<p>To be fair, I think we should stop attacking Flowerje. The pro-Yale reasons given in the original post aren't hers (his?); they were originally posted on the Yale admitted students board by a current student in response to confused cross-admits who were ASKING the current Yalie to state why she chose Yale over Harvard. Thus, even the original post wasn't some gratuitous event done on a whim like bumpitybump suggests. The reason Flowerje has copied-and-pasted the reasons to CC is likely because many people have been PM-ing her for the post from the Yale admit board.</p>
<p>I would choose Yale over Harvard, can't care to write the reasons for it though.</p>
<p>The posts at the beginning of this thread are without a doubt the biggest bunch of adolescent nonsense I've ever read in my life. About the only thing more laughable is flowerje post #12 demanding no comments since she was reposting the statements ("insights") written by someone else. Duh?--let me understand--you are going to reprint someone else's inane statements and then don't want anyone to point out how inane they are?</p>
<p>These "insights" include Yale being so much better than Harvard based upon such things as 3rd-hand hearsay comments on how many Harvard students go to psychologists, how a Harvard student party planner had to contact a Yale one, and because certain admission sessions are boring.</p>
<p>"Earth to Flowerje--the original author may want to give some valid reasons for Yale being better--stuff based upon things like academics, cultural opportunities, ability to mesh diverse beliefs, placement statistics at masters programs and in careers, etc.--and you may want to consider whether it is logical to try to censure debate after criticizing another school in a public forum whose sole purpose is to exchange different viewpoints. What a dumb comment. </p>
<p>You know, I have never taken a class at Harvard, have no friends there, know no professors there, and have no sons or daughters going there, but I can still state with some certainty that a few people in this country and abroad consider Harvard a good college--and this is not based upon shopping experiences in the bookstore or which dorm is going to have the best parties. </p>
<p>After reading posts like this, if I were a Yale student I'd keep it a secret. I certainly wouldn't want to be associated with students that consider this mumbo-jumbo either logical or something worth posting.</p>
<p>I think paleozoic said it best in an earlier post:</p>
<p>[what] "Flowerje posted...seemed to me if not a bunch of ignorant rubbish, a rather sophomoric perspective on what is important in choosing a university."</p>
<p>YoMama, as you know, after very careful thought, my D also chose Yale over Harvard...for many of the same reasons outlined by the OP. In fact, all 3 Yale/Harvard cross-admits at my D's high school chose Yale over Harvard this year. In fact, the one Harvard/Princeton cross-admit chose Princeton. All 4 students cited the arrogance of Harvard students (my D chuckled at Byerly's arrogant tone in these posts) that they perceived in their visits. On the flip side, 3 alums (two med students and one house officer) of Harvard are passionate about their Harvard experience and described it as the perfect fit for them.</p>
<p>The key here is fit and where the student perceives they will fit best. The OP clearly thought Yale was the best fit for her and is happy even after matriculating. I know my daughter is quite happy and at peace with hers and is thrilled to be going to Yale in the fall. There are Bulldog stickers on her car...she got her dad a Bulldog tie...shoot, she even got our dog a Bulldog collar! She's proud to be a Yalie!</p>
<p>BTW, what ARE Harvard students called? Crimsonites?</p>
<p>aardvarks,..they're quietly called aardvarks</p>
<p>I also agree with Rosencrantz, YoMama & quiltguru. My son applied to Yale EA and didn't even bother applying RD to Harvard nor Princeton because he was not impressed by what he saw when he had first visited those campuses. He has always preferred associating with people who are down-to-earth and Yale's community spirit is just what he's been looking for. As a parent, I have always taught my children to remain humble, no matter how "successful" they become because academic success is not necessarily indicative of a person's character. Since birds of a feather flock together, I am very happy that my son will be attending Yale where he'll be surrounded by equally down-to-earth individuals.</p>
