<p>What are your opinions? I am hesitant to go to an Ivy League school because of the snotty association with Ivy-goers. Is the academic experience really that different between the two schools? Any comment is appreciated.</p>
<p>I also am interested in both Engineering and natural sciences such as Physics.</p>
<p>Princeton for sure. It’s a top ivy with a focus on undergrad. You are very lucky to have this choice. I’m assuming you don’t have any financial issues since princeton gives the best financial aid in the country</p>
<p>Princeton engineering is stronger than UVA’s and the Princeton physics department is one of the best in the country. I think Princeton is by far the better academic choice for those interests.</p>
<p>
Considering that only 56% of Princeton students receive any financial aid and that the cost difference between Princeton and UVA is $28,000 a year, I’d say that’s a pretty big assumption to make. </p>
<p>Threads like this always thoroughly confuse me. Why in the world would you apply somewhere you wouldn’t want to attend?</p>
<p>I would be very hesitant to believe stereotypes about a school. I suspect Princeton is no more or less snotty than any other elite university.</p>
<p>don’t get me wrong, I like both schools and I think I would be pleased at either one.</p>
<p>from US News and World Report:</p>
<p>BEST PROGRAMS AT ENGINEERING SCHOOLS WHOSE HIGHEST DEGREE IS A DOCTORATE </p>
<p>Rank School (*Public) Peer assessment score (5.0=highest)</p>
<ol>
<li> Massachusetts Inst. of Technology 4.9 </li>
<li> Stanford University (CA) 4.7 </li>
<li> University of California–Berkeley* 4.7 </li>
<li> California Institute of Technology 4.6 </li>
<li> Georgia Institute of Technology* 4.5 </li>
<li> U. of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign* 4.5 </li>
<li> Carnegie Mellon University ¶ 4.3 </li>
<li> University of Michigan–Ann Arbor* 4.3 </li>
<li> Cornell University (NY) 4.2 </li>
<li> Purdue Univ.–West Lafayette (IN)* 4.2 </li>
<li> University of Texas–Austin* 4.2 </li>
<li> Princeton University (NJ) 4.0 </li>
<li> Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison* 4.0 </li>
<li> Johns Hopkins University (MD) 3.9 </li>
<li> Northwestern University (IL) 3.9 </li>
<li> Virginia Tech* 3.9 </li>
<li> Pennsylvania State U.–Univ. Park* 3.8 </li>
<li> Texas A&M Univ.–College Station* 3.8 </li>
<li> Rice University (TX) 3.7 </li>
<li> Univ. of California–Los Angeles* 3.7 </li>
<li> Univ. of California–San Diego* 3.7 </li>
<li> Univ. of Minnesota–Twin Cities* 3.7
<ol>
<li> Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. (NY) 3.6 </li>
<li> Univ. of Maryland–College Park* 3.6 </li>
<li> University of Washington* 3.6 </li>
<li> Columbia University (NY) 3.5 </li>
<li> Duke University (NC) 3.5 </li>
<li> Harvard University (MA) 3.5 </li>
<li> North Carolina State U.–Raleigh* 3.5 </li>
<li> Ohio State University–Columbus* 3.5 </li>
<li> University of Florida* 3.5 </li>
<li> University of Pennsylvania 3.5 </li>
<li> Univ. of Southern California 3.5 </li>
<li> University of California–Davis* 3.4 </li>
<li> Univ. of California–Santa Barbara* 3.4 </li>
<li> University of Colorado–Boulder* 3.4 </li>
</ol></li>
<li> Brown University (RI) 3.3 </li>
<li> Iowa State University* 3.3 </li>
<li> University of Virginia* 3.3
<ol>
<li> Arizona State University* 3.2 </li>
<li> Lehigh University ¶ 3.2 </li>
<li> Vanderbilt University (TN) 3.2 </li>
<li> Washington University in St. Louis 3.2 </li>
<li> Yale University (CT) 3.2 </li>
<li> Case Western Reserve Univ. (OH) 3.1 </li>
<li> Michigan State University* 3.1 </li>
<li> Rutgers, St. U. of N. J.–New Brunswick* 3.1 </li>
<li> University of Arizona* 3.1 </li>
