Harvard, Yale, or Princeton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have met very few Harvard College grads who say “I loved Harvard.”

I have met very few Yale College grads who don’t say “I loved Yale.”

Majority of Princeton grads love their school, but the fraction who don’t really hate it.

You nailed Yale and Princeton but the thing about Harvard is that it's like you're not allowed to love it or at least not allowed to tell people you love it. Harvard's reputation -- particularly among people who DON'T know that much about these schools -- is so overpowering and heavy that I think a lot of Harvard alums are trying to thread a needle where they are just trying not to provoke people. That's where the whole "I went to school in Boston" thing came from which is idiotic and actually sounds way more obnoxious than just saying you went to Harvard but people are very in their feelings about Harvard.

Obviously Yale and Princeton also have huge reputations but they aren't as laden as Harvard's. Harvard is Nike or Coca Cola whereas Yale is like Adidas and Princeton is like Reebok. Saying you love Harvard sounds boring even if you actually went there and actually loved it. It's hard to be authentic about Harvard because people bring so much baggage to the conversation.

It's more that undergraduates are more of an after-thought at Harvard. Students go there for the name, and to be in the bustling Boston area, but frequently don't come away loving their experience. Otherwise, there's no more downside to saying "I loved Harvard" than saying "I loved Yale" or "I loved Princeton."

On the flip side, the self-conscious graduates of Yale and Princeton (or those who just like to appear modest and have the names of their schools dragged out of them) are just as likely to say they "went to school in Connecticut" or "went to school in New Jersey" as Harvard students are to say they "went to school in Boston."

[Anonymous]

If you want to X-register with MIT, Harvard is the only choice.

[Anonymous]

I would look at it this way:

Harvard is a reward.

Yale is a festival.

Princeton is an opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Don't listen to the naysers. Many, many, many students are admitted into HYP every year and have to make a choice between the three. Since you are getting closer to a decision, my advice would be to visit each school. That goes a long way towards narrowing your choices down.

Not sure if those are your only 3 schools, but you should also add Stanford and maybe Caltech to your list of schools to visit in the next couple of months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would look at it this way:

Harvard is a reward.

Yale is a festival.

Princeton is an opportunity.

No, just no. This is beyond stupid.

[Anonymous]

there's a reason that princeton alum have the highest rates of engagement and donation among the 3 schools. just take a look at reunions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have met very few Harvard College grads who say “I loved Harvard.”

I have met very few Yale College grads who don’t say “I loved Yale.”

Majority of Princeton grads love their school, but the fraction who don’t really hate it.

You nailed Yale and Princeton but the thing about Harvard is that it's like you're not allowed to love it or at least not allowed to tell people you love it. Harvard's reputation -- particularly among people who DON'T know that much about these schools -- is so overpowering and heavy that I think a lot of Harvard alums are trying to thread a needle where they are just trying not to provoke people. That's where the whole "I went to school in Boston" thing came from which is idiotic and actually sounds way more obnoxious than just saying you went to Harvard but people are very in their feelings about Harvard.

Obviously Yale and Princeton also have huge reputations but they aren't as laden as Harvard's. Harvard is Nike or Coca Cola whereas Yale is like Adidas and Princeton is like Reebok. Saying you love Harvard sounds boring even if you actually went there and actually loved it. It's hard to be authentic about Harvard because people bring so much baggage to the conversation.

Nothing says "I think I'm better than you but don't want you to know I think I am better than you" than saying shit like this. It's one of the dumbest things you can say in a professional setting and obnoxious in a social setting. Yalies saying I went to school in New Haven is arguably worse.

If you went to HYP, you never EVER tell people where you went to school. Not even the “I went to school in Boston/NH/NJ” crap. It puts a target on your back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would look at it this way:

Harvard is a reward.

Yale is a festival.

Princeton is an opportunity.

No, just no. This is beyond stupid.

Or maybe you’re too dense to appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

I went to grad school at Harvard and loved it. Undergrads were bright and surprisingly attractive. Not sure how they felt about the place, but what was not to love? Intellectual opportunities were boundless, faculty was open minded and accessible. It was a really great place, especially faculty and classes. I hope it didn't change much.

[Anonymous]

I am east coaster who went to a big three, so if you're looking to get into that mentality: I applied to Yale only because my sibling had gone there and my father and grandfather went there for grad school and of Yale, Harvard, and Princeton, Yale was considered the most liberal. I didn't consider applying to Princeton because I considered it country clubbish with its eating clubs etc and more likely to skew Republican. I didn't consider Harvard because I had the impression it was more Republican - that was probably not true and a dumb reason not to apply. But Harvard wasn't in my family tradition so I just didn't think about applying, really. I do think people back then tended to apply to Yale but not necessarily Harvard and vice versa for reasons like mine above.

I bet today top performers are more likely to just apply to all three or at least two and see what happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am east coaster who went to a big three, so if you're looking to get into that mentality: I applied to Yale only because my sibling had gone there and my father and grandfather went there for grad school and of Yale, Harvard, and Princeton, Yale was considered the most liberal. I didn't consider applying to Princeton because I considered it country clubbish with its eating clubs etc and more likely to skew Republican. I didn't consider Harvard because I had the impression it was more Republican - that was probably not true and a dumb reason not to apply. But Harvard wasn't in my family tradition so I just didn't think about applying, really. I do think people back then tended to apply to Yale but not necessarily Harvard and vice versa for reasons like mine above.

