<p>Hey qwaszxas, I won’t be much help with most of your questions because I haven’t actually gone to Princeton yet, but I was also deciding between Stanford and Princeton until a few days ago when I decided to go with Princeton. I share some of your worries about coping with large amounts of work, grade deflation, etc. So I too wondered if I wouldn’t be better off going to Stanford since its known for being less work-intensive. But then I realized that I didn’t apply to Stanford or Princeton because I was looking for the easiest route and would probably regret any decision made out of fear, and fear based on unreliable comparisons at that (as far as we know there may be very little difference between the rigor of the two schools). I would say, however, that I love Princeton enough to justify extra work. If the choice doesn’t feel right to you on other levels, then I’d try talk to Stanford about attending, but I wouldn’t let your fear stop you from even trying. A question I considered when choosing between my various colleges was not which school I could necessarily see myself assimilating to the easiest (a common measuring stick for making these decisions), but where could I see myself growing into the person I want to become. For me, that is a person who is confident, well educated, and capable of tackling any problem I set my mind to. I personally feel that some level of stress and hardship is good for growth and will leave me with all of these things, so I chose Princeton. However, most people I know don’t share my perspective on choosing the harder option, so I guess my best advice would be to go with your gut. Think it over and try to assess if this is just temporary nervousness or a deep-seated instinct that’s telling you that you won’t be happy at Princeton.</p>
<p>As some of the people in posts above have expressed, Princeton seems to care a lot more about their students, one of the many reasons I ultimately picked Princeton over Stanford. I think it will be very hard no matter where you go, but I’d rather be at a place that will be more supportive and give me more individualized attention, which I don’t think will be true at Stanford based on the feedback I’ve received from alums, current students, and personal observation. So I’d advise you to consider that too. I personally hope you stick with Princeton because I think its the most amazing school ever, but really, do what you feel is right.</p>