<li> University of California–Irvine* 3.1 </li>
<li> University of Notre Dame (IN) 3.1 </li>
</ol></li>
<li> Colorado School of Mines* 3.0 </li>
<li> Dartmouth College (NH) 3.0 </li>
<li> Drexel University ¶ 3.0 </li>
<li> University of Delaware* 3.0 </li>
<li> Univ. of Massachusetts–Amherst* 3.0 </li>
<li> University of Pittsburgh* 3.0 </li>
<li> Boston University 2.9 </li>
<li> Clemson University (SC)* 2.9 </li>
<li> Illinois Institute of Technology 2.9 </li>
<li> Northeastern University (MA) 2.9 </li>
<li> Tufts University (MA) 2.9 </li>
<li> University of Illinois–Chicago* 2.9 </li>
<li> University of Iowa* 2.9
<ol>
<li> Auburn University (AL)* 2.8 </li>
<li> Colorado State University* 2.8 </li>
<li> Kansas State University* 2.8 </li>
<li> Michigan Technological University* 2.8 </li>
<li> Polytechnic Inst. of New York U. (NY) 2.8 </li>
<li> Rochester Inst. of Technology (NY) 2.8 </li>
<li> SUNY–Stony Brook* 2.8 </li>
<li> University at Buffalo–SUNY* 2.8 </li>
<li> University of Tennessee* 2.8 </li>
<li> University of Utah* 2.8 </li>
<li> Washington State University* 2.8 </li>
<li> Worcester Polytechnic Inst. (MA) 2.8</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>
<p>and now the Physics rankings:</p>
<p>[Rankings</a> - Physics - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-physics-schools/rankings/]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-physics-schools/rankings/)</p>
<p>Snotty-ness shouldn’t be an issue. I just visited Princeton, and though there was a bit too much madras print floating around, these kids are all enormously pleasant. </p>
<p>I’d say Princeton, unless you feel like you wouldn’t be able to rise to the academic challenge and would prefer to be closer to the top of the pack at UVa.</p>
<p>glass, you do make a good point here:</p>
<p>"I’d say Princeton, unless you feel like you wouldn’t be able to rise to the academic challenge and would prefer to be closer to the top of the pack at UVa. "</p>
<p>Go to Princeton. It has a stronger engineering reputation.</p>
<p>A little on Princeton Engineering. Something that I just posted in a Duke Robertson program vs. Princeton Engineering thread:</p>
<p>Dunnin, no I don’t see how that might create superior access to faculty time and attention.</p>
<p>I am an alumnus of Princeton as a ChE. and it would be hard to get close to the availability that I had to top professors at Princeton, particularly the ChE. professors.</p>
<p>My senior thesis was a laboratory experiment that lasted for the whole year under one of the top professors in the particular field in the world. He was avaliable any time for me to walk into his office and ask questions, or even call him at his home at night. I even took a graduate school course taught by him. The results of the thesis were published in one of the main Journals in the field, along with his name and a graduate student a year later. This is not just Engineering, you will see this in most other Princeton departments.</p>
<p>I literally was given my own office to perform my laboratory work for the whole year. No one was allowed in the space during that time.</p>
<p>International?</p>
<p>Very few in the field worldwide would not recognize the significance that I studied under this professor.</p>
<p>More international?</p>
<p>I later graduated from Stanford Business School with an MBA and became an Investment Banker.</p>
<p>This is typical of the well roundedness of the Princeton education and the closesness with top professors by the undergraduate students.</p>
<p>Thanks guys</p>
<p>You’re welcome. Be careful about asking questions whose answers you already know, by the way.</p>
<p>Wherever you’ll go, you’ll be scorned for it.</p>