I bet today top performers are more likely to just apply to all three or at least two and see what happens.

I just read some of the other posts and yes I remember my Dad saying Harvard did not focus on undergrads enough and thus he was eh about me applying to Harvard. He mildly encouraged me to apply to Princeton because he thought they did focus on undergrads. But that is true of Yale as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have met very few Harvard College grads who say “I loved Harvard.”

I have met very few Yale College grads who don’t say “I loved Yale.”

Majority of Princeton grads love their school, but the fraction who don’t really hate it.

This is very true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have met very few Harvard College grads who say “I loved Harvard.”

I have met very few Yale College grads who don’t say “I loved Yale.”

Majority of Princeton grads love their school, but the fraction who don’t really hate it.

You nailed Yale and Princeton but the thing about Harvard is that it's like you're not allowed to love it or at least not allowed to tell people you love it. Harvard's reputation -- particularly among people who DON'T know that much about these schools -- is so overpowering and heavy that I think a lot of Harvard alums are trying to thread a needle where they are just trying not to provoke people. That's where the whole "I went to school in Boston" thing came from which is idiotic and actually sounds way more obnoxious than just saying you went to Harvard but people are very in their feelings about Harvard.

Obviously Yale and Princeton also have huge reputations but they aren't as laden as Harvard's. Harvard is Nike or Coca Cola whereas Yale is like Adidas and Princeton is like Reebok. Saying you love Harvard sounds boring even if you actually went there and actually loved it. It's hard to be authentic about Harvard because people bring so much baggage to the conversation.

Nothing says "I think I'm better than you but don't want you to know I think I am better than you" than saying shit like this. It's one of the dumbest things you can say in a professional setting and obnoxious in a social setting. Yalies saying I went to school in New Haven is arguably worse.

If you went to HYP, you never EVER tell people where you went to school. Not even the “I went to school in Boston/NH/NJ” crap. It puts a target on your back.

I really think this is not a thing. I know lots of people that went to these schools and they always tell people where they went. Who gives a crap, really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, welcome to DC. Sounds like you've noticed that people here are pretty prestige oriented.

I'll give this a shot. (Disclosure: I didn't attend HYP for undergrad but did post-doctoral work at Yale).

First, very few people get the chance to attend one of these schools (let alone all three). That said, many who get an offer from only one put their chips in that single basket application-wise, so there's more choice involved than many here may acknowledge.

First elephant in the room is legacy. About 10% of the students have a parent who attended. This is a leg up in admissions. It doesn't get a less-than-stellar student in. It does prevent stellar students from being rejected in many cases. Similarly--but less often acknowledged--there is geography. The valedictorians of public high schools near Princeton will probably have an easier time getting into P than H and Y (and vice versa).

But let's say you're lucky enough to have three acceptance letters on April 1. It does happen. Some considerations:

PRINCETON:
The most undergraduate focused of the three. No professional schools. Graduate school is small -- pure academia. Arguably the best teaching. You do have to write a senior thesis (plus for many, not all). Grading standards are the toughest of the three, and for all but the very best students this can impact graduate and professional school choices (especially those in the bottom half of their class). Definitely the strongest engineering departments of the three. Mathematics is arguably the best in the world, but it's also incredibly difficult. In that sense, it's not a great department for a strong but not truly gifted math student.

Socially the most traditional and preppy of the three. This is a turnoff to some. Despite the old money vibe, it has long had the best financial aid in the nation. The social scene revolves around eating clubs. To some they are incredibly fun and welcoming. Others find them elitist.

The Town of Princeton is beautiful and historic, but it's a wealthy enclave in NJ. The campus is arguably the most beautiful of the three.

Most Princeton students love the place, those who don't tend to really hate it.


HARVARD:
Most prestigious university in the nation, arguably the world. Lovely Boston location. Very graduate student focused. Competitive. Cold winters. Lackluster teaching. Largest of the three in enrollment. Academically what you make of it. Probably easiest to have a high GPA, but those who benefit most from the place don't think in those terms. A truly gifted scholar who had the benefit of a first class secondary school will thrive here, but they are the exception. Social scene focuses on Boston, surrounding colleges, and for some Finals clubs. Less dominant than Princeton's eating clubs but even more elitist.

Some alumni probably say "I loved Harvard," but I have yet to meet one.


YALE:
Larger than Princeton, smaller than Harvard. Fine arts, music, and drama are exceptional (i.e. world class) here. That also means competitive (like math at Princeton). Mecca for humanities and social sciences. Special programs for undergrads interested in Great Books (Directed Studies), which means small classes and very intellectual environment.

Overall, students are probably more artsy, quirky, and intellectual on average than H and definitely P, but may find them more friendly. City of New Haven can be dangerous, but campus is beautiful. Weakest in engineering of the three. Hard sciences are strong, but probably not as strong as H and P.

There probably are Yale alumni who didn't love their college experience, but I have yet to meet one.

I didn’t go to HYP either, but between my kid at one and multiple family members/friends across the 3 schools totally agree with the above

Super helpful...now do Penn.

[Anonymous]

NJ is too close to DC and P is too small. H has better academic programs and access to MIT classes. Boston is a much better location than New Haven.

But H is the toughest admit of the three. If you don't have a preference you might consider early Y to game it a little bit (most likely won't make a difference).