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<p>I don’t understand why Stanford students feel pressured to love their school and constantly live up to that expectation. I attend Harvard and don’t hesitate to criticize it when appropriate. I think Harvard and MIT students are more secure about the reputation of their schools and don’t fear criticizing them because they know their reputations will stand. Stanford students, on the other hand, are very sensitive about criticizing their school because they fear it will ruin the Stanford name–Stanford’s only advantage to HYP (and its unceasing mantra) is that its students are supposedly happier so if that’s not true, how else can they attract HYP cross-admits? Unfortunately, it doesn’t have as much prestige to fall back on. Something that has weirded me out about Stanford students is this constant insecurity lingering among them, as though they themselves believe they are inferior to HYPM. It’s prevalent in how DEFENSIVE Stanford students on this board are as well as in person. </p>
<p>I also believe the constant need to prove themselves stems from their realization that they have to live up to the ultra-smart image students expected of HYP students even though they got into Stanford with a 28 ACT. They are so in-your-face about how their ECs and essays got them in and how that shows how special and unique they are…pfft. They know Harvard requires all of that PLUS more. Most Stanford students just didn’t make the cut. Stanford manages to maintain its yield by implementing a different strategy-- admitting students who do not have a prayer at HYP (though I realize many are so exceptional they will be admitted to all 4) and for whom Stanford will be the highest ranked school they get into.</p>
<p>Stanford is constantly playing catch-up, trying to come up with new buzz words like “future-orientation” to differentiate itself…as if Harvard or MIT don’t care as much about their future status? They just launched a new online education initiative. Btw, they TURNED DOWN Stanford’s invitation to join its online venture.</p>
<p>On the plus side, I loved Stanford’s Greek system as the brothers I met were very nice to me (even as the rest of the students I met were stand-offish)…they were so nice I actually thought they were gay! Unfortunately, the LGBT students I met at Stanford were mean and insecure compared to the LGBT students I met at Harvard and Princeton…</p>