Yale or Princeton?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>Which is a better choice for someone interested in the humanities and social sciences, but without a definite sense of the future? Essentially, a liberal, well-rounded, sociable, and adventurous person who wants a great college experience. </p>

<p>Which school would you choose and why? Specific reasons are much appreciated. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>YALE ftw</p>

3

<p>probably princeton, if only for undergrad focus</p>

4

<p>Hmm…well, Yale is known for being more liberal-artsy…but both schools are “well-rounded” </p>

<p>I get the impression that Yale is better for going into academia and Princeton is better for going into policy,etc</p>

5

<p>I don’t see why there’s so much worry about grade deflation. It is taken into consideration for most grad schools. I’d go with Princeton. Undergrad focus, incredible school spirit, and an amazing overall feel.</p>

6

<p>YALE carries far more prestige !</p>

7

<p>

Would you please stop posting this? Surely you know it isn’t true, and somebody might be reading this who really doesn’t know much about these schools. I’m a Yale alum, and I like Yale better for certain reasons, but other people prefer Princeton for other reasons.
OP, if anybody tells you that Yale has “far more prestige” than Princeton, they are telling you an untruth based on some bizarre agenda of their own.</p>

8

<p>You’ll have a great time regardless. </p>

<p>In my opinion, decisions between Yale and Princeton pretty much come down to this:

  1. Financial Aid
  2. Do you prefer a more urban feel, or a town setting (that is close enough to a big city, but not IN one)?
  3. Do you prefer a larger student body? A smaller one?
  4. How do you feel about a large graduate student presence on campus?</p>

<p>People lucky enough to have this choice should really try to visit both campuses.</p>

9

<p>Princeton for suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure when it comes to the social sciences.</p>

<p>For liberal arts, Princeton still wins because of the undergraduate focus.</p>

<p>Only go to Yale if you love New Haven…</p>

10

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<p>heh. HA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. omg.</p>

11

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<p>I think you would have a difficult time convincing Yale undergraduates that Yale doesn’t care about them. There really is not much difference between Princeton and Yale in this sense. Both certainly pay a great deal of attention to undergraduate education.</p>

12

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<p>The fact that Princeton is actively trying to improve its support for its graduate students because they are in some ways lacking (words from the mouth of administrators I’ve interviewed for various reasons) indicates that Princeton probably commits itself more to undergraduates than almost any other institution that has a significant graduate population.</p>

13

<p>I hate Yale… so PRRRINNNNNNCCCCCEEEEEEETTTOOOOONNNNNNN All the way!!!</p>

14

<p>I think Princeton would be a little better because of its undergraduate focus and its very strong in its liberal arts education. You may get slightly higher grades at Yale simply because of the grading policy here at Princeton, but I think you’d have a more fulfilling learning experience here. Personally, I’d favor the learning experience over getting a slightly higher GPA. I’ve come to be less conscious of my grades here, and if I end up being a B+ (3.3 GPA) student at the end of 4 years, that’s fine. I’m doing the work to the best of my abilities, learning new things, and having the experience of a lifetime, and that’s what matters. </p>

<p>But the bottom line is either school is magnificent at nearly everything, so go where you think you’ll enjoy college the most. I vote Princeton, but if Yale is where your heart is calling, go there.</p>

15

<p>This discussion is like Mercedes and BMW owners arguing over which cars have nicer floormats. The differences in educational experience at these schools is negligible–decide based on your gut.</p>

16

<p>In terms of scholarly work, it appears that Yale is better than Princeton ([Performance</a> Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities](<a href=“http://ranking.heeact.edu.tw/en-us/2009%20by%20Fields/Domain/SOC]Performance”>http://ranking.heeact.edu.tw/en-us/2009%20by%20Fields/Domain/SOC)), but this is discounted by the fact that Princeton does not have a Law school. In terms of peer review, Princeton appears to fare better than Yale in most of the disciplines except English ([Best</a> Social Sciences and Humanities Schools - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools)). For Princeton, publication is a concern, because lack of competitiveness in publication will eventually catch up with the reputation (peer review).</p>

17

<p>It’s all up to your own personal preference. Both are amazing schools that will offer you great opportunities. However, in terms of campus beauty, I would have to vouch for Princeton :P, and I personally prefer Princeton overall.</p>