<p>Sorry, but Princeton is much more than 45 minutes from NYC by train. Meanwhile, the New Haven Line of Metro North is the busiest commuter rail line in all of North America. Trains run basically around the clock, and every 15 minutes at some points. It's not just whether it's 90 minutes here or 100 minutes there, it's also how frequent the trains run and whether they run at 3am that's important in terms of how often you would want to visit. Although, yes, Princeton students may visit more often than Yale students, probably because there isn't even a quarter as many things to do on the Princeton campus compared to the Yale campus, or even a tenth as many things to do in the town of Princeton versus the city of New Haven.</p>
<p>What qualifications do you have to tell a Princeton student how close Princeton is to NYC?? Ask any Princeton student and he or she will tell you that NYC is very easily commutable. And if you look at the New Jersey Transit schedules, there are trains that leave every 30 minutes or so.</p>
<p>I very often travel to NYC myself. Please don't make false claims.</p>
<p>Between 11pm and 2am, there are two trains from NYC to Princeton. One leaves at 11.09pm and gets to Princeton after 12.30am. The other leaves at 11.42pm and gets to Princeton after 1.00am. How is that 45 minutes? Meanwhile, there are 11.22, 12.22, 1.12, and 1.49 trains from NYC to New Haven. I guess if you are out later than about 11pm in New York City, you're not getting back to Princeton. The train from Princeton to NYC isn't even a "one-seat ride" - you have to get out and switch to a different train at the junction.</p>
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The train from Princeton to NYC isn't even a "one-seat ride" - you have to get out and switch to a different train at the junction.
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<p>Neither are some of the trains from NH to GCT. There's usually a 5-15 minute layover in Stamford, CT, unless you are on a through-train. Also those late-night rides take over 2 hours to get back to New Haven. Then you have to find a cabby at after 4 am in the morning to take you back from Union Station to the Yale campus, no thanks.</p>
<p>There are never any layovers (transfers) or waits on the trains from New York to New Haven or vice versa. It is always a one seat ride. Princeton is always a two seat ride; there are no direct trains.</p>
<p>Regarding cabs, not true. Like at other campuses, a special Yale shuttle bus exists, which goes to the train station there every 10 minutes or so, not to mention the fact that you can call it to anywhere else you might want to be picked up 24/7. If you did want to take a cab, there are always taxis right in front of the train station -- New Haven is one of the busiest train stations in the United States, after all.</p>
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There are never any layovers (transfers) on the trains from New York to New Haven or vice versa. It is always a one seat ride. Princeton is always a two seat ride; there are no direct trains.
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<p>Um, no. Do some research before you just start saying things. Go to mta.info and look at schedules from GCT to NH or vice-versa. You'll find your transfer there. </p>
<p>I could've, of course, have imagined the Stamford layover when I visited Yale via the MTA, but I don't think that's too likely. :)</p>
<p>Guys, is this really worth arguing over?</p>
<p>Princeton and Yale are both absolutely AMAZING schools, and personally I'd be honored to be accepted to either of them.</p>
<p>I agree. I just think people should have the facts when making the hard decision between tough choices like this, and not be influenced by someone who is either uninformed or pushing an agenda. I'll keep quiet on this topic from now on though.</p>
<p>Ah, I see what you are talking about now. Out of over 40 trains per day from New Haven to New York (and 40+ in the other direction), yes, you are correct, there are 3 (three) commuter trains that have a transfer. But those three trains are actually simultaneous with direct trains that leave New Haven later and get to New York earlier. The only reason there is a transfer is because the "first" train is actually just a train to Stamford, and if you took that one and were trying to get to NYC (presumably out of some kind of accident), you could wait about 15 minutes for the next passing train and hop on board. However, there would be absolutely no reason to ever do that, unless you were a commuter who either got very confused or if you for some reason enjoyed spending more time on the train than you needed to :)</p>
<p>My d told me that the kids at her school going to Yale have a real "know it all " tone. This seems to be the case here. She's going to Princeton in the fall and really liked the college atmosphere and the town. She applied ed because of it.</p>
<p>I grew up in NYC and went to Princeton. My D is at Yale. Princeton was a great place for me, having grown up in the city and wanting a change of scene. For my D, growing up in suburbia, the opposite was true. She goes to NYC quite often, as I used to. It's a slightly longer ride from Yale than from Princeton, but the difference is not a big deal. And yes, the MetroNorth trains run very late to New Haven from NYC and there are always cabs waiting at the station. </p>
