<p>I just want to hear some arguments:</p>
<p>Why would a student choose Princeton over Yale? Or why would a student choose Yale over Princeton? What would distinguish each university?</p>
<p>I am going the "Pre-Med" route so I wonder which would be better.</p>
<p>If I had to make the choice between these schools I need to know what makes them great.</p>
<p>Thanks anyone who helps!!</p>
<p>Princeton has a reputation as more WASPish, whereas Yale is an incredibly diverse campus. Princeton has no law, medical, or business school. One reason I never applied to Princeton is because it struck me as too similar to the environment I currently live in (suburban, elitist, etc). Frankly, they're two excellent schools, and I doubt you'll find anyone arguing with your choice to go to either.</p>
<p>I also hear that Princeton's obsessed with some cannon... sounds kinda dumb, if you ask me ;-)</p>
<p>What is WASPish?</p>
<p>white ango saxon protestant</p>
<p>I think(?)</p>
<p>if you are interested in medical school, then you should strongly consider going to yale because it has a medical school. there you can get involved with a variety of both clinical and basic science research opportunities that wouldn't be available without a medical school. Also, you would be able to take classes at the school of public health if that interested you or volunteer in the hospital. Frankly, you would just get alot more exposure to medicine and related fields with a medical school nearby. </p>
<p>supposedly, according to a wsj survey, yale places its students better than princeton into the top graduate and profesisonal programs. However, I highly doubt there is a difference. Something to be wary of is the grade deflation at princeton. From the princeton boards it is apparent that it is in full effect in science classes. The consequence of this is not really known yet because only one class has graduated with a single year of grade deflation. Let's see how they fare when students with four years of grade deflation graduate. I personally think it will hurt their chances of admissions. Its also going to be a stressor especially in pre-med classes with institutional curves placed on them. Honestly, many pre-med classes at yale, rightly or wrongly, are 40/40 A/B. Now this might not mean much to you right now, but come second semester orgo, well, that's a different story. </p>
<p>I personally feel that the only reason to choose yale or princeton is by how you feel in the environments. Pick the one which you think you would thrive in better (especially eating clubs versus residential colleges - don't believe the hype about princeton instituting colleges. It'll be a shadow of the colleges present at HY for at least a decade, and then it will only be some of the class, providing for even more separations between students, as if eating clubs weren't enough). It matters far more that you will be happy for four years, medical school on campus or no medical school on campus. Good luck with your decision, and if are lucky enough to get into both, know that you can't really choose wrongly.</p>
<p>
[quote]
don't believe the hype about princeton instituting colleges. It'll be a shadow of the colleges present at HY for at least a decade, and then it will only be some of the class, providing for even more separations between students
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</p>
<p>While I am not a big eating club fan there will be four year residential colleges as a option beginning with Mathey, Butler and the new Whitman. Tilghman and Makiel are working to wean students away from the clubs but honestly they couldn't even tell you how long the process is going to take. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/president/02/10-23-02.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.princeton.edu/pr/president/02/10-23-02.html</a>
<a href="http://www.princeton.edu/rc/%5B/url%5D">http://www.princeton.edu/rc/</a>
<a href="http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S14/01/23M03/index.xml?section=topstories%5B/url%5D">http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S14/01/23M03/index.xml?section=topstories</a></p>
<p>As far as separations between students, you can find that in any of the elite colleges but things have been changing with more diversified admission practices.</p>
<p>Yale is my top choice. I never considered applying to Princeton for more than a minute. Yes, they're both EXCELLENT schools, but they offer totally different packages. For pre-med, Yale is probably better (in my opinion), but really both will give you a strong educational foundation, so it's hard to go wrong. The question should really be about where you think you would be happiest, because they do have their differences.</p>
<p>Apply to Yale EA, it keeps your options open.</p>
<p>Crimson Bulldog - What does 40/40 A/B mean? Are you saying that 40% of the class gets an A and 40% of the class gets a B?</p>
