Stanford vs. Harvard vs. Yale

congrats on a wonderful problem! I had a similar one in that multiple wonderful colleges had accepted me as well (most during RD, one early). What allowed me to “order” the schools was a visit I took in Jan of my senior year. Frankly, interacting with the students gave me a “feel” of which I could best envision as HOME for the next four years. I certainly realized that my ability to judge the relative “rankings” of one college’s department faculty over another college’s faculty was practically nil.

I didn’t apply to H or S – only Yale and other schools. Yale became my #1 choice because the students there really stood out in their enthusiasm and unbridled sense of enjoying being there. Of course I visited H and other schools – I visited Stanford often and even worked there one summer. To me, Yale was the right choice – the compact campus, the lively campus life, the culture, the camaraderie. For others, it might not be. I think after visiting each, trust your gut instinct. Feel free to contact me off board if you want more detail.