Princeton or Yale

Denlah
Sat, 26 Apr 2014 18:18:08 +0000

Hey uheaven, I’m a Princeton pre-frosh who visited Yale and can tell you that you can’t go wrong here. Yale and Princeton are both spectacular. That you can’t visit Princeton is absolutely tragic, and I think that not paying for your visit is a dumb policy–especially when they want you as much as your upcoming classmates do (and that’s a lot).

Here’s my story, for what it’s worth:

Princeton’s campus is impossibly beautiful. Architecture there is stunning and the trees and grassy courtyards are gorgeous. Most people seem to agree that we have the prettier campus. I overnighted with a freshman friend and absolutely loved everything I did and all the people I met. By the time I left the next afternoon, I had declared Princeton my favorite place in the world. (This coming from someone who travels abroad and who really, really loves a lot of places.)

This visit came two days before I could check my decision letter, so leaving made me feel a bit blue. I didn’t think I’d be back. I visited Yale later that same week and didn’t feel the same magic. But others do, so go with what your heart says. My prom date is a Yale/Princeton cross admit, too, and I’m 90% sure she’s choosing Yale. “Different strokes for different folks,” I’ve heard it said.

It sounds like you only know Yale through its campus, so I’m sure that if you’d seen Princeton instead you’d love it even more. But liking the campus is not a guarantee of liking the school, so do try to decide which environment you’d like better socially. For what it’s worth, Princeton does not accept transfer applicants, so if you were to change your mind at Yale you’d be out of luck. Yale does accept transfers. I seriously doubt you’ll want to leave either school once you’re there, but I do think that Princeton’s high retention rate, inability to accept transfer applicants, and especially its alumni giving rate all speak to the fact that people have extraordinary experiences there.

Other data to absorb with a grain of salt:

Apparently two-thirds of students faced with the same decision choose Yale:
Compare Colleges: Side-by-side college comparisons | Parchment - College admissions predictions.;

School populations:

princeton undergrads: 5000
princeton grads: 2500

yale undergrads: 5000
yale grads: 6000

^ This objective data may underscore the subjective US News ranking that Princeton has a higher quality of undergraduate education. Undergrads really are the focus of the University.

Last, I don’t have time to dig through my search history, but I recently saw a post on CC where a poster tallied up the overall US News rankings for the past fifteen or twenty years. Lower numbers mean a higher rank, and the total scores were this: Princeton 22, Harvard 24, Yale 40-something. I don’t think that matters too much, but if you think it does, you shouldn’t take my word, or his. Tally it yourself.

Let us know what you decide. Your peers at both universities are very hopeful that you’ll join us. :)