<p>My first visit last week to both of them was inconclusive, and I probably won't be able to do the Preview weekend at Princeton because it conflicts with extracurriculars that I lead and the USNCO exam. I will most likely be going to bulldog days. Let's be unconventional here.</p>
<p>Why would I go to Princeton? And why wouldn't I go to Yale? (this is still for you yalies)</p>
<p>Btw, I'm a molecular/cellular biology major maybe wanting to double major in math and do some history stuff.</p>
<p>Remi - first of all, congratulations! Remember, you really can't make a bad decision when your choices are Princeton and Yale. DD was in a similar position last year. She is now a proud Yalie and hasn't had any second thoughts. </p>
<p>I think you can debate for a long time the merits of both places (undergrad emphasis vs. university experience, etc.) but the residential college system is truly unique. Honestly, Princeton is going in that direction, but they are not quite there yet. </p>
<p>What makes the college system so important? It gives you a small group that quickly becomes your family. You will meet people from all over campus through activities and interests, but your college will be your home. I think because kids are placed in a college from the beginning, they are more likely to interact with people they may not have known otherwise.</p>
<p>You have been truly lucky. I am sure you have worked very hard, but you are so fortunate to have this decision.</p>
<p>Princeton has grade deflation, and Yale somewhat has grade inflation. Yale kids actually do get the grades they deserve; Princeton's grading system encourages competition because A's/A-'s are limited only to the top 30%. </p>
<p>My suitemate's friend, who is currently at Princeton, took a class with 8 students. The median grade in that class was a 95. My suitemate's friend earned a 96 and received a B+ in the course. IMO, that just isn't right.</p>
<p>Also, the residential college system is AMAZING. I really love my 105-freshman RC community. I know everyone and it really is like one big family. The kids are really laid-back and humble, yet extremely talented and intelligent. I. Love. Yale.</p>
<p>We also have Tony Blair teaching next year!</p>
<p>I'm a Princeton alum and my D is at Yale, so I'm not too biased one way or the other. That said, you'd go to Princeton if you want a more bucolic and quieter campus. Yale feels like a more vibrant and exciting place, partly because it's larger, and partly because it's in a city, while at Princeton there is very little going on once you step off campus. You should also consider the eating club scene. It's a big part of life at Princeton, and while it's great for some people, others are not so keen on it. Princeton does have an almost exclusive focus on undergraduates, while at Yale there is more grad student life integrated into the campus (Princeton's grad school is something of a hike to get to). You wouldn't go to Yale if you don't like urban environments. </p>
<p>I loved my time at Princeton, but then I grew up in NYC and wanted a real change of pace for college. Frankly, if I had to make the choice now, I'd probably go to Yale. Just about everyone there seems absolutely thrilled with the place.</p>
<p>I really did love my class at Princeton while not being so keen with yale's math class, but that was mainly due to all the terms i didn't understand, many of which I now know from studying wikipedia for a few hours. So my Yale visit as "matured." When I first got to Princeton, I hated it being in the middle of nowhere. I soon paid little attention to it, but I do prefer the more urban. And I am not too keen with the eating clubs.</p>
<p>So overall, I'm being held back by one disparity in classes (two not too comparable), although I seem to be trying to convince myself of Yale.</p>
<p>rd31, as a mathematically/scientifically inclined person, those numbers and their accompanying philosophy are appalling...</p>
<p>Any more comments would be appreciated. Thank you</p>
<p>I'm a prospective Yale student living near Princeton so I hopefully I can give some help. Honestly, Princeton isn't that bucolic. The campus is in the middle of a residential area and downtown is only a few blocks though, but there are plenty of places to go within 10 minutes of each other. You can get to the movies in a 5 min drive, to a huge mall within 10 min. Name any major retailer/entertainment company and it's within a short ride. </p>
<p>The train station is also literally on campus unlike Yale. It's about an hour to NYC or Philly.</p>
<p>The eating clubs shouldn't be an issue since the school reimburses you to provide for food in the dining halls. Also, there are many eating clubs that are open to everyone. There are a few exclusive ones, but if you don't like it, don't join it.</p>
<p>Haha I sound so contradictory since I'm fanatic about going to Yale.</p>
<p>Man those U-turns on State route 1 near princeton... lol. And my gripe with eating clubs is neither philosophical or monetary, i just don't like having my social life centered about them, as I've heard is the case from Princeton alums and others. But I feel I am more academically inclined towards Princeton, with its superior molecular biology and mathematics departments. It is a painful choice between a better academic fit and a better social fit. Also I hear that drinking is integral to the social scene at Princeton, and since I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (colloquially Mormon), I will be taking no part in that.</p>
<p>You won't be driving at Princeton period. Take the bus. If you're uncomfortable there's taxis right by the main entrance to catch.</p>
<p>I don't think the academic fit is going to produce a huge discrepancy in the long run. It's not like you're going to get a worse education at Yale. Now social scene might be big. I mean look at the admitted students site and it's already crazy.</p>
<p>Well, Princeton is known as a school with a stronger math/science/engineering program. This could either work in your favor (great academic support) or against you (lots of competition).</p>
<p>The Yale social scene is incredible. Ask a Yalie if they like their school and they will gush on for 15 minutes about how much they love the place. Princeton students seem to have a more balanced assessment of how great their school is- they know that it is both good and bad, but that the experience is overwhelingly positive. It's like the difference between an Obama convention and a Clinton convention- flowing emotion vs. pragmatic assessment.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think both schools are absolutely top notch. I know and love Yale very much, but I also have a huge amount of respect for Princeton (and yes, Harvard, too) as academic institutions. It is unfortunate that you cannot make it to the preview weekend at Pton- seeing it up close is a great way to feel for fit. I would recommend theu.com to see some student interviews and images from campus.</p>
