<p>I'm a junior in high school right now and discovering college options and all that. Why did you fall in love with Princeton (as opposed to other Ivies, UCs, Stanford, MIT, etc)?</p>
<p>I didn't look at any of the California schools, but I visited most of the Ivies, so I can help you a bit there.</p>
<p>For starters, I wanted a school that had a broad liberal arts focus rather than a more preprofessional atmosphere, which eliminated Cornell and Penn right away, since I didn't like the idea of the sharply delineated "schools" within the university. I thought Dartmouth was too rural, and also has a reputation for being the biggest party school of the Ivies.</p>
<p>In all honesty, I think I could have been extremely happy at any of the other Ivies, not to say that I would have been miserable at Cornell, Penn, or Dartmouth, either. Admittedly, I did want to go to one of the "big three" schools, since, although all of the elite schools have great students and professors, those tend to attract the very top. That being said, had I fallen in love with Columbia or Brown, I woud have applied there, since the differences, once you get to that high a level, are fairly marginal. </p>
<p>On the most superficial level, I think Princeton's campus is the prettiest of all the schools I visited. Although Yale's buildings may have a slight edge, because it is a city campus, the overall effect is not as impressive - and of course, aesthetics aside, being in New Haven is a drawback in itself (although to be fair, the area immediately around the school is not that bad). I also think Princeton's size is perfect. There are enough students so that you aren't ever going to feel like you've met everyone, but few enough that ,even in the earliest weeks freshman year, when you know very few people, you still see familiar faces around campus all the time. Personally, I was more comfortable with a suburban location than a city one, although I know that is an opinion many people don't share.</p>
<p>Academically, I liked the JP/Senior Thesis program, which allows undergraduates to complete a scholarly research project before graduating. Although the theses predictably vary in scope ( some people just want to get through, some are publishable) I really think the experience will be a valuable one, even if it may be a bit painful as well. The precept system, in which students meet in small groups for discussions, was also a big draw. I know other schools have recitations and similar programs, but the precepts seem to be a more integral component of Princeton courses that recitations are at other schools.</p>
<p>I suppose I can't end this post without saying at least a little on the neverending Princeton/Harvard teaching quality debate. Judging by the fact that most of the criticism of Harvard professors devoting too much time to grad students at the expense of undergrads comes from non-Harvard students, I would guess that it is overstated. Certainly, it is ridiculous to say that Harvard is all about the name; it is also about an incredibly talented student body and faculty that, regardless of what anyone says, is among the best in the nation. However, it only makes sense that, with nearly twice as many graduate students as undergrads, a large amount of resources will be reserved for those students. Although Princeton has grad students, it is overwhelmingly an undergraduate school, and, without professional schools, the undergraduate programs are the almost exclusive focus of administration and professors alike. </p>
<p>As you may be able to guess, I'm procrastinating on a final paper right now. Anyway, good luck in making your choice, and if you have any more specific questions I'll try to answer them, although I'm a freshman, so my information is somewhat limited.</p>
<p>Because Princeton's spirit matches my personality and value system.</p>
<p>Would you care to elaborate on that a tad, Rhapsody?</p>