Stanford vs. Yale

Jazzed
Sun, 06 Apr 2014 17:07:50 +0000

Hi!

I was accepted to Yale SCEA and am now choosing between Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, and Dartmouth '18. I think I am mostly interested in attending one of the first two. I have browsed the forums, and amidst all the “Yale vs. Harvard,” “Harvard vs. Stanford,” etc., one thread there seems to be a lack of is “Yale vs. Stanford.” I find this weird because (as I see it) these are the two best places in the world be an undergraduate. Both offer top-tier academics alongside social scenes that other top-tier schools seem unable to match.

My question (since this is on the Stanford forum, I’m also posting on the Yale forum) - Why Stanford over Yale?

A couple of things about me:

I live in Connecticut, which would make going to Yale so much easier. I love California however and would consider myself to be more “chill” in terms of exhibiting a west coast vibe. I may like to end up on the west coast at some point in my life. My girlfriend will be in high school still (CT) and going to Stanford would make the relationship extremely difficult. My mom also wants me to stay close. San Fran and New York are two of my favorite cities, so access to each of them is an asset.

Harvard and Princeton gave excellent financial aid, Stanford did not, and I have yet to hear back from Yale. I’m hoping some matching will be done.

I am interested in science/technology stuff (maybe like physics or green energy or something), although I very well might end up going into business/finance. I enjoy the arts immensely - going to concerts, seeing plays, and just generally associating with people interested in these things. I will participate in a cappella in college. I enjoy anything outdoors like skiing and hiking. I enjoy watching sports as well as playing sports recreationally (think intramural). I’m not sure if I plan on being involved in Greek life, but I definitely want to be in a social environment. I also very much value a community atmosphere–I think Stanford and Yale each offer these in different ways. Yale the residential colleges (which I love), Stanford the “bubble” of campus and the unifying sports scene.

If anyone wants to throw in a word about the other schools as well feel free to do so. Dartmouth and Brown are more expensive and I can’t imagine myself choosing them over the others. The atmospheres of Harvard/Princeton seem very competitive, not laid-back, not social, etc., which turns me off to both of them.

Thank y’all in advance!