We are having exactly this discussion at home. The West Coast and East Coast are REALLY different.
At such a young age, the world is your destination. I would look at this decision for four years max, knowing there is a full lifetime to visit/live wherever.
Well, there you go!
I transplanted from East Coast (many different locations) to LA in my mid-20s. Was quite happy in LA (and have been here over 30 years now) but I won’t lie— my dreams (asleep) for the first few years were frequently based on house hunting in Providence and wanting my old job back!
That should be a BIG factor in your decision. You will spend a great deal of time on campus, and it has to be a happy fit FOR YOU. I am very glad you’ve seen all the campuses. That should really help you.
DD took a college trip recently. She was extremely excited about NYU, until she actually went there and saw that there really wasn’t a campus per se. She wanted a “real campus”, and I clearly understand that. If it were grad school, a lovely campus would be less important, at least for me.
This comes down to fit and feel for you. Go with your heart! And also realize you will do fine WHEREVER you go. Be excited with your choice, and do not look back!
They really are different. The craziest part is I believe I can fit in anywhere. I’m very versatile and can adapt easily to any environment.
I care more about the school itself. Its culture. The students. The opportunities. The clubs. The community. The approachability of professors. The experience.
Not at all! That’s a great characteristic. Nothing at all crazy about it.
I personally don’t know of anyone who didn’t love their time at Stanford. However, as wiser folk than me point out, “data is not the plural of anecdote”, but perhaps “anecdata” is. File this under “anecdata.”
So, I guess the decision is, hands down, Stanford!..again, just kidding 
(and I’m not an alum either!). I love the Bay Area, and it’s a school that can’t be beat.
But then again, I don’t think any of them can be beaten! Trust your own instinct.
You still have a few more days, so write down your criteria for each candidate school and do as much research as you can online (e.g., the Fiske Guide etc) to see how they compare if you haven’t done so already. I really don’t think you can go wrong with your final pick.
Oh, and I know I’ll get slammed for this, but check some of the Yelp and Google ratings for these schools. It’s amazing what you pick up there. I am sure others have more conventional sources where you can read the real scoop (or at least unvarnished) about the things that interest you.
Funny you say that … I was, and am, the same way. Sooo many people would meet my comments to that effect with skepticism, but it’s really true. So I completely understand what you’re saying.
So for the purposes of this thread, if you’re at Columbia, you’ll take the subway a lot more than once a semester. One of the main reasons people choose Columbia is because of NYC, and guess what, the subway is the best way to get around. Broadly speaking, there are a lot of kids that attend commuter colleges, in fact more students attend commuter colleges than residential ones. And the train or bus is the most practical way to get to college.
“I enjoyed walking around the physical campus of Yale, Brown, and Princeton the most.”
Ok I didn’t know that, then I would also pick Yale, a little surprised Stanford came in second in your list.
Of course students will use the subway in NYC. I was responding to people talking about getting in to NYC from New Haven vs SF from Stanford. Once you’re on the campus 1-2 hours from a city, you’re unlikely to leave frequently as part of your social life.
I used to work in Palo Alto, just down the road from campus, but did not attend Stanford. Both my kids went to various Stanford camps. No arguing that the campus and the Bay Area is beautiful. I have to say though that the feeling I got when I was on Stanford’s grounds was similar to the feeling I have when I am at a nice resort/country club. The dorm rooms that my kids stayed in were pretty standard boxes, comfortable but no real character. There may be exceptions.
At Yale, whether it is Old Campus, one of the “gothic” or “Georgian” colleges, you definitely feel history. In terms of opportunities/clubs, I am linking the Berkeley College page (my and my son’s college). https://berkeley.yalecollege.yale.edu/ This is just what is in one residential college. There is a private room which can be reserved called the Swiss Room, which is a room literally taken out of a 16th century Swiss chateau that has been reassembled in Berkeley College. There are similar levels of activities/resources at the other colleges, which are all dwarfed by Yale College offerings.
My son loves to play the piano. Pre-covid he would play on the grand piano in the Common Room next to the dining hall. On occasion if he felt brave enough, he would play during mealtimes for his enjoyment and that of others dining. During Covid, the Head of his college allowed him to play in his house since the public piano’s were not available. My son had great access to all his professors, including a Nobel laureate that he had in a seminar in his major. After graduation he and his suitemates and close friends remain close and have vacationed and visited each other. About 12 of my close friends from Yale vacation together each year on a “boys” long weekend ski or golf trip. I am sure there are plenty of people from different schools that stay close to each other through life, but I see all sorts of group gathering posts on the various Yale alum social media sites, so there is something about the Yale experience that creates lifelong bonds more so than the average school.
