Yale vs. Princeton

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
1

<p>so... now i have to decide between yale and princeton (yay!!) yale is an amazing school and i'm about 80% sure that it is the perfect match for me. is it worth it for me to visit p-ton again? </p>

<p>i honestly cant think of anything bad about yale except for location and princeton, nj isnt much better for me i think. i love the residential college system, the buildings and the people at yale.</p>

<p>i find princeton a little imposing... maybe that's just me. and also, the eating clubs are a little over my head. plus the color orange is really revolting :)</p>

<p>however, i think princeton is slightly higher ranked than yale. so i'm still pretty undecided.</p>

<p>So which one do you guys think I should pick?</p>

2

<p>I am in the same predicament. My top two choices are princeton and Yale and I have no idea which to choose from.</p>

3

<p>Making your final choice based on USNEWS Rank? What are you going to do if Yale moves to #1 next time around and you're stuck at Princeton?</p>

4

<p>Well I lean toward Yale actually</p>

5

<p>for undecided positions such as these, i would suggest overnight at both schools</p>

6

<p>oh my goodness</p>

<p>us news is so fickle</p>

<p>from history, yale has been far more prestigious
yea yea i'm gunna get so much junk from priceton lovers
but seriously</p>

<p>yale has been FAR more prestigious in history, much older too</p>

<p>now princeton is doing well, it really is</p>

<p>but if you're talking about prestige, yale is internationally stronger and "layman"-wise stronger</p>

<p>not saying you shouldn't choose princeton (great undergrad focus, science programs)</p>

7

<p>Visit both schools. All the advice saying pick-school x-over-school y can't compare the to simply seeing both places.</p>

<p>Also, what you want to major in is quite important. Princeton tends to be stronger in Math/Science/Engineering (potential exception being biology related stuff) and Econ, while Yale is stronger with the performing arts. English and History are pretty much even.</p>

<p>That's my two cents as an unbiased (albeit, Princeton-bound) student.</p>

<p>Now, with regards to the previous statement, that:

[quote]

yale has been FAR more prestigious in history, much older too</p>

<p>now princeton is doing well, it really is</p>

<p>but if you're talking about prestige, yale is internationally stronger and "layman"-wise stronger

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not really. Both schools have an equal amount of history to their name. Princeton's debating society for example (Whig-Cliosophic society) was founded by none other than students James Madison and Aaron Burr. In this century, Princeton's had big names like von Neumann (mathematics/theoretical computer science), Einstein, and Andrew Wiles (who solved Fermat's last theorem and currently heads Princeton's mathematics department).</p>

<p>Currently, plenty of Princeton alumni have been in the news. Samuel Alito, appointed to the Supreme Court, did his undergrad at Princeton. And Bolton, who replaced Andrew Card as Chief of Staff in the White House, was another Princeton man. Yale may have Bush, but Princeton will always have the good guys :p (though Rumsfeld was a Princeton man :().</p>

<p>Those were my not-so-neutral comments, but I figure someone's got to stand up for Old Nassau in the Yale board. :p</p>

8

<p>thanks everyone for the advice. i plan to visit both... the problem is that the prefrosh weekends are back-to-back so i'll end up missing a full week of school. oh well, definitely worth it, i would say.</p>

<p>how are the residential colleges at princeton vs. those at yale?</p>

9

<p>The impression I've gotten talking to past students from Yale on the Admitted Students Site is that Yale has just as a strong an undegraduate focus as Princeton, but the former doesn't brag about the focus as much. </p>

<p>And don't worry about sciences at Yale. Anyone who tells you that Yale is not strong in the sciences is repeating old clich</p>

10

<p>desi - don't even consider the difference in ranking. Number 1 compared to number 3 is insignificant, and, as others have said, it could change at any time.</p>

<p>However, as a Princeton student, I do feel the need to put in a plug for my school. One of the problems I feel Princeton has in these kinds of discussions is combating the stereotype that it is too preppy and elitist - something I was worried about myself, but needlessly so.</p>

<p>The people I have met here have, for the most part, been welcoming and down to earth. There are some intellectually pretentious people here, but I haven't met any social snobs. Obviously, there are some extremely wealthy students, but this doesn't translate into ostentations displayas of wealth. In my class (09'), more than half the students recieve some financial aid. We also have a growing minority population; my class had the largest percentage of black students in the Ivy league, which shows how far Princeton is going to shed the rich white boys club image.</p>

<p>Princeton admissions has also publicly committed itself to seeking out more artists and improving the arts program - which already seems pretty active, judging by the sheer number of concerts and preformances on campus.</p>

<p>The eating clubs aren't for everyone, and I am one of those people. However, I was also never that into partying in high school - it isn't any problem with the clubs themselves. Most people seem to really enjoy spending some time there, and those that don't (and I've found others) don't feel that they are missing out on much of anything. </p>

<p>There is some social fragmentation starting junior year, when many students become members of clubs. However, the days in which club membership was determined by who your father is are pretty much over. Most people join clubs with friends based on common interest. Even the exclusive clubs accept more than half of those who bicker (a process similar to frat rush). Additionally, if you have friends in clubs that you aren't in, it is supposedly quite easy to get guest passes. </p>

