<p>how exactly is stanford “very isolated”? it’s part of the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the US (the “bay area”) and sits halfway between that area’s two biggest cities, san jose and san fran.</p>
<p><a href=“San Francisco Bay Area - Wikipedia”>San Francisco Bay Area - Wikipedia;
<p>How many people posting in this thread have been to both campuses in question? (I have, on repeated occasions.)</p>
<p>I have been to both.</p>
<p>Harvard is right on a subway stop.</p>
<p>Stanford is a car ride into town.</p>
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Yes, if by town you mean Palo Alto. Which by the urban standards of Cambridge/Boston is suburban and isolated.</p>
<p>Scottie was making the claim that, because Stanford is located within a metropolitan region known as the Bay Area, and sits between two cities, San Francisco and San Jose, it couldn’t be viewed as isolated. That’s a bit like saying that because Princeton is part of the eastern corridor megalopolis, and sits between New York and Philadelphia, it can’t be viewed as isolated. Princeton is almost as close to New York and Philadelphia as Stanford is to San Francisco and San Jose. But I don’t think even Scottie would contend that Princeton is urban.</p>
<p>I’m not making a value judgment here. Many students might prefer a more suburban or rural and isolated campus. Others like the hustle and bustle of a city. But let’s not pretend that one is the other.</p>
<p>you’re right, i wouldn’t contend that either school is “urban.” i would, however, strongly contend that neither is “very isolated.” relatively isolated, perhaps, but not at all on any absolute scale.</p>
<p>Okay, then I guess we’re just debating terminology. I think you’d agree that the day to day environment experienced by a student at Princeton or Stanford is very different from the day to day environment experienced by a student at Harvard or Columbia. Not that one is intrinsically superior to the other. They’re just different. And as savvy rightly points out, it’s up to each student to make his/her own decision as to which is better for that individual.</p>
<p>Like I stated before, I prefer to form my own opinions rather than rely on the thoughts of others. Thus, I took the liberty of spending time at both campuses. While I thought that the Stanford campus was more impressive aesthetically, I by no means felt as if I was living in a metropolitan area during my stay. Stanford may be just “a car ride” away from San Francisco, however Freshmen are not allowed cars on campus, resulting in about an hour long trip via public transportation. Stanford may be between two large cities, but Harvard is actually in a large city. And, having grown up in a very large city myself, I just didn’t know if I could adjust to such a setting.</p>
<p>But, like I said, this doesn’t make Harvard better than Stanford. Stanford’s seclusion may have been a negative for me, but for some I’m sure it is a positive factor. Had I not been accepted to Harvard, I would be more than happy to attend Stanford. If I’m lucky I’d love to gain admittance to Stanford Med in four years!</p>
<p>(lol) that this is the Harvard forums</p>
<p>I would have to agree with f.scottie’s sentiments, here. </p>
<p>Stanford is far less isolated than students make it out to be. Most choose to stay on campus during the weekends because there is so much on-campus stuff going on; the campus life at Stanford is very strong.</p>
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<p>It is far more annoying that you feel a need to gripe about them. They are feel-good stories about positive achievements. Why does that deserve your complaints?</p>
<p>The “point” of posting them is no different than the point of writing and publishing them in the first place. If you really wish to stamp them out, I suggest you direct your complaints to the newpapers who are publishing them.</p>
<p>Yeah, if we want to talk about annoying, how about people who have no connection to Harvard coming over here to argue with a Harvard alumnus (as Byerly indubitably is) about what he posts from professional media stories about Harvard? Hey, guys, lighten up and post over on the other college forums the information that the press publishes about your alma mater.</p>
<p>I believe Byerly is doing a great service. By seeing these stories, you can get to see what types of students are accepted at Harvard - beyond the whole testing and GPA craze. </p>
<p>Byerly: just<em>forget</em>me and saxfreq told me that just<em>forget</em>me and sunglasses met you! Why haven’t I? :P</p>
<p>I’m sure it would be a thrill ;)</p>
<p>I too would love to meet this Byerly. </p>
<p>Hopefully he’ll be in Palo Alto sometime.</p>
<p>I was there last week, “zepher”, but didn’t notice you. Had dinner at Bistro Elan.</p>
<p>Ah, well, I tend to frequent the Chinese and Thai eateries .</p>
<p>What, they actually have restaurants near this isolated Stanford?</p>
<p>
I think it’s not the post people are peeved about but rather Byerly’s ever-present intention to put down other schools. It’s never clear whether he is celebrating Harvard or smugly dismissing other schools as inferior. While the former is certainly valuable, the latter is just childish.</p>
<p>For a recent example, see the lovely thread by Byerly in the Yale forums titled:
“Naked womn stabbed, assaulted in New Haven Cemetery ( news item)”
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=198028[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=198028</a></p>
<p>Frankly, I’m surprised that the Harvard forum community defends Byerly so adamantly considering how arrogant and condescending his posts often are.</p>
<p>^^Well, when Byerly or anyone else actually does put down another school or otherwise gets out of line, call them on it. Use the Report Offensive Post function. But please spare us the constant complaining about posts or threads that are fine - and there is nothing wrong with these links to Harvard stories in hometown papers. They are upbeat, positive stories that provide valuable information to the prospective applicants here on CC – they showcase what sort of student with what sort of achievements can get into Harvard. If for some odd reason you don’t like them, don’t read them.</p>
<p>Coureur–I have no objection to posting links to positive stories about students, whether going to Harvard or elsewhere. However, I agree with cghen. I think that people on the Harvard forum (including you) should be more willing to criticize Byerly’s mean-spiritedness and take him to task for some of his more outrageous posts. For example, the starting of a thread on the Yale forum about a rape in New Haven serves no purpose whatsover–it is simply an attempt to make New Haven/Yale look bad. Byerly has many such snide and negative posts. Although Byerly often posts useful information, maybe he would stop with the negativity ( or at least tone it down) if the people who generally appreciate his posts would tell him when he’s out of line.</p>