoyable experience at Stanford. But MIT is selling being overworked for 4 years as a perk so I don’t know what to think… Will I be better off throwing myself into the deep end so to speak at MIT?</p>
<p>Also by the way Cornell has an Engineering Physics degree so I would most likely be fine staying in the college of engineering.</p>
<p>I hope you have some safety schools on your list. Add Univ of AL - Tuscaloosa. If you have the grades/test scores to make it into MIT/Stanford, then you have the grades/scores to make it into Univ AL - Tuscaloosa, and get a full tuition scholarship.You will have more than enough opportunity to socialize and enjoy their athletics.</p>
<p>BTW: For most people, choosing between Stanford/Cornell/MIT is not that difficult. You go to the one you get into. Consider yourself fortunate if you get into one, and really fortunate if you get into more than one.</p>
<p>BTW2: Don’t tell the schools what you are not. Tell the schools what you are.</p>
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I think she was already admitted to all of them and is now trying to decide.</p>
<p>If you feel you can transfer the energy you’ve put into your sport into academics at MIT, then you’ll probably do fine. If you can’t, then it’ll be a long four, five, or six years.</p>
<p>Yes, I have been admitted to these schools.</p>
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I don’t know but MIT seems to think I can, if that counts for anything?</p>
<p>OP,
It counts for a lot.</p>
<p>Seriously, although will be a lot of overlap, you need to spend some time on each campus to get a feel for where you belong. </p>
<p>Also, look up Core classes, and when you need to chose a major.</p>
<p>Uni- right now you are over thinking this, which is fine because I enjoy reading along with your progress. :)</p>
<p>Once you actually get on these campuses, you will know which one is right for YOU. When is your first visit?</p>
<p>Any of these schools will give you a fine education and prepare you for whatever you do next. I consider the difference academically to be negligible. If you were accepted you convinced the admissions committee you were more than capable of doing the work. I don’t think there’s a problem going to school with a bit of grade inflation - it may make the experience a little less stressful though, and I think that’s probably a good thing. </p>
<p>I’m most familiar with Stanford and MIT and would say the cultures are quite different, though more that Stanford students work hard and pretend they don’t while MIT sort of makes a cult of being overwork and blowing steam with hacks. My very nerdy son preferred the MIT culture, but also applied to Stanford and would have been happy to attend if he’d been accepted. I think if you are planning visits you’ll get a sense of which culture appeals to you, and also how easy the travel is and how much you are or are not bothered by that. You really can’t go wrong. If you don’t think you are ready for MIT now there’s always grad school!</p>
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<p>Ahhh. Missed that. In that case, Stanford. It sounds like STEM is the flavor of the day for you. “I put physics on my application, but that could easily change.” Stanford will give you more opportunities if STEM is really not what you want to do. It is similar to the reason my D preferred Stanford over MIT - opportunity for a broader education.</p>
<p>I suggest Stanford for undergrad, and when you really find your path, go to MIT for grad school. Can’t beat the name recognition of an advanced STEM degree from MIT. Having degrees from different undergrad/graduate schools helps give you alternative perspectives.</p>
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<p>Stanford may provide more non=STEM opportunities than MIT, but it doesn’t provide more opportunities than Cornell.</p>
<p>Unicameral, I happened on to this thread and was struck by one sentence in your first post, which was " I am worried that Stanford will not prepare me as well."</p>
<p>That seemed so ludicrous on its face that I read no further. This not to suggest what you should choose out of the 3, but surely, surely Stanford is “good enough.” Whether you get to wherever you want to go in your dreams is up to you…in other words, the school itself, at this level, won’t make the difference. Go where you are happiest (whatever that means).</p>
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<p>Actually, MIT requires a broad education with a lot of general institute requirements in both math/science and humanities/arts/social-studies.</p>
<p>OP</p>
<p>First - congratulations! You have 3 wonderful choices, as you well know. You can have a fine career in technology with any of the schools as a launching pad.</p>
<p>[In the spirit of full disclosure here are my biases/experiences: I’m a STEM guy. MIT undergrad (course 6). Cornell for grad school (EE). I’ve lived/worked in Silicon Valley for a couple of decades, but have only attended seminars at Stanford (no degree programs). ]</p>
<p>Do the compare-and-contrast exercise. What is similarities attract you? And, importantly, what differentiates the schools for you? For example, Palo Alto (suburban), Cambridge (urban) and Ithaca (small town) are DISTINCTLY different towns (weather ok?, should you own a car?, can you fly home easily?, do you want to spend time off campus?..). What academic environment will encourage you to strive to be your best? Do you want to try other ECs (perhaps dabble in another sport?)</p>
