<p>First of all, it is true that, in general, Ivies are not top tier in Engineering (though even this is not of concern for Princeton, which is ranked top 10 in engineering in many rankings), but they are excellent places for pure science, such as physics. Princeton has top-notch programs in sciences and math. I personally know many excellent future scientists going there. I would understand if you were concerned about Yale, since it significantly leans towards the social sciences/humanities side of things, but STEM at Princeton is really excellent. For Pure sciences, Princeton is just as good as MIT.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider: SCEA at Princeton has a significant statistical advantage in terms of admissions, while EA at MIT does not (in fact, one year the EA rate for MIT was less than the RD rate). And with two top schools like this, you really can’t go wrong.</p>