<p>that is what I mean. In some courses, it was even more generous, but for the bread and butter pre-med classes, that was generally the breakdown of grades (in my experience).</p>
<p>crimsonbulldog - So you are saying that Yale for pre-meds should be fine. Would you take a BA/MD program over Yale?</p>
<p>Yale pre-meds do very well, but so do Princeton pre-meds (currently). </p>
<p>I would personally never, ever choose to go into a BA/MD program no matter where it was, over any ivy leaguesque school. This is for a few reasons:
1) all of the programs with BA/MD programs have at best a second tier, if not worse, medical school.<br>
2) you can never be completely sure you want to go into medical school
3) the curricular freedom of (normal) college is why it is so special. Never again will you be able to take an english class with Harold Bloom or take a new language. You will, however, be a doctor the rest of your long life. Why not take a few years of uninhibited intellectual journeys at pretty much the highest level possible. And who knows, you just might come out of it a political scientist!</p>
<p>Don't be so sure about yourself right now. You have your entire life to do one thing, why not take this opportunity to live a little academically?</p>
<p>what about a Brown PLME program, crimsonbulldog? That gets rid of 1,2, and 3</p>
<p>Or the Northwestern HPME.</p>
<p>it does not get rid of #1, Brown's medical school is second tier (though this is hardly proof, it is ranked #40 in USNEWS and its hospital is unremarkable). PLME does give you the opportunity to go to other medical schools (or none at all) as well as curricular freedom I think. Also, at least you are going to Brown for undergrad instead of Miami or Penn State. So if I had to choose, this would be the one. However, if I got into a better school, however you want to define that, then I would definitely go there. That said, Brown is a wonderful school, a great college environment, so you couldn't go wrong.</p>
<p>sound like a good deal, a top 20 medical school and a top 20 undergrad. But would you really go there over an opportunity to go to Princeton? You are sort of limiting yourself when it comes to how high you can go. I don't see why anyone who could gain admission to Yale or Princeton should be so afraid of taking the MCAT's and getting into medical school that they would sign off their potential to avoid the challenge. That's not a knock on Northwestern, as its a great medical school, and is most definitely the top choice of many pre-meds.</p>
<p>Look, getting into Yale's medical school which is better than both northwestern and brown, is sort of the median for yale pre-meds. At places with medical schools, you will be given preferential treatment in getting into their professional schools (nepotism). Just don't worry right now about medical school, for god's sake, you're only 18. Hopefully you'll even dare to take a year or two off between college and med school to get a better perspective on the world anyway. Only 40 percent of my medical school class at harvard came out of college, and they were definitely the most boring students there. Join the peace corps, teach for america, whatever. If you want really badly to be a doctor and have the brains to get into Yale, don't worry, YOU WILL BECOME A DOCTOR.</p>
<p>any med program gets rid of #3...thats the whole point lol</p>
<p>What percentage of Yale's pre-meds ultimately end up in a top-tier med school? Does anyone know?</p>
<p>I'm sure its very high.<br>
<a href="http://www.wsjclassroomedition.com/pdfs/wsj_college_092503.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.wsjclassroomedition.com/pdfs/wsj_college_092503.pdf</a></p>
<p>Here's a piece of trivia: What college has the highest medical school matriculation rate for its pre-med's?<br>
Answer: Haverford.</p>
<p>Princeton is very preppy. It's in one of the most affluent areas of New Jersey. The closest city (which you would never want to be in at night) is Trenton, then Camden (according to numerous sources, it's the most dangerous city in the US), then New Brunswick and Cherry Hill (which hardly count), then Philadelphia and New York (but they're an hour away). To get anywhere in Princeton you need to have a car. The public buses are scarce seeing as how they're hardly used (actually I don't think they go into Princeton itself). The Dinky can take you to the Princeton Junction train station, but from there your options are limited, and you're subject to a huge crowd, especially every day during rush hour.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Yale itself is in a city and is known for its artsy-ness rather than preppiness. Sure, New Haven isn't the safest city, but it sure as hell beats Newark and Camden.</p>
<p>Academically, Princeton is strong in scientific research (soo many research facilities throughout Princeton and surrounding townships), and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is amazing. Yale is more known for its programs in the arts.</p>