<p>Go visit each campus and see if it is a place you can imagine living. [Personally, I like each of the campuses]. Are you attending the OCW coming up? Contact some older studends from your HS that might be there now and interview them.</p>
<p>If I had to do it over again, knowing what I know now, I would (without hesitation) choose MIT again. For me, it was a superb fit, a stimulating environment, a growth experience (academically and socially… of course, college is usually a time of growth for everyone ) But, that’s me. You need to choose what fits you.</p>
<p>RRR
[First-time poster here… your post caught my eye and I decided to register today]</p>
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<p>It sounds like you might choose MIT because it will force you to be more academic. I think it’s a bad idea to choose a school that will force you to change who you are. Don’t make a decision based on what posters are saying, though, including me. We are only reacting to what you are writing.</p>
<p>1st off I am 100% set on STEM. The only reason I haven’t decided on a major is that I haven’t had exposure to all of the different fields in high school so I don’t want to just say “physics” because my experience is high school physics/bio/chem. I need more exposure to engineering coursework before declaring a major.</p>
<p>A lot of people are saying to choose the place I will be happy. This is where I am confused. MIT is marketing itself as basically “you’re gonna be miserable for 4 years but you’ll be on another level when you come out the other side.” That’s why I said “I am worried that Stanford will not prepare me as well.” Does MIT really have this secret sauce that’s going to leave me better prepared than any other school?</p>
<p>My first visit will be CPW next week. :D</p>
<p>Thanks so much to RRR and everyone else who has shared their experiences with me both here and via PM!</p>
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That’s what I was thinking, actually.</p>
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Haha thanks. I’m notorious for overthinking things, but it usually pays off. :p</p>
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Thanks, I really appreciate your input. What you wrote above is accurate. But I don’t know, I want to change. I just don’t know which school will make the transition easiest. At MIT I would be immersed in the STEM culture from day 1 which would either force me to acclimate, fast, or just leave me ostracized and miserable. At Stanford I would have like minded peers initially, and could then grow into the more academic-heavy side of its culture. But I could also get sidetracked having too much fun there.</p>
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<p>There is no easy answer to this question. IF it is right for you, then it can be better. If it isnt, then it can be worse. And it’s not just about how smart or even intellectually curious you are. </p>
<p>I would PM mollieB. She didn’t have math/science ECs or super-advanced coursework in high school, and she flourished at MIT. I’m not sure how she knew that she would like it.</p>
<p>Uni- congrats! Great choices! I have seen your posts on the parent/2017 thread and have followed your progress as my S’13 is in the same boat. Physics and likely econ or math…Stanford, MIT, no Cornell- but Yale and a few other contenders. He will also be at CPW and Stanford’s Admitted Student days, trying to figure out where he ‘fits’. Have you been checking out the various facebook pages? He also has some questions about the MIT student body, is well rounded and very social, likes sports and wears shorts most of the year. Mostly he is hearing ‘Stanford’ from folks. </p>
<p>One thing that struck me too, was the urban, suburban, rural thing for you. We thought S would be suburban/rural but in the end he went suburban/urban…knocked all of the rural schools off of his list (including Dartmouth and Cornell, with great physics programs). Do you really like all three environments? I’m trying to remember, are you from Texas?</p>
<p>Actually, Stanford is supposed to be good for undergrad. Maybe not Pton or Yale good, but decent undergrad focus. </p>
<p>[Best</a> Undergraduate Teaching | Rankings | Top National Universities | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching)</p>
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<p>Hyperbole. The kids at MIT are high performing enginerds. Yes, they are working at their studies 20 hours a day. But, they are doing something they enjoy. Just like a mom complaining about all the work of raising children, or an athlete pushing their bodies to the limit.</p>
<p>“miserable” because someone other than an enginerd would find the work horrible. Someone who is really in to it, enjoys the challenge (for the most part).</p>
<p>MIT also wants to make sure they are the right fit for you. Like they say: “If you can’t do the time, then don’t do the crime.”. At MIT, they are warning you ahead of time that there will be a lot of work to do. If you want to go to a place where you can coast through your 4 years, then don’t go to MIT.</p>
<p>Harvard is kind of similar, but in a different way. The kids are really intense in their studies. Some see that as “highly competitive”. I view it as each kid pushing themself to be their best.</p>