<p>For the first two years at Princeton, all students are housed in residential colleges like Yale's. Starting with my year, students will have the option of spending all four years in their residential college. There are also cooperatives and independent housing, which comes equipped with kitchens, for people who don't join clubs but don't want to live in the colleges either.</p>

<p>Being at Princeton has been an incredible experience, to the extent that I half envy incoming students because they have four years ahead of them and I will soon only have three. Both the people I've met and the classes I've taken have been wonderful. </p>

<p>I'm sure that Yale is an equally amazing place. I just want to let you know that reservations about Princeton should not be the deciding factor in which school you attend. As others have said, visit both with an open mind, and see which one you like better.</p>

11

<p>Pessimism:</p>

<p>Its Bolten, not Bolton. Bolton (James) - US ambassador to the UN - got both his BA and JD from Yale University.</p>

<p>Princeton was founded by a Yale grad.</p>

12

<p>Icargirl- What a balanced reasonable post!</p>

13

<p>Bulldog,
Ah yes, it is Bolten - Josh Bolten, to be precise. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Joshua Brewster Bolten (born August 16, 1955) was named as White House Chief of Staff on March 28, 2006, replacing Andrew Card. He will take over from Card on April 14, 2006.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>As for his education,

[quote]
At Princeton University, he attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He also served as class president and president of the highly prestigious and exclusive Ivy Club. He graduated in 1976.

[/quote]
</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Bolten%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Bolten&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Princeton was founded by a Yale grad.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sure, because Yale was religiously close-minded and refused to accept "New Light" Presbyterians.</p>

14

<p>Princeton all the way! Who wants to live in New Haven?</p>

15

<p>The unofficial list-Don't get mad! I'm just repeating what I've heard is:</p>

<ol>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
</ol>

<p>The 3 are so close in terms of prestige it doesnt matter. You seem to like Yale-go there.</p>

16

<p>First, Yale easily has the strongest undergraduate program in the country. Princeton is good, but it isn't Yale.</p>

<p>Also, New Haven is one of the best college towns in the country. Sure, there are some old negative stereotypes about it because it used to be a more manufacturing-based city a long time ago. But, in the past 5 years, literally hundreds of new businesses, restaurants, 24-hour eateries, shops, theaters, bars and clubs have moved into the area around Yale, which is downtown New Haven. Luxury apartments and condominiums are being built by the hundreds, because it's such a desirable place to live, and houses in the area are selling for millions of dollars now. The City Hall is right across from the Yale freshman dorms, so there are countless ways to get involved with the city. Because downtown New Haven is filled with things to do, it is the center of life for the 40,000 college students in the immediate area - in fact, Yale isn't even the largest university in New Haven (Connecticut State University has more students)! The area around Yale is bustling on weekends.</p>

<p>Princeton is a suburban country club, and incredibly boring by comparison.</p>

17

<p>"Princeton is a suburban country club."</p>

<p>In a word, no. Suburban, yes. Country club? Yes, there is a golf course in town. That's the only country club you'll find. Is the town yuppie-ish? Of course. But actually, I definitely found a lot of similarities in the area right around Yale and Nassau Street (the main street in Princeton) when I visited last October.</p>

<p>"First, Yale easily has the strongest undergraduate program in the country. Princeton is good, but it isn't Yale."</p>

<p>Definitely arguable. I personally would argue the opposite, but honestly, it just comes down to personal preference. I would strongly encourage the OP to visit both schools. I didn't find them too strikingly different, but there are definitely some aspects about one that could make you prize it above the other. Besides, campus jetsetting is fun :)</p>

18

<p>I don't quite understand how any of us is qualified to make a statement like "Princeton is good but it isn't Yale" or, for that matter, the reverse. Both are excellent schools, and, most would say, peer schools. There are few who apply to Princeton who do so because they think they aren't good enough for Yale or Haravard; there is no evidence that one applicant pool is stronger than the other. It is also interesting that the "unofficial" assessment of the three schools is in age order, which might be nice to brag about to family, but doesn't have much effect on the educational quality.</p>

<p>I do sometimes wish that Princeton were a little more city-ish, since it would be nice to have places opened late at night. But, I don't think its had a major impact on my life. And, while New Haven may have been gentrified somewhat, it still isn't a desirable city on the order of New York.</p>

19

<p>thanks for all the great help, everyone!
ICargirl - you present both schools really well.</p>

<p>I guess i'll just have to visit...</p>

20

<p>Actually New Haven is more desirable than New York, since even after considering the multimillion-dollar condos being built all around the downtown area of New Haven, it has the highest average salary relative to cost of living in the United States. Dozens of large biotechnology and financial firms have moved into the area, and there are now hundreds of extremely expensive restaurants throughout downtown New Haven. Of course, there are a few poorer areas of the city, just like you have in New York and any other real city.</p>

<p>If you want a sense of the two, visit each for a weekend, hang out with students, and then decide. But I think the fact that Yale has a much higher yield rate (when excluding ED applicants) as well as a much lower acceptance rate than Princeton, says something about the relative desirability of each school.</p>