<p>Oh, come on. Let’s get real. Very, very few Harvard admits turn it down for a non HYPSM school. So, gloat whatever you want. The truth is, when someone gets into Harvard, s/he takes it with pride. School name is something when it comes to college education.</p>
<p>Really? I actually know a lot of people here who turned down Harvard for Dartmouth, mostly because they wanted a less competitive atmosphere, didn’t want to be in a city, whatever. I’ll let them know a rando on the internet says they made the wrong choice. I’m sure they’ll repent immediately. </p>
<p>OP: I turned down higher ranked schools for Dartmouth, because it just.felt.right. Do what’s best for you. I even turned down the best school in the country and up there in the world in my field of study, because I visited and didn’t feel as comfortable there. Go where feels right. You only get 4 years for undergrad, and let me tell you, mine have been AMAZING.</p>
<p>I turned down Harvard, Stanford, and MIT among others for Yale. What you described fits Yale very well. Think carefully because the isolation of Dartmouth or Princeton may be tiring. Watch out for Harvard because you’ll be surrounded by some people who think “I’m here because it sounds good.” Good luck!</p>
<p>Green99: A lot of people? Define a lot of people.</p>
<p>Like I said, I can understand when some people turn down H for YPSM. But for Dartmouth?? Harvard’s yield rate has never been below 70% in the last 20 years or so. Look at the statistics.</p>
<p>soydecali: I think the majority of those who turned down Harvard have gone to Yale. But, then again, Harvard would win over Yale for the cross-admit battles.</p>
<p>RML, are you trying to imply that Princeton, Yale, and Dartmouth all have significantly less prestige than Harvard? It may be true that Harvard is somewhat more well known across the world, but when it comes to the name and prestige of your university, you’re looking to impress grad school admissions officers or your job interviewer, not the dude who makes your coffee. </p>
<p>OP, you can’t go wrong with any of these choices. They’ll all give you a fantastic education with, whether or not you care about it, the same prestige and the same selectivity, so if the Dartmouth community feels right to you, go for it!</p>
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<p>I’m not going to speak for Dartmouth, but Princeton is far from isolated. It’s in a very nice suburban area, with tons of stores and dining options. The on-campus train allows you to get to NYC in about 1 hr. 10 minutes and Philadelphia in about 1 hr. 20 minutes. It is obviously not located in a city, but Princeton has very vibrant, unbelievably beautiful campus with constant musical and theatrical events, world-renowned speakers etc. </p>
<p>And I’m sorry the OP didn’t visit Princeton, because I think you would find it the best of both worlds. The school focuses on undergraduates–professors are completely accessible and are there because they want to teach undergraduates. It’s a beautiful school with lots of opportunities for outdoor activities (500 acres with access to Lake Carnegie) and students are very happy and dedicated to the school. The Woodrow Wilson is top-notch, you would definitely not lack for internship opportunities and you might be interested in the Scholars in the Nation’s Service initiative ([Woodrow</a> Wilson School of Public and International Affairs | Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative](<a href=“http://wws.princeton.edu/scholars/]Woodrow”>http://wws.princeton.edu/scholars/)).</p>