Hello out there to all the Bulldogs and wannabe Bulldogs! I’m having a hard time deciding which college to apply to Early Action. I’ve nailed it down to most likely Yale or Brown and leaning more towards Yale (and possibly Princeton, Stanford or Columbia but unlikely) and I’d really appreciate some other opinions. (I plan on posting this on the Brown board too to hear from those who made the Brown choice.) I plan on becoming a writer and would major in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing at Yale at Literary Arts at Brown.
YALE PROS:
Residential colleges
More prestigious (we’re all thinking it)
Location (my best friend lives in CT)
I prefer the campus
BROWN PROS:
Open curriculum
I prefer the major
If anyone could tell me more about the happiness of students and community feel that would be great. I’d also like to know if New Haven is really as dangerous as Harvardians say and which department is considered better since I know they are both strong in English.
New Haven is not dangerous if you keep your wits about you when out and about.
Students at Yale are overall very happy, imo, but I’d say that it probably correlates with how good the fit is.
I can’t speak to the relative strengths of the English departments. I would not underestimate the difference in curriculum. You mention Columbia as a possibility. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who could be equally happy at Columbia and Brown, unless they just wanted an Ivy, any Ivy.
IxnayBob
No, it’s not just the Ivy name. Both have creative writing majors and I do like the core curriculum at Columbia and at Brown I’d plan on using the open curriculum to try new things and almost replicate it minus the STEM subjects.
Thanks for your input
You also need to factor in that Brown is ED vs. SCEA for Yale. Many people believe ED gives you a bigger boost in admissions. Then again, if you get in, you are committed. Both schools have great English Departments, so it will be up to you what you get out of your 4 years there (or anywhere). The Yale campus is very safe, so dismiss that as a relevant factor. If you are going to do foolish things and make yourself a target, you would not be safe anywhere. If you have the time and the means, it is worthwhile to visit the campuses of the schools you are considering for ED or EA in the fall to get a sense of where you would be the happiest.
I think that because Brown is ED that you would be wiser to go first Yale SCEA and then Brown RD to weigh your actual options once and if you are accepted. That includes any financial aid, accepted student days and so on. If you really think that your chances will be greater at Brown if you go ED and you don’t want to apply ANYWHERE else then you can shoot for the moon but that seems to be very limiting to me. I would not suggest that to my own kid.