<p>Congrats! Good luck with your decision! I am actually making the same one (although Yale's incredible finaid is kind of making that decision easier). Keep us posted!!!</p>
<p>I have visited both. It's just I haven't eaten at either, and you learn a lot about someone/something by eating their food with them. And i haven't slept a night at either.</p>
<p>Their financial aid packages are similar, only 2k off on the grant with Princeton giving more (though I haven't gotten their full package yet).</p>
<p>I voted for Obama.</p>
<p>Congrats! Nice problem to have! I know very little of P firsthand but I can say that I absolutely loved how may schedule allowed me to take tons of Yale's fantastic history classes. In my Junior year, I seriously considered adding it as a 2nd major due to the many classes I had already taken in that dept. Yale's curriculum allows you lots of flexibility (don't know how it compares to P however).</p>
<p>Yale is much stronger for undergrad bio, doing $400M+ per year in federal bio research versus about $100M at Princeton; see <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/5140457-post6.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/5140457-post6.html</a> for a more detailed example of how Yale ranks in the top 10 in 13 biological science fields, far more than its competitors. Overall, Yale's combination of an incredible, well-resourced undergraduate program (with the smallest class sizes of any top university) with the highest scientific research quality is second to none -- Caltech is the only possible competitor. When you take social life into account, Yale stands in a class of its own. The campus is vibrant with student activity literally 24/7, unlike any other place I've been to (and I've been to hundreds of campuses around the world).</p>
<p>I'm actually in the process of making the same decision! I am definitely leaning more towards Yale at the moment (to the point where I'd rather respond to the Yale "version" of your thread than to the Princeton one).</p>
<p>When I visited both, Yale's social scene and overall campus aura appealed to me more than Princeton's. I can't really pin it down to a single reason, but Yale just seemed more vibrant and spirited, with practically everyone I saw donning some form of Yale gear. I'm sure, though, that Princeton's social scene has its own merits as well, but while there are non-exclusive eating clubs, it seems like if you want to be "in," you have to join some sort of eating club instead of just staying in the residential colleges. I'm not sure if I'd like that much.</p>
<p>I'm planning on making a final decision after visiting both during Preview Days/Bulldog Days (speaking of which, anyone doing the same?). It's too bad you won't be able to make both, as I have a feeling that after BDD, you'll probably be more inclined to be a bulldog than a tiger!</p>
<p>Best of luck with your decision!</p>
<p>yet princeton has better facilities posterX; all offense, but I respectfully do not want to consult your opinion at the moment. And please don't stear me to my own thread...</p>
<p>Looks like I will be able to attend both schools' admit days if I skip the chemistry olympiad, a necessary evil.</p>
<p>PRINCETON. best for getting you into research in sciences. seriously, i do not think yale is very strong for biology. well, yes they ARE strong, but not as strong as princeton is.</p>
<p>^Yale graduate biology department was ranked 7 this year in the US News. Not sure where Princeton ranked, but I think 7 is pretty decent, though it may not even matter at the undergraduate level.</p>
<p>I am a freshman at Princeton a year ago I turned down Yale. It is an amazing vibrant place. I dont have enough words to express my amazing experience at Princeton! Come for April hosting and see who we are !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>This is a really tough decision. I'm in the same boat.</p>
<p>It is true that Yale has weaker sciences compared to other schools (by weak I mean, they are amazing but not as focused as in other schools). Yale has recognized that and is making HUGE improvements and investments in the sciences which in the long run will be extremely beneficial to you because you would be offered all these new opportunities as a student there. Also, for research it is easier to get involved with your professors in research at Yale than at Princeton, because in your first years at Princeton you will be most likely be offered simple research positions or, if you're doing work study, jobs in the libraries or dining halls. Some people say that Princeton has more focus on its undergraduate than Yale, and while this might seem so since it has a small graduate program, the fact is that Yale's strong Undergrad and Grad programs give undergrads more opportunities. I think I read somewhere that undergrads can take grad classes, but I'm not sure. I think both Yale and Princeton have strong undergrad programs, just that Yale has a larger grad. Yale professors are all required to teach undergrad, and they love it. For me, its an easy choice, but ofcourse in the end the choice is yours, and where you see yourself for the next four years of your life.</p>
<p>^Yale does not have weaker sciences than other schools. It is easily one of the best research universities in the world, with more research grant funding per researcher than even Harvard. In terms of the amount of research per undergraduate science major, Yale tops every other institution in the country except Caltech. As you can see from the link I posted above, Yale's science programs, from a variety of measures, are easily among the top 3-4 in the country, if not #1. For undergraduate science, Yale and Caltech are tops.</p>
<p>According to ISI/Thompson Scientific 2006 (the most respected scientific research source in the world), the ranking of the nation's universities by overall scientific impact, when obtained by calculating their average placements in each scientific field, is:
Rank University AverageScore
1. Yale 2.67
2. MIT 3.00
3. Harvard 3.80
4. Princeton 4.40
5. Stanford 5.00
5. UPenn 5.00
7. UC San Diego 5.33
8. Caltech 5.60
9. U. Washington 5.63
10. UC Berkeley 6.10
11. UC San Francisco 6.60
12. Columbia 7.20</p>