Why I chose Yale over Harvard (by a current student)

Colleges & Universities Yale University
61

<p>Not true anymore, and please stop with the ad hominem attacks.</p>

62

<p>Oh my, so much animosity! Has anyone stopped to consider that the original post was not meant to say “Yale is good because Harvard sucks because
”, but rather to give some advice to people who actually have to make the decision between the two?</p>

<p>I highly doubt Harvard and Yale are so different academically that one can really be considered better than the other. There’s more to it and at that point, you get into personal preferences; you leave the realm of areas in which you can say one school is truly “better” than another. The Yale student cited in the original post is obviously biased in favor of Yale, but this student had the choice of going to Harvard and obviously chose Yale for a reason. Whether the decision was based on an unfortunately unusually-negative experience at Harvard’s prefrosh, personal preferences that may or may not relate to others, or some real benefits that Yale has over Harvard that happened to really strike this student, anyone who is going through this decision would be best off listening to the opinions of as many people as possible who were in their situation in the past. That’s why this thread is useful; that’s why this thread is necessary; that’s all.</p>

<p>Harvard students who chose it over Yale are free to post a similar post regarding the reasoning behind their choice on the Harvard board. That would not be bashing Yale, refraining from doing that would not be a sign of maturity, it would simply help current students make the decision.</p>

<p>Now, I do have one bone to pick with the Yale posters in this thread: please don’t tell a [prospective] science major about the “compactness” of the campus! :p</p>

63

<p>

Actually, the author quoted in the original post concedes to a focus “on why not to choose Harvard” rather than on “why to choose Yale.” He/she then proceeds to spew out a stream of standard unfounded stereotypes and inaccurate rubbish about Harvard. There are many compelling reasons to attend Yale. Virtually none are compellingly presented in the garbage that starts this thread. As a result, I find the posts entirely unhelpful for anyone who is in the position of deciding between the two. (Actually, if these posts were all I had to go on, I’d flee for Cambridge in an instant. I certainly hope that no Harvard student would ever start a similar thread with a bunch of garbage about Yale.)</p>

<p>Btw, while it’s irrelevant to this thread, I am sincerely sorry that you weren’t admitted to Harvard. I was rooting for you.</p>

64

<p>Oops. Just realized you’re on the waitlist. So I’ll continue to root for you. ;)</p>

65

<p>I was rooting for you too, Guitarman - and still am. In any event, I’m sure you will be very happy at either school as they’re both wonderful. :)</p>

<p>However, for those who were/are choosing between both schools, my advice would be not to let the opinions of random people on any Internet board influence their decisions.</p>

66

<p>Yes, twinmom. They all visited, one the weekend before PreFrosh, the others on PreFrosh Days. Remember. These are the perceptions of teenagers. But perceptions that caused them to choose another school over Harvard as a better fit for them. Not that one school is better than the other, but that these 4 students have perceptions are of an atmosphere that was not best for them.</p>

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<p>haha–thanks you two! :slight_smile: cosar, I’ll make sure to contact you for the counterpoint to this thread in the event Harvard takes me ;)</p>

68

<p>Good luck - although it looks like you are a winner either way!</p>

69

<p>Harvard and Yale hating each other
how obnoxious. Princeton doesn’t have to hate anyone–it’s been #1 for a long time, it’s been attracting some of the world’s top scholars (Cornel West from Harvard, Peter Singer from Oxford) and Tigers are better than Bulldogs or
Crimsons. Take that!</p>

<p>(Ok, in all seriousness, the people who have been saying that top universities are all excellent and that people should choose based on personal rather than institutional factors are absolutely right.)</p>

70

<p>Your credibility was shot when you used “Cornel West” and “top scholar” in the same sentence.</p>

71

<p>one of harvard’s best, according to his “university professor” designation while there. but to correct a point, singer came to PU from melbourne (he did study at oxford, under r.m. hare).</p>

72

<p>Probably Larry Summers’ finest moment during his 5 year career was calling that fraud, Cornel West, to account and forcing him out. </p>

<p>Fortunately Harvard didn’t even have to [pay him off as Princeton foolishly picked up Brother West’s contract.</p>

73

<p>i think west (and princeton) are laughing last on that one.</p>

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<p>Princeton looks foolish in falling for West’s act.</p>

75

<p>harvard looks foolish for picking summers, a man whose interpersonal ineptitude was well known at the time, and now having to go through the presidential selection process all over again. meanwhile, many at harvard are hoping for west’s return!</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/06/06/some_seek_a_scholars_return/[/url]”>http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/06/06/some_seek_a_scholars_return/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

76

<p>Byerly, out of curiosity, what’s the gripe with West?</p>

<p>I know next to nothing about him, but I’ve seen him on Bill Maher and he is charismatic and absolutely electrifying, the kind of teacher I’d love to have - regardless of whether I disagreed with what he spouted or not. (I don’t).</p>

77

<p>Some of his views seem just a tad too close to black militancy (rarely a good thing) for my tastes, although I haven’t read up on him too much
</p>

78

<p>well, despite some past associations with the reverend al sharpton (always cause for question), he’s hardly militant on matters of race. more like progressive. see, for example, his best-selling book “race matters” or his recent work with tavis smiley et al, compiled and published as “the covenant with black america.” and note that race isn’t all that west talks and writes about. at princeton, his appointment is actually in the department of religion. according to the department website, “his teaching and research interests include philosophy of religion and cultural criticism, and his current research focuses on the tragic, the comic, and the political.”</p>

79

<p>dont worry, when west was at haaaavard, im sure byerly bragged to all of his little friends about the quality of the profs there</p>

80

<p>I cheered when he was cashiered!</p>

<p>Read this Harvard Crimson column by Ross Douthat skewering Brother West.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/article.aspx?ref=161286[/url]”>http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/article.aspx?ref=161286&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;