<p>The differences between the two schools are mostly to do with whether you want a more urban or small town/suburban feel, and how you feel about eating clubs. They're both wonderful places to get a superb education, and most people will be very, very happy at either one. I loved Princeton, and my D adores Yale. :)</p>
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<p>The differences between the two schools are mostly to do with whether you want a more urban or small town/suburban feel, and how you feel about eating clubs.</p>
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<p>...and how you feel about secret societies.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/17253%5B/url%5D">http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/17253</a>
<a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/17212%5B/url%5D">http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/17212</a></p>
<p>Secret societies have nothing to do with the campus culture or campus life at Yale. This is a common misconception. Yale's societies are simply places for a handful of seniors (about 10 people) to gather for dinner on Thursday and Sunday nights. Because only a handful of seniors participate in them (no underclassmen) and they aren't on weekends, they have little bearing on the campus life at Yale.</p>
<p>By comparison, the eating clubs at Princeton are dominant, to many people's dismay. They run all week, and occupy the time of seniors as well as underclassmen. Many students who aren't in eating clubs at Princeton, or are blackballed from them because of their race or background, feel extremely ostracized.</p>
<p>you say: "Yale's societies are simply places for a handful of seniors (about 10 people)"</p>
<p>the yale daily news says: "Each tomb society admits approximately 15 students per year"</p>
<p>you say: "to gather for dinner on Thursday and Sunday nights"</p>
<p>the YDN says: "Members of some of the non-tomb societies said the main purpose of their organization is often to get students together to drink."</p>
<p>meanwhile, the fact that princeton's eating clubs involve such a high fraction of the student body (~75% of upperclassmen as members, probably >90% of all students socially) is what makes the system so egalitarian, as the YDN acknowledges:</p>
<p>"In comparison to Harvard's final clubs or Yale's secret societies, Princeton's eating clubs are in many ways less exclusive. Even the selective bicker clubs have open application; any student can go through the bicker process. Neither final clubs nor secret societies accept applications; students are simply 'tapped' for membership, or at Harvard, 'punched'" and "the eating clubs as a whole may be less restricted than final clubs or secret societies."</p>
<p>Eating clubs are indeed a more dominant aspect of life at Princeton than the secret societies are at Yale. The latter are certainly more exclusive than the former (at least at the non-bicker clubs), but their existence is of negligible concern to most Yale students. I was a member of a non-bicker club in the late 70's (perhaps the nadir of club life at Princeton), had a wonderful time, and made lifelong friends there. But the system is not to everyone's taste.</p>
<p>Nobody has mentioned yet that Princeton's campus is absolutely breathtaking, while Yale's is mediocre at best. Haha, when I visited Yale there was a * destroyed and stripped bicycle* that sombody had obviously tries to vandalize or steal right outside the wecoming center or whatever it's called. I'm not joking. It was funny:)</p>
<p>princeton's campus is beautiful-but i think a bit too pristine haha...nah it's a beautiful campus. but at the same time, it seems somewhat secluded-away from the city...it reminds me too much of where I'm now...i think yale is breathtaking in it's own right. esp. the gothic architecture. and new haven really adds character to the college.</p>
<p>I think Yale's campus is gorgeous too. I visited both Princeton and Yale and didn't think Princeton's was really markedly better than Yale. Yale (especially in nice weather) is truly gorgeous. But I did want a more urban feel when applying, so I might be biased.</p>
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Nobody has mentioned yet that Princeton's campus is absolutely breathtaking, while Yale's is mediocre at best.
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Could you at least try to be serious? Yale's campus is possibly the most beautiful urban campus in the country. For people who like living somewhere bigger than a small town (and not in suburbia), you can't ask for much more than Yale. I think you would find very few people who would describe Yale's campus as "mediocre at best." Plus, calling Princeton's campus "breathtaking" is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. It's nice, but nothing too special.</p>
<p>If you want to see bicycle theft, you'd have to visit a school in a very large city like Boston or New York. Bicycle theft is far more prevalent there because it turns into an underground economy, and you're unlikely to ever run into the person whose bicycle you stole. For example, Harvard had 327 burglaries on campus in the last year reported, including 88 from their dorms. Princeton and Yale had 27 and 35 burglaries from their dorms, respectively, and far less than 100 each total. My friends in New York City had their $2,000 bicycles stolen right from a major street in Manhattan even though they were locked down with super-heavy chains and U-locks.</p>