Why Yale over Harvard?

<p>Byerly, stop making generalizations, you never heard of a Harvard person put down Yale and say Harvard was better, i hear all the time. Harvard isn't any better than Yale, just like many colleges aren't really better than any other college, it comes down to preference and feeling.</p>

<p>Wow, Byerly. The OP just wanted to know why these people liked Yale better than Harvard or why current students chose Yale over Harvard when they were admitted to both (contrary to popular belief, it does happen). Obviously it was going to entail comparisions of Harvard and Yale in areas where Yale would look better. There are plenty of areas where Harvard is better than Yale. For example, I won't even contest the superiority of Cambridge/Boston to New Haven because Harvard wins that contest hands down, if you care about a good football team, by all means go to Harvard, and if prestige is what you are after Harvard is a slight notch above Yale. I could list more reasons, but I think people get the idea. It all comes down to which areas where Harvard or Yale is better matter more to you. The OP asked for the areas where Yale was better and we provided some. While I will admit that Yale does have a slight inferiority complex towards Harvard (which dates back to when the school was founded), it wasn't anyones intention to claim that Yale was unilaterally superior to Harvard. It is just better in certain areas.</p>

<p>Byerly, the ENTIRE PREMISE of this thread was to see "Why Yale over Harvard?" - we answered, I thought, rather fairly. I don't see how you can NOT have an "other-directed" post on this type of thread, which asked explicitly "what's better about Yale that Harvard doesn't have?" In my post, I acknowledged the fact that my statements were generalizations and didn't apply to many students at both schools, but that they nevertheless contributed to the "feel" of the schools. I also emphasized that it all comes down to a "gut" reaction, nothing else. Your animosity continues to amaze me...if it makes you feel better, DON'T READ PRO-YALE THREADS! We're discussing intangibles here, so stop attacking us, especially when we're being fair!</p>

<p>Here's the problem... is it not possible to contribute to a Yale bragging thread without throwing in a lot of the tiresome cliche anti-Harvard digs? Most of the people slinging this stuff are totally clueless.</p>

<p>Once more ... I challenge you to find a SINGLE Harvard bragging thread ANYWHERE equivalent to this typical Yale bragging thread, in which ANYONE sneers at Yale's academic merit - "generalized" or otherwise. You can't do it.</p>

<p>A "Why Yale over Harvard" thread appears about every month on this page. I'm convinced that the person who started this thread either wanted to watch people argue, or give certain Elis a chance to pat each other on the back and make themselves feel good.</p>

<p>I supppose its a "man bites dog" sort of deal. That's why you never see any threads with a "Why Harvard over Yale?" theme; that isn't the sort of choice that needs to be rationalized!</p>

<p>Why Yale over Harvard? Yale has better school colors than Harvard's, and a nicer mascot. Yale is one syllable long, and has four letters; I love the name Yale, it's concise and beautiful. There are residential colleges and they foster a wonderful sense of community. I'm not sure if Harvard's residential houses do that to the same degree. There are Master's Teas. More people live on campus all four years at Yale than at Harvard. <em>sigh</em> There is "Science Hill" at Yale. As a science major...yeah, I enjoy that there's a science hill, a place that all us science people are known to go. And then, there's the whole Harvard vs. Yale thing. It's a fact: the public thinks Yale is a excellent school--second in the country only to Harvard. All the same, Yalies seem more enthusiastic about their school than Harvardians(Harvard-ites? How do you call Harvard students, anyway?). Yalies also seem a bit more grounded than Harvard folk. Harvard has that "Best School in the Country" label. Wonderful for Harvard, but that's why, I reckon, there's a slightly higher pushy egomanic quotient at Harvard than at Yale. (Honestly, it comes down to silly intangibles and generalizations like these; they are both great schools) </p>

