<p>I was just informed this Saturday that I was accepted to Yale off the waitlist. Yale had initially been my first choice school (I applied SCEA, was deferred, waitlisted, and finally accepted!), however, I have grown very attached to Penn (SAS) over the past 5 weeks. I am interested in studing either Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Penn or Ethics, Politics, and Economics at Yale (basically the same major) and I will most likely attend law school after graduation. Additionally, I am interested in participating in Mock Trial, a cappella, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in college. Aside from my academic and extra-curricular activities, I enjoy having fun and I guess I would refer to myself as "social." I want to be in an academic, intellectual enviroment which is simultaneously laid-back and a lot of fun. Any suggestions??? Thanks! (I have until May 19th to decide)</p>
<p>For acapella -> Yale. It was one of my main reasons that I applied…but I got rejected. Haha…go to Yale.</p>
<p>I am one of the biggest Penn rooters on this site, but judging by your interests you seem like the stereotypical Yalie. By that I mean your focuses lie in the humanities/ you’re a pre-law/ you’re an academic who could possibly (and will likely) become a professor/ and you would not mind spending your life in the peace corp and working for non-profits/ and you love a capalla kind of person. Penn kids tend to want to operate in the real world rather than stay in academia, though such people obviously exist at both places.</p>
<p>Penn is more social in the traditional sense and that could be a huge draw. Philly is also way better than New Haven. Penn Mock Trial is awesome. </p>
<p>I am not sure whether this applies to you, but if it does, it may be significant. Yale is famous for its huge LBGT community - it is known as the Gay Ivy for a reason. So, if that is your thing, you will probably have more options there and will probably feel more at home - that’s not to say that you could not feel comfortable at Penn, it is just that there just happens to be a larger LBGT community at Yale and it is a greater part of the culture there. In recent years, Penn’s admission committee has been making strides to get more LBGT kids to come, so the administration is taking steps to make the LBGT community a larger presence on campus. But you will feel comfortable in either place, Penn is a big place after all, I’m sure you will be able to find someone. Good luck!</p>
<p>dan92, go to Yale.</p>
<p>As I’ve said before, unless financial aid is an issue, pick Yale.</p>
<p>Any argument to the contrary is hot wind. Damn.</p>
<p>YALE. Nuff said</p>
<p>Thank you for all of your help! It was a difficult decision to make, but I will be attending Yale next year.</p>
<p>Congratulations – I know you made the right choice. I did my undergrad at Yale and later went to Penn for grad school. I just honestly believe that the Yale undergrad program offers an experience that is just heads and shoulders over the Penn experience. Yale students are, on average, just more intellectually engaged in their coursework and swept up in their extra-curriculars – in a fun sort of way. Yale is warmer and friendlier, and is a much better run university, in my opinion. The student body at Penn is much more wrapped up in mundane concerns, and money does really seem to talk more loudly at Penn.</p>
<p>Have a great 4 years!</p>
<p>Penn is much less selective. It is the second easiest Ivy.</p>
<p>gugupo: keep your snarky anti-Penn remarks to the Penn site. Just go away</p>
<p>I was wondering if gugupo’s girlfriend slept with Penn.</p>
<p>^^LOL. I was shocked by the attack on gugupo based on his selectivity comment until I read his other comments all over the Penn site all posted since 5/1/10. No Penn reject would spend the time ■■■■■■■■ like this. It certainly appears as if this is a sad attempt to belittle a fine school to get off the WL. As a Yale undergrad and Penn grad student, however, I think Dan92 made the right decision:). In fact the reason I chose Penn for med school is that I had such a great time at Yale and hoped that going to a medical school that was contiguous with an undergraduate campus would let me continue some of the glory years. I guess my med school administration didn’t get the memo.</p>
<p>To add 2 cents: anyone who thinks that somehow going to Yale is “better” than Penn is an idiot. A school may fit you better. It may have a better program in your area of interest. But that only means it’s “better” for you. Yale is an excellent school. Penn is an excellent school. The attitude of “better” takes the concept of quality education and turns it into the same superficial ratings one might find on a celebrity gossip site talking about LiLo’s dress.</p>
<p>Let me preface by saying I didn’t go to either- but I would be highly suspicious of anyone who did undergrad at X and grad at Y. When you are a grad student, you are essentially at the university to prepare for an academic position or further your private-sector career. For a PhD, it is an incredibly intense, reflective period- completely different in practically every way from being a freshman and living in the dorms and eating at the dining hall. </p>
<p>Also, an MBA is a rather trivial, intellectually-shallow degree so if you only interacted with other Wharton MBAs you may have extrapolated their lack of academic interest to the undergraduates as well. Unless you are doing a PhD at Wharton, b-school academics don’t really qualify as “graduate school.”</p>
<p>I love the characterization of mba education. I tend to agree but don’t say that too loudly in Cambridge.</p>
<p>dan92, good choice and good luck. You may meet my son at Yale come Sept.</p>