There, my biased experience. Best of luck in your choice. No wrong ones here.
Thank you!! This was quite helpful and interesting:)
Here is a pro and cons list I made in case anybody is interested:
Stanford
Pros:
Stanford Cons:
Yale
Pros:
Cons:
Princeton
Pros:
Cons:
Columbia
Pros:
Cons:
Brown
Pros:
Cons:
I have no notes. The heart wants what the heart wants!
All of them have a more students from the top ~5% (no FA grants) than bottom ~40-50% (Pell), but it is not like Yale or Princeton is significantly more “very white and rich” than the others. Numbers from College Navigator:
| College | % no FA grants | % Pell | % White |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale | 47% | 20% | 35% |
| Princeton | 39% | 25% | 36% |
| Stanford | 45% | 18% | 29% |
| Brown | 56% | 13% | 41% |
| Penn | 53% | 15% | 38% |
| Columbia | 46% | 20% | 33% |
Since you are 21, I’d vote Yale as their house system gives you the best of both worlds socially — living with other freshmen who are as new to campus as you are PLUS living with upper classmen who are closer to you in age.
But like all the other posts say, there are no bad choices.
And if you are still undecided try this. Print out your lists on a separate sheet of paper for each. Cross out the pros and cons that you don’t really care about (for me, that would be weather. It just doesn’t matter to me, but for others it’s a deal breaker) and then assign values 1-10 on what’s left. Add up the pros, subtract the cons and see which college wins. If you’re relieved, great. If you’re not, then remove that “winner” and continue until only one college is left.
Good luck!
Overblown. Very safe around campus. Some areas a bit off campus can be sketchy, but no different than any city. Common sense is what is required.
Some are, others completely open. If you want to be a Whiffenpoof, yes that is very selective, but there are alternatives in the more popular areas.
My son did work really hard on classes at concentrated times, and he earned a high enough GPA to be hired by a Wall Street bulge bracket. He found time though to captain 1 club sport team and participate in another, was in student gov at the residential and Yale college level and worked most Saturdays at a community charity and was in a frat. He had a full schedule, but it was what he wanted to do.
A 36 credit requirement is not too tough timewise for majors not requiring significant lab time (4 semesters of 4 courses and 4 semesters of 5 courses) and it is easy to fulfil the distributional requirements.
Based on the most recent CDS, only 2,429 students out of 6,535 identify as White, non-Hispanic.
For the Class of 2025, 51% are on FA; 17% Pell Grant recipients; 16% first gen.
There are going to be snobs at any school. I’d say on balance, people generally don’t brag about wealth.
I have always thought “minors” were a waste of space on resumes. Having on your resume “Philosophy major” with a list of high level CS or math related courses is just as (maybe more) meaningful than a “minor” in CS or math. Going for a minor which has certain course requirements means you necessarily have less time to pursue divergent interests.
Yale has 80 majors. How many more are even meaningful?
Thank you!! Great tip!
Very comprehensive! Thank you 
Oooh, you’re a real tease Olaf! Come on, don’t keep us in suspense!
A day or two ago you were down to Yale and Stanford and leaning Yale.
I’m team Yale at this point. You’re talking about one of the top universities in the world. Ranking is irrelevant between these two and should not be a factor. You’re not comparing Stanford to Podunk U.
Your reality is that you probably could succeed and be happy at almost any of these colleges. But I definitely do not think Princeton has the feel that’s going to ensure you get the best of your college experience.
Your comment about most satisfied students was interesting. Given the devoted alumni networks at all these schools, it seems they all have satisfied students. Only Brown makes into Princeton Review’s list of happiest students every year.
I read your most recent pros and cons list. It’s pretty clear that Yale and Brown are the two eliciting an emotional response from you. And it’s pretty clear Yale seems to be the one you keep circling back to, so go to Yale😊
Don’t underestimate this as it can be very useful. Also if you are coming from Western Europe then there are probably plenty of direct flights to the major cities in your country making traveling home less of an ordeal.
Also I’m pretty certain you’ll find your tribe at any of these schools no matter the student demographics.