<p>Now to address Byerly's "Yale can only prove itself to be good in relation to Harvard" arguement. As a EA applicant (and, I'm thrilled to say, a succesful one!) I know that a very large group of high schools seniors spent about 3 months on this board collectively loving Yale without so much as a mention of Harvard. It's only in this RD round that everybody brings up Harvard so much, which is natural. By the way, Byerly, I don't even spend that much time on these boards anymore, and I've noticed you've spent a considerable amount of time dragging Yale down here. What's up with that? What I've found among Yale-Harvard cross admits, is while those who choose Harvard tend to pick it "because it's Harvard," because of the name, those who pick Yale choose Yale because of what the school has to offer. Hmn. Anyway, whoever's lucky enough to be admitted to both Yale and Harvard this April will have a very tough choice to make, because they are both wonderful schools. They're quite similar too, fundamentally.</p>

<p>I think it's fair for me to assume that you are a Harvard student from your "Harvard is #1 by far" post. Now in this thread, you are, in fact, proving the generalization of Harvard students to be true. Let me explain how.</p>

<p>You are being completely unfair, not only to those who responded on this thread with helpful answers to the OP, but also to the person who started the thread. You presume that he/she started the thread to fulfull some sort of malicious desire to "give certain Elis a chance to pat each other on the back and make themselves feel good." Woah. The only words I can think of right now to describe your statement (and maybe you... and maybe ALL Harvard students) are "presumptuous" and "arrogant." I don't necessarily believe these generalizations about Harvard students, but it's kind of funny to see someone who fits the Harvard mold unerringly. Congrats; you should be proud.</p>

<p>And before you also attack me and call me a "Yalemonger" trying to "prove Yale's worth," you should also know that I love Harvard and have already applied. ;)</p>

<p>Sincerely,
A "Yalemonger" who also loves Harvard</p>

<p>By the way, Byerly, I don't even spend that much time on these boards anymore, and I've noticed you've spent a considerable amount of time dragging Yale down here.<a href="tallyrand">b</a>** - Precisely the point I was about to make. :)</p>

<p>I'm convinced that the person who started this thread either wanted to watch people argue, or give certain Elis a chance to pat each other on the back and make themselves feel good.<a href="GOMBD12">b</a>** - Evidently you didn't read the comments of the person who started this thread. A successful Yale applicant has every right to discuss the merits of Yale in relation to those of another school, and I don't think it's fair to suggest that this thread was meant "to give certain Elis a chance to pat each other on the back and make themselves feel good." That comment is beyond ridiculous - the entire purpose of these forums is college discussion, and those of us who did get into Yale are not on here to make each other feel good. The admissions decision did that. We can discuss Yale's characteristics with a fellow Yale acceptee if we wish.</p>

<p>sprezzatura - well said! You certainly deserved that thick envelope from Yale. (and deserve that thick envelope from Harvard in April as well...)</p>

<p>And all I have to say to Byerly's newest regurgitation is that it doesn't say anything new, anything constructive, or anything rational, for that matter.</p>

<p>I have never attempted to "drag Yale down" as you put it. Yale is a fine school. What I object to is using a Yalie bragging thread for putting down Harvard in order to make Yale look relatively better.</p>

<p>I have uttered not a SINGLE WORD that could be characterized as "putting Yale down."</p>

<p>Quoting Byerly:</p>

<p>Harvard won, 35-3. </p>

<hr>

<p>In fact, Harvard has beaten Yale four years in a row, for the first time since 1922. So its pretty clear who sucks .. at football anyway!</p>

<p>Lie much?</p>

<p>I never made Yale seem better by pointing out Harvard's faults. Byerly, I recommend that you read Vivaldi's post b/c I tend to agree with him. Also, this is the Yale board, no the Harvard board, so most of the people who read the posts are in favor of Yale already and you should have been prepared for a number of people defending Yale.</p>

