Hello all! I’ve been admitted to all 3 and am having a tough time choosing between them; every time I think I get close to a decision I get buyers remorse. Can you guys please make recommendations for me given that:
I live in CT
I Wanna major/minor in: Enviro Studies; Af Am Studies; Ethnicity, Race and Migration and (Medical) Anthropology/Global Health. End goal is an MD/PhD in Medical Anthropology in order to become a professor studying racialized Environmental Health (think Flint, Michigan and the Native American Reservations).
I Am a geeky, outgoing and social individual who prefers small get togethers (movie nights, video games, Mafia, board games, dinner out) to partying, but am not opposed to the latter
I Don’t plan to go Greek but am not opposed to them if they aren’t dominating or toxic
I debate and do quiz bowl competitively
Like cities and want easy access, but get exhausted of cities pretty quickly (ie, weekend or day trip)
My sister goes to Yale so I have an unequal distribution of information about it.
I am a POC and a (quiet) member of LGBT community.
Princeton is on a train line that can take you to Philly or New York within an hour. Princeton township is a suburb.
Princeton doenn’t have greek life but has Eating Clubs.
I am sure all of the schools you were admitted to would be awesome…but I just looked at Princeton and saw this artlce…I can imagine you doing something along these lines.
I think that you will be happiest at Yale.
Dartmouth is too small, white and fratty.
The Frat scene there IS dominant, partly because of Dartmouth’s history and partly because it is very isolated.
Actually, there are off-campus unrecognized fraternities and sororities at Princeton, but students are discouraged from joining them (and frosh are prohibited from joining them). Supposedly, about 15% of Princeton students do join them.
The coed eating clubs have some fraternity and sorority like aspects. Some have selective admission, while others are open admission.
I believe Princeton’s emphasis on research would benefit you greatly as they require 2 longer Junior Papers and a Senior Thesis. Princeton’s focus on undergrads also is a big plus in my book. My D’s interest also points to a possible MD/PhD but in Neuroscience. She’s completing the Integrated Science Curriculum(ISC) which might be too Math/Physics for liking but is a great program for anyