Yale vs. Wharton? Help would be appreciated!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>First of all, congrats to all who got in!</p>

<p>So I got the good news on Thursday, and I must say, I was really, really surprised. I didn't expect either Wharton and Yale to want me at all, not to mention both! - which means now I am stuck with this terribly difficult dilemma of having to decide between the two of them. Any opinions would be very very welcome! I need as much info as I can before I make a decision, although it is a month away.</p>

<p>I really like business and I believe that Wharton will help me achieve my aspirations in this field, seeing as it IS the top business school in, well, pretty much anywhere. I know that my chances for getting into a big firm or whatnot are high after Wharton - I will probably not have to worry about not getting a good job when get out of university, which is so essential nowadays considering the economy and such. I come from an immigrant middle-class family with no connections whatsoever, so I will need whatever edge I can get to come out top in the business world. Wharton's flexibility and unique curriculum are great pluses as well.</p>

<p>However, I am in love with Yale - as a school, because of its awesome atmosphere as an academically top-notch school with incredibly engaging students. I will say right off the bat that I like Yale better than Penn as a SCHOOL (as opposed to a program), and I think I will really enjoy an education at Yale with fellow Yalies. I am good at the humanities as well, and I had thought about going to Law, but I am not as certain about deciding to pursue something like that so early in my life. Also, I do not have any other humanities-oriented majors that I am interested in right now. But practically speaking, I understand that Wharton will probably get me further career-wise, but I am afraid that Wharton's cut-throat competition will make my undergrad life less enjoyable.</p>

<p>Sorry about the long thread! And thanks in advance!</p>

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<p>Both schools will open up the same career options in the field you’re interested in, though going to Wharton will mean you simply cannot go on a completely divergent path of engineering or biomedical engineering or something without transferring to SEAS or SAS. That said, I don’t think that’s a big worry for you. </p>

<p>My advice, though, would be to go to Yale. You can get a job in business, finance, etc from both schools, though as you said, Wharton would more comfortably secure that. That said, if you ball hard at Yale and get good grades, the world is really your oyster, and law school to B-school to Wall Street will be among the many choices of yours. Don’t get me wrong, Wharton grads go into law and non-business fields too, just not as often, and a Wharton degree in a non-business field doesn’t hold as much weight as a Yale one. </p>

<p>Basically, both degrees provide the same career leverage. Yale has better humanities and will afford you a more liberal-arts education (which you can get, just not as well rounded, at Wharton, too) while Wharton will give you greater short-term success. It’ll shot put you ahead in the business world, but only in the beginning, HYPs soon catch up.</p>

<p>If you go to Wharton, you’ll always think “what if I went to Yale?” If you go to Yale, the sentiment would not be the same. You’d only feel as though you’re missing out on a stronger business education and resume. Don’t worry though - Yale will do you well in life.</p>

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<p>If you are interested in business, Wharton all the way.</p>

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<p>I did my undergrad at Yale and later did my MBA at Wharton (also got an MA from Penn at the same time). I know both schools very well.</p>

<p>First, congratulations! You must be quite a kid to have scaled both of these walls this admissions round. Second, relax – any decision you make will be a good one.</p>

<p>My personal advice is to go to Yale. Wharton is a fantastic business school, and does what it aims to do very well. If you want a conveyor belt into a narrow group of professions, Wharton’s the place.</p>

<p>However, Yale will change your life. It is an intellectual wonderland. When you sit at lunch, you will be surrounded not only by kids who will be trading derivatives at Morgan Stanley one day, but by folks who will one day be leading writers, choreographers, politicians, lawyers, doctors, academics, etc. Trust me, as you get older you realize more and more what an amazing and unique experience Yale undergrad is.</p>

<p>It’s not that Penn/Wharton doesn’t produce any of these kinds of people, it certainly does. It is just that the intellectual atmosphere of the two schools is immensely different. Penn is a completely practical place, with a student body that is mostly practical by disposition. Yale buzzes with intellectual energy, and accomodates the unconventional a little better than Penn does.</p>

<p>I’ll admit that Philly beats New Haven as an urban location – no contest there. However, I also found Yale’s campus and facilities much more beautiful and inspiring than Penn’s. After Yale, I just always found Penn’s campus sort of drab and maybe even a little depressing. (But that’s just a personal reaction, others think differently.)</p>

<p>Yale closes no doors for you. If you are interested in finance (as I suspect you might be if you applied to Wharton), my own experience should reassure you. After Yale, I had job offers at top firms in finance and consulting, worked in management consulting for a couple of years, got an MBA, and have worked in finance now for quite some time. If you are looking for the kinds of jobs Wharton grads take, Yale will get you there, too. (There will just be less manic and focused competition for them than at Wharton.)</p>

<p>Good luck, and let us know what you choose!</p>