<p>Why revive a dead thread? And I don't know why you guys are arguing with or about the OP. She hasn't posted anything in months, so I doubt she is listening.</p>
<p>My God, get a life guys.</p>
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<p>You will <em>never</em> see posters on the Harvard page justifying their choice by spewing negative stuff about "the competition." Harvard students generally find it sufficient to focus on the aspects of their own school that attract them.
This may be the most valuable thing Byerly has ever posted.</p>
<p>I do hope that over here in the Yale forum I'll find plenty of information about the strong points of Yale, from people knowledgeable about Yale.</p>
<p>Harvard and Yale are arguably the two most recognized and prestigious universities in the U.S. They also generally win most of the cross-admit battles with other schools (with Harvard usually winning between the two of them). However, sometimes students decide to choose neither as they seek a different type of college experience. I chose Amherst over Yale as I wanted a LAC experience. A number of my college classmates made similar choices w/r to Harvard/Yale. Another friend from high school chose Swarthmore over Harvard. I also know several students who chose MIT over Harvard/Yale because of their interest in engineering. Last, financial issues also can heavily sway the college decision. A student at our high school chose Emory over Harvard, most likely because of a merit scholarship. Occasionally, students from our high school have opted for our highly-regarded state university honors program over Ivies for similar reasons.</p>
<p>... since when has this forum become a spam forum</p>
<p>I made my earlier post to point out there while there are legitimate differences between Harvard vs. Yale, to argue one is "better" than the other seems somewhat like the medieval conundrum of arguing how many angels dance on the head of a pin. Both are great schools, maybe even the best for SOME people. </p>
<p>I also wanted to point out to the high school applicants that one size does not fit all. There may be a school with a better fit for a particular student. Also, there are other great schools out there besides H and Y. I certainly felt that was the case for me and have never regretted my own decision.</p>
<p>Last, for whatever it's worth, Yale was the first choice of my younger brother who had a strong interest in music, humanities, and the biological sciences. He was not accepted there but was accepted to Harvard and Brown, and ultimately decided to attend Harvard. He had a wonderful experience at Harvard and probably would have had an equally wonderful experience had he been fortunate enough to attend Yale. Admission to the top schools is highly unpredictable. With admission rates under 10% at both schools, it is a rare candidate indeed who is fortunate to even have the cross-admit dilemma between Harvard and Yale. </p>
<p>Without sounding too trite, my advice for aspiring students is to know yourself and what you want out of your college education, and find the best fit, not necessarily the "best" college or university. Then appreciate your opportunities, count your blessings if your are accepted to a top college, and make the most of your college experience once there. Ultimately, that will be the measure of your time spent regardless of where you go.</p>
<p>"You rather miss the point. What is telling is that the OP and others of the same ilk seem compelled to justify their choice by comparing it to Harvard - and tearing down Harvard in the process."</p>
<p>That's silly, Byerly. Remember that this is a college forum--I'm considering applying to Harvard and Yale this year and actually, the discussion of Yale/Harvard is really informative to me. I'm glad someone is comparing the two (and even if that person is "wrong" about Harvard, he/she has some good inside information on Yale). It's informative and it's helping me decide which one I like enough to apply early. OBVIOUSLY Harvard isn't "better" or "worse" than Yale. No one is going to ruin your precious Harvard!</p>
<p>And Byerly, I assume you went to Harvard (sorry if I'm wrong): Are you saying you didn't meet or hear of a single person who chose Harvard because "it's Harvard"? There are TONS of people like that--I can think of at least a dozen and I'm just a kid. My point is that people choose their colleges for different reasons and just because you chose Harvard doesn't mean you chose it for nobler reasons than this "ilk."</p>
<p>The concept of "fit" is a trite, overrated concept, IMHO. </p>
<p>Conceivably, there are timid souls who know they would be better off at a teeny-tiny, where the president has you up to his house for milk and cookies on Sunday night, and the dean will tuck you into bed and read you a story.</p>
<p>But most kids will "fit" wherever they go. In any event, it is unlikely that a meaningful "fit" can be determined on the basis of a one-day visit during "Bulldog Days" etc., when the school goes out of its way to impress you.</p>
<p>Being thrown together with a half-dozen people randomly on a visit in April is a pretty dubious way of deciding that the kids at school X are "down to earth" or not (... another cliche that makes my eyes roll.)</p>
<p>My advice - go to the academically highest rated school to which you gain admission, and avoid small towns in remote locations.</p>
<hr>
<p>And Mallowmar ... we already <em>knew</em> - or thought we knew - how you feel about Harvard, since you have previously vowed that you wouldn't apply there if it was "the last place on earth" - <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=2908903&postcount=57%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=2908903&postcount=57</a></p>
<p>So it is certainly confusing, to hear you say, now, that you are "considering" applying to this terrible place where "tons of people", in your experience, apply for shallow, ignoble reasons, rather than to Yale where, one assumes, the applicants' motivations are nobler!! Glad to hear you have an open mind!</p>
<p>More to Mallomar ...</p>
<p>So you are "considering" applying to Harvard, are you?</p>
