Princeton v. Stanford SCEA 2018

runline
Fri, 09 Aug 2013 10:27:11 +0000

Note: I’m posting this on both threads.

Right now I’m pretty torn between applying to Princeton or Stanford SCEA in a couple months. I’d like to know what you guys think.

As a quick bio of myself, I am a white male from S.Carolina, and I plan to major in Chemistry, but I am still VERY likely to change my mind about that. I don’t pretend to have a great chance at either school, but I do think I have a shot. My ECs and intangibles aren’t great (Debate, Cross Country, normal stuff…) but my scores are all perfect (2400 SAT, val, etc…) Here are some of the specific factors I’m looking for in deciding between the two schools.

Social/Religious Scene

I am a Christian from the South, and my faith is very important to me. (It may be important to note that I’m also pretty politically liberal and open-minded, contrary to the Southern Christian stereotype, so that’s not an issue for me) I was wondering which school is the most accepting of Christianity and offers the most opportunities for young Christians. My concern w/ P is that their eating clubs give it a pretty strong drinking culture/ Greek life vibe, which might not mix too well with my Christian faith. My concern w/ S is that Cali is definitely not known as the most Christian-friendly region. I’m curious as to which school would be the best fit for me in this regard.

Chances of Getting In

Since I do love both schools, and will apply to both at some point in the admissions process, I’ll definitely consider which school would give me the best chance of getting in SCEA. I know S has a lower SCEA (and overall) acceptance rate, while P has higher average test scores and things like that, indicating perhaps that P’s applicant pool as a whole is stronger. I also know S tends to reject rather than defer SCEA. Does one of these schools emphasize test scores and grades more than another (since that’s my strong point)? Which one would give me the best chance SCEA?

Chem Program & Opportunities

While I am very uncertain of my plans in and after college, it would be helpful to hear if P or S has a particularly better chem program than the other, and I’d like to know if one school would give me significantly more opportunities after college than the other.

TL;DR- Based on these 3 factors, especially the first 2, which school should I apply to SCEA?