<p>Byerly writes in numerous posts within the last few days:[ul]
[<em>] "I haven't seen any threads [where] Harvard students feel the need to justify their choice, either because of football, drinking opportunities, quality of instruction or for any other reason - particularly *relative to Yale</em>."
[<em>] "...I challenge you to find a SINGLE Harvard bragging thread ANYWHERE equivalent to this typical Yale bragging thread, in which ANYONE sneers at Yale's academic merit - 'generalized' or otherwise. You can't do it."
[</em>] "I have never seen ANY site, anywhere, where people affiliated with Harvard spend so much as a second running down Yale academically in order to make [Harvard] look better. It just doesn't happen."
[<em>] "You…seem sadly obsessed with trying to make Yale look better by knocking Harvard. Its a rather pathetic technique. A loser technique. You will almost NEVER see a Harvard student, applicant or graduate on this site doing the reverse."
[</em>] "Why is it that virtually every Yale booster - including, typically. [CC member] and [CC member]… find it impossible to sing Yales praises without putting down Harvard at the same time?"
[<em>] "Let this be a lesson learned: don't try to build up Yale by tearing down its 'rivals' - in the usual, annoying Yalie fashion..."
[</em>] "I have uttered not a SINGLE WORD that could be characterized as 'putting Yale down.'"
[li] And the list goes on...[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Hey, Byerly. A word of advice... just STOP! Stop trying to make yourself appear so magnificent in comparison to Yalies. In all of these posts you have made, you have not said one unique thing! Unless you have something different and intriguing to say, then just don't say anything at all. Be your definition of a "model Harvard student" and be... hmm... NOT like a Yalie. Go post on the Harvard board if we bother and offend you and your fellow Crimsons so much. No one is forcing you to read this thread, and no one is forcing you to respond so repetitively. So please, Byerly: just stop.</p>

<p>In my humble opinion, this might qualify as an article "where people affiliated with Harvard spend so much as a second running down Yale academically in order to make Yale [sic--Harvard?] look better." </p>

<p>See: <a href="http://www.harvardindependent.com/news/2002/11/21/Forum/Yale-Sucks-329501.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.harvardindependent.com/news/2002/11/21/Forum/Yale-Sucks-329501.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>(You might have to register to read the article.)</p>

<p>So I take it NONE of you has been able to finde a SINGLE post - let alone a Harvard equivalent of this typical Yalie bragging thread - where any Harvard applicant or student has felt compelled to run down Yale academically, socially or otherwise in order to rationalize his preference for Harvard.</p>

<p>It would be nice if Yale advocates could do the same thing, rather than feel the constant need to proclaim their preference for Yale as a function of their alleged distaste for Harvard.</p>

<p>In other words, Yalies should stop being so Harvard-centric.</p>

<p>Hm... Still not stopping... I guess you just wanted to add that last post to "My List of Byerly's Boring Repetitiveness" (see above).</p>

<p>Also read the nice little article that was posted above. I emphasize this excerpt:</p>

<p>"...always remember that Harvard is, and will always be, a great school and that Yale is a ****ty school."</p>

<p>I guess someone was able to prove you wrong, Byerly. And if you read the article carefully, you would remember that the writer said something about the overwhelming anti-Yale sentiment when The Game is approaching. So it's not just this person who hates Yale. It's most Harvard kids, and although they might not say anything on CC about it, they DO believe that Harvard is superior to Yale in every way possible. Maybe something to think about...?</p>

<p>Still not a single thread... ANYWHERE .... by Harvard admits or students feeling the need to rationalize their choice relative to Yale or any other school, or belittling the academic etc. virtues of Yale..</p>

<p>You will look in vain for such a thread among the thousands here, on the PR site or on the "Ex-Oh-Ex-Oh" site. Yale bragging threads like this one are a fairly unique Yalie phenomenon, and not a very attractive one at that.</p>

<p>All anybody could come up with (presumably after an exhaustive Google search) was a pre-Harvard/Yale game article in a student publication making fun of the upcoming opponent.</p>

<p>I'd say you Yalie boosters have struck out!</p>

<p>Byerly, go back to the harvard board where you belong --> <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Fine. Yale sucks. Harvard is superior to all. You win, all-knowing, all-powerful Byerly! We bow down to you. You are our king.</p>

<p>Get over yourself.</p>

<p>EDIT: (I was just kidding about the "Yale sucks" thing! I love you, Yale!)</p>