<p>In a post 3 weeks ago, I see that you ranked it only #5 among the Ivies for acceptability in your sight! </p>
<p>What happened? Did you have an epiphany of some sort, or are you just turning into a shallow, ignoble, prestige-whorish "un-down-to-earth" type as you mature?</p>
<p>"Conceivably, there are timid souls who know they would be better off at a teeny-tiny, where the president has you up to his house for milk and cookies on Sunday night, and the dean will tuck you into bed and read you a story."</p>
<p>Byerly,
Some people prefer a "warm and fuzzy" place for college and for their workplace later in life. It is not a judgment of their abilities but a matter of personal choice. Perhaps it reflects a certain self-awareness of where they would be "happier" at (however, the individual might define that).</p>
<p>I was a shy and somewhat introverted kid at 18 when I entered college but certainly was not a "timid soul." I was able to have certain experiences at a small college that I would not have been able to have had at a large university. Obviously the reverse is true, too. As a freshman, I met the college president to discuss setting up a political workshop, and met the dean of students several times (not for a disciplinary reasons!). I also had dinner at several professor's homes (no milk and cookies, unfortunately) and they remain some of my most cherished college memories. I still keep in touch with two professors who remain close friends.</p>
<p>Professionally, I do not think my college choice had a significant impact as I was able to attend perhaps the top program in my chosen field. I cannot put on a retrospectoscope and see how life might have been different had I gone elsewhere. My choice as an 18 year old seemed to be the best one for me at that time. </p>
<p>We are likely agree to disagree on this matter. I acknowledge your point. I also do not want take away the focus of this thread which is a comparison between Harvard and Yale. Nonetheless, I still believe that there are other great alternatives out there besides H/Y for top students.</p>
<p>Excellent post in #131. It looks like you got a good education.</p>
<p>Oh, there are plenty of "alternatives." </p>
<p>My point is that trying to pick one of them on the basis of so-called "fit" - as perceived by an 18-year-old with the benefit of a 3-hour college tour - is a pretty poor way to decide where the 21-year old graduate will have obtained the most valuable education.</p>
<p>Agree with you, Byerly. Getting the best and most reliable information is important since choosing which college to attend is an important decision. A three hour tour does not cut it. For some teenagers, it may be the first major decision that have had to make for themselves while at the same time recognizing the important role that parents have in that decision. There may not be a clear cut right or wrong decision; however, students will need to take responsibility for that decision. It also is like an act of faith-so much can happen during this critical phase of life. That is part of the challenge.</p>
<p>I would advise students to visit colleges on a "typical" weekend and class day if at all possible (Not Bulldog week or equivalent for whatever college where the red carpets are rolled out). Talk, call, or meet kids that go there (their information is current), particularly if they are from your own school or geographic area. You also will have some common frames of reference. If that is not possible, try to get in touch with students on-line who may also share some of your academic. career. or extra-curricular interests. Teachers, guidance counselors, and alums are also valuable resources as they may offer additional perspectives. However, take into account that their information may not be first-hand or is based on experiences that are quite different from what is going on at the college currently. Read guidebooks and ranking lists-but with caution (some are more helpful and objective than others). Just because one school is annointed number one may not mean it is number one for you.</p>
<p>excellent information!! thanks for the comparison between them!!</p>
<p>Byerly, the point is, there is no other option than to determine fit using your current state of reasoning. As 18 year olds (and as parents of 18 year olds) we try our best to find a college that fits. What else can we do but that? We can't somehow find an objective, rational, perfect criterion to decide the college. It's not possible to do that. The best we can do is to make our best effort to find a school or schools that match(es) our values and criteria. You criticize the concept of 18 year olds finding a college fit. Well, what's the alternative? Waiting until you reach an age of ultimate perfect wisdom to make the decision? No. Remember, this is just college. Students can be happy at many colleges and chances are even if we make the "Wrong" choice we will still find our niche and succeed.</p>
<p>You seem to miss my point.</p>
<p>In fact, I believe that the whole concept of "fit" is much overdone, if it has anything to do with happiness etc. etc.</p>
<p>Sure, some kids wouldn't "fit" at MIT, Caltech or the Berklee School of Music, and you wouldn't go to Swarthmore if you want to play football, to BYU if you want to major in beer-drinking.</p>
<p>But otherwise, studies show that kids are generally satisfied wherever they end up, whether its at their previously-identified "dream school", one of their previously-identified "safties" or simply the home-town college or home-state flagship where their girlfriend or their buddies are going.</p>
<p>My advice is to go to the most highly-rated school, academically, to which you get admitted.</p>
<p>Thank you soo much for making this a thread! You've set out great points for someone very interested in attending to Yale. You've literally made me laugh as well as making strong points with the differences between these two Ivy schools.</p>
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This is most likely because the comments posted by the OP are, indeed, laughable.</p>
<p>Not really.</p>