<p>Alright, I'm probably going to go to Yale this upcoming semester (I think, after EA decisions), but I was trying to compare it to Princeton. I didn't consider Early Decision for Princeton because I couldn't pay for it, but I wanted to know the WORST of both places (I have already heard the best).</p>
<p>I am hoping for a general undergrad education, with concentrations on International Relations. What school is better in that? What is Yale better at than Princeton and what is Princeton better at than Yale? Also, although prestige might not be a great factor in the whole scope of things, it might tip one school over another: what school is more prestigious? What school has a better campus?</p>
<p>Well I'm no expert but I'll try to answer a few of your questions.</p>
<p>As far as what distinguishes Princeton from, well, most big-name colleges out there, Princeton's known for emphasis on undergraduate education. Because it has no med school, no law school, etc., the focus is really on those first four, formative years. I actually had a long conversation about this with my P'ton interviewer. I told him that I got into Harvard and, rather than try to convince me out of going there--he didn't need to; the fact that I was still interviewing for Princeton spoke for itself--he just told me that the major difference between Princeton and these other schools was that at P'ton, you were the "top dogs"; graduate students weren't catered to and favored like they are at other major institutions.</p>
<p>As far as campuses go, Princeton and Yale are both beautiful. But you've got to see them and judge them for yourself.</p>
<p>Prestige. Depends on who you ask. If you'd been comparing P'ton to, say, Brown, the answer would be easy. But comparing the prestige of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton will no doubt be fruitless, as they are all phenomenal schools with prestige up the wa-zoo. As a New Jerseyan that may be going to Harvard, from where I'm sitting, Yale looks the least prestigious; but I'm biased. Ask someone who lives in New Haven and they'll say something different. Ask a Kennedy and the answer will be different. I'd say, though, that in all fairness they're about the same, as far as that goes. Not that it really matters; go to any of them and your reputation, or the school's reputation, I should say, will precede you.</p>
<p>I dunno if it's a "which is worse" thing versus a "which is better for you" one.</p>
<p>Trying to do the whole "prestige" thing between P and Y is fruitless and will get you nowhere. It really doesn't matter anymore once you've reached the point of getting into both schools. By that point it's time to start looking for what you want in the school. If you want a slightly smaller, totally undergrad-focused institution, go with Princeton. There are aspects of it that are elitist and completely different from the rest of the Ivies. If you can deal with that, go for it. Yale's known for its sense of community more than Princeton (although Pton has plenty of it as well, from what I've heard). Look at location too: P is in Princeton is small, affluent, and suburban. Y is in New Haven, which is larger and more urban.</p>
<p>Princeton doesn't have an "international relations" concentration per se, but it does have the concentration in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs as well as IR courses within the politics department, but nothing that will show up as "international relations" as a major on your final transcript. Princeton also has numerous programs in several things related to IR, including the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, the Center for Human Values, and more. Yale has a great IR program too. It's most likely going to boil down to which school you feel the most connected to in the end.</p>
<p>DanRod, you forgot the "l" at the end of your name, but "Danie" is a nice nickname! </p>
<p>I think that at this point, you should know that both are great colleges and you've already compared it w/ others in terms of curriculum, prep. for future, etc. Your decision now should be a personal choice, although others like to do the (relatively) impersonal advantages and disadvantages thing. If you get into Princeton, visit both (maybe for the 2nd time or more) in the spring and see where you can picture yourself.</p>