Yaliens "nicer" than Harvard folks???

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>From the New York Observer:</p>

<p>“They’re all exceptionally nice—Harvard people are not usually that nice,” said Ira Stoll, the Harvard ’94 grad who hired many Yale students as interns when he was editor of The New York Sun. “I have one Yale friend who’s always bringing homemade cookies here to my house. Another one went out of his way to buy a lot of copies of my Samuel Adams book. If a Harvard person did that, you’d think it was because they wanted something from you. But, the Yale people—it’s like, they’re a little earnest.”</p>

<p>The whole article here:</p>

<p>The</a> Yaliens Among Us | The New York Observer</p>

2

<p>The article has really solid proof. I mean, it’s conventional wisdom that the college you attend determines your personality, or your personality determines the college you attend. That postulate, combined with some rock solid anecdotes and a literary flourish is enough for me to be convinced that Harvard graduates are coldhearted creeps and the Yale graduates are all genuinely warm and earnest.</p>

3

<p>Yaliens?? Um, you mean Yalies?</p>

4

<p>I would agree with Gardna that it’s unlikely there’s a real effect, which doesn’t stop arguments from the issue appearing in both directions. People naturally see patterns where there are none (see, for example, astrology).</p>

<p>The best I can do is try to be as nice as I can to the people I myself interact with- I might even have an effect on these impressions.</p>

5

<p>

It’s a play on the phrase/idea of “aliens among us.”</p>

6

<p>Also, the long a in Yale is usually pronounced like the long a in alien.</p>

7

<p>^^Haha, got it, especially now that I’ve read the article.</p>

<p>“The article has really solid proof. I mean, it’s conventional wisdom that the college you attend determines your personality, or your personality determines the college you attend. That postulate, combined with some rock solid anecdotes and a literary flourish is enough for me to be convinced that Harvard graduates are coldhearted creeps and the Yale graduates are all genuinely warm and earnest.”</p>

<p>Yep, exactly :p.</p>

8

<p>Hahaha agree with Gardna</p>

9

<p>After a long weekend at Yale for a conference, my Harvard student reported she was surprised at how friendly, open, and nice the Yale students were.</p>

10

<p>My friend who attends Harvard spends every minute of his free time at a homeless shelter or food kitchen, therefore all Harvard students are extremely kind and caring.</p>

11

<p>He’s probably doing it to build his resume.</p>

12

<p>@Jersey: Haha, I’m glad to know that all Harvard students are kind and caring! Do they all spend their time at homeless shelters too :)?</p>

13

<p>As with any institution not everyone spends all their time volunteering, but I know a lot of people who do. There is actually a whole organization (PBHA) dedicated to acting as the umbrella organization to the many service opportunities at Harvard. Most people participate in at least one activity, and yes there are students that stay the the homeless shelter overnight, and there are those who don’t.</p>