<p>After visiting schools, I've narrowed it down to these two. MIT because it is so academically strong and Yale because I really loved the feel of the campus and the people I met there. No other school pulled me as hard as Yale did; I really wish I was a music or humanities type so it would be a no-brainer.</p>
<p>Anyways, do people thing it is worth sacrificing academic quality for a better social experience? Is it just insane to go to Yale for engineering over MIT? </p>
<p>My planned major was aerospace or mechanical engineering but I think that I would choose pure physics or CS if I was at Yale (those departments aren't as far behind their MIT counterparts). So I'm pretty undecided in terms of major except that I want it to be science/math related (as that's what I've spent my high school career studying). </p>
<p>The main thing is that I'm not an MIT type, I'm an athletic white guy with little eccentricity, and I'm worried that I'll feel very out of place at MIT.
(My issue is not that I'm not worried about succeeding academically at MIT.)</p>
<p>Any input from current students or prospectives making this choice would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>Sorry for the rambling, I'm stressing pretty hard about this.</p>
<p>If you are set on becoming an engineer, MIT really can’t be beat. Yale engineering is not even comparable. If you are not sure that you want to do engineering, and Physics/CS/etc. sounds just as enticing to you, I think you should go to Yale. You seem to feel that Yale is a much better fit. I think you should go there.</p>
<p>For the honest post, race is irrelevant. For that matter MIT is irrelevant except for comparison to Yale’s A.E School. It only becomes relevant when a not so subtle insult about race and school is being made.</p>
<p>I do not understand why you think I’m insulting MIT. I am saying that I don’t think I’d fit in there. Yes, my race is part of that. if anything, that I am admitting this racism would make my post even more honest, no? </p>
<p>And what do you mean by “MIT is irrelevant except for comparison to Yale’s A.E School.”? My main question is how much outside of the pure academic side of these schools should reasonably compared, and how large a difference in the academic side can be made up there?</p>
<p>"My main question is how much outside of the pure academic side of these schools should reasonably compared, and how large a difference in the academic side can be made up there? " If that’s what you really wanted to say then you should’ve said it. Notice the absence of race. Again it is not necessary unless …</p>
<p>What I’m saying is that the non-academic side, i.e. mainly social side of things, is going to be influenced by the fact that I don’t think I’m a typical MIT person. And yes, that has to do with race as well as other things. Do you have any experience with these schools? If not, I’d rather not waste my time arguing with you.</p>
<h1>1 OP is not being racist. He’s mentioning his ethnicity as a background to see if he would fit in. I don’t understand how you can infer “racism” from OP saying “I’m an athletic white guy.” OP simply wants to understand how he’d fit in at MIT. There’s no inherent racism in his statement at all. It’s not racist to state your race.</h1>
<h1>2 OP: Imo if you’re dead set on engineering, then go to MIT. Yale engineering isn’t exactly renowned. MIT isn’t totally eccentric, there’s athletes and other kids there too. If you, however, feel like you’re ok with pure physics/cs I would say go to Yale because you love it so much. Take a deep breath, talk with your parents, and make your decision based on where you would be happiest.</h1>
<p>OP: I don’t want to argue either. The best thing to do is to send your allegedly honest and forthright concerns to MIT & Yale Adcoms. They will be able to advise the appropriate course of action for you. GL</p>
<p>If anyone cares, I went with MIT. I thought it more likely that I’d find a good group of people to hang out with at MIT than a lot of good engineering students at Yale (just because their department is so small and has so little prestige [note that I am not saying I chose MIT just for the prestige but for an effect of its prestige, its ability to attract talented students]).</p>
<p>Sosomenza–I don’t know what you’re so bitter about but it’s really annoying. “allegedly honest and forthright concerns”? Go away, please. And no I’m not going to ask the adcoms for help deciding… is that even a serious suggestion?</p>
<p>My son had the same thoughts of you. Physics or engineering, back and forth. Then he did FIRST FRC this year and was deadset on engineering, now I’m sad that we blew all that time applying to LACs! But physics is a crap shoot. You plan on getting a phd or masters? It’s much harder with physics to get work etc get to your end point. CS and Engineering are on the different ends of the employability scale. I’m sure Yale is much more close knit etc. It is a smaller school.</p>
<p>You made the right choice. BTW, in terms of social life, Cambridge/Boston is about a billion times better than New Haven CT. You will not be limited to MIT, although there’s nothing wrong with those students either, they are great people.</p>
<p>@santookie There’s no way I can predict at this point. But if I had to guess, I would guess now.
Not really sure what you mean by CS and engineering are on different ends of the employability spectrum… I thought that computer science majors and engineering majors were both in fairly high demand? (Especially so with CS, at least that’s the impression I got from talking to people doing EECS at MIT about their job prospects.)</p>
<p>@mensa Thanks! I really hope so. I tried not to let the surroundings of each school influence my decision because I know that 95% of the time I’ll be on campus, but it’s definitely a plus. </p>
<p>@SoCalDad2 Not what I said. I said “a lot of good engineering students…”, which is 100% true just because there aren’t a lot of engineering students at yale period. And it is true that the average talent of the engineering students at Yale is lower than at MIT.</p>
<p>Congrats! I am sure you will find your circle at MIT and thrive. Adcoms try their best to get the diversity. You can also meet students from other nearby colleges assuming you will have time, given MIT would be challenging even for the lucky ones who get admitted. Note: I guess santookie meant CS and Eng. are at the same end of the job opportunity spectrum.</p>
<p>I went to MIT a while ago so some things may have changed. Note that there is still an exchange program with Harvard, Wellesley, Brandeis, and some other schools so you can cross-register for other classes there. I took an English class at Wellesley. It’s a great way to broaden your experience and see what other campus atmospheres are like. Boston is a great college area. With a 10/1 male/female ratio when I was there, I had no problems socializing with students at other schools.</p>