<p>I have no quarrel with anyone who chooses to attend Yale over Harvard, or Princeton over Harvard, or University of Arkansas over Harvard. This country is blessed with a wide array of schools where one can get an excellent education and students should make their own choices for their own reasons. (Byerly no doubt will point out that the vast majority of cross admits choose Harvard, but I certainly know people who have chosen otherwise and been happy with their choice.) </p>
<p>What I find silly is the theme that started this thread and that seems to show up with some regularity on these boards (and elsewhere), i.e., that "School X is great because Harvard sucks." One doesn't see threads (or at least I haven't) proclaiming that Harvard is great because School X sucks. Threads like this one just reflect poorly on School X.</p>
<p>H & Y are the two best schools in US! Period !! End of discussion !!! H-Y rivalry is world-renowned like Cambridge-Oxford, Tokyo-Waseda. Some prefer Y while others prefer H. It seems to me that artsy, humanities types prefer Y while intense/competitive types thrive at H. There are exceptions, though: Our #1 graduate chose Y over H & MIT and hes a science/math wiz. Just borrowing his words, Yale has the school spirit that he likes; Yale students love their school and it shows</p>
<p>Rabban, the truth is out. No matter how much Harvard tries to cover it up, Yale has a much more intense school spirit, more focus on undergrads, a much stronger campus life and students who as a result are happier and love their school more. Visit the campuses for a few days (a few days at each, that is) and then decide. In my experience talking with hundreds of admits to both, at that point the choice is usually pretty obvious. </p>
<p>And it's not Yale "comparing itself to Harvard." It's Yale just being amazing. If anything, the comparison is more often made by Harvard students, as you can sniff out on this thread.</p>
<p>When applicants admitted to both <em>do</em> make those campus visits, they overwhelmingly select Harvard, and have done so for many years. </p>
<p>That is not to say Yale isn't superb - its just that those with a choice usually prefer Harvard.</p>
<p>Not from my daughter's school, Byerly.</p>
<p>I'm glad to hear your daughter is "at peace" with her decision to matriculate at Yale, where she applied SCEA. I only ask that from time to time she acknowledge Harvard's leadership in blazing the way with 2-ply toilet paper.</p>
<p>Well this tread turned out completely wrong, just the same old discussions again.</p>
<p>I just want to say one thing:</p>
<p>I DID NOT WRITE THAT POST, I copied it because a lot of people were asking me to pm it!! (as Ginny said before)</p>
<p>and I'm hoping the people interested in this thread will only read the first page.</p>
<p>I guess the harvard-yale standoff is much too controversial for it not to set off a series of impassioned responses, positive or otherwise- sorry about that, but it shud have been expected-</p>
<p>plus, see this as a plus- Lemme put myself in this scenario, assuming I preferred yale to harvard and read the post and the subsequent responses, I'd appreciate it more than just having read the post and subsequently reading only positive remarks- Yale's superiority can be proven if despite all these posts, yale lovers can still view yale as superior to harvard and perceive responses from harvard lovers like me as a "recycled old flame syndrome." My point is, I hope the people interested read all the pages and make the right decision because if after reading everything, they still pick yale, or still pick harvard (depending on their preferences) then they would have made the right choice-</p>
<p>Fair enough, Byerly!</p>
<p>"All 4 students cited the arrogance of Harvard students"</p>
<p>Arrogance??? Did they all visit???</p>
<p>My D visited Harvard for an extended pre-frosh weekend as we did. The kids could not have been any nicer, as was every one of the parents that we met.</p>
<p>Why make these generalizations?</p>
<p>I have no doubt that the bulk of the kids at Harvard and Yale are all nice. They're basically the same kids - just choosing to go to one place or another for whatever reason.</p>
<p>Actually, Yale is the overwhelmingly preferred selection, given that it receives significantly more applicants per spot, and has a lower acceptance rate than Harvard.</p>
<p>Common admits overwhelmingly prefer Harvard to Yale, and Harvard, because it is more selective, has fewer "admits per spot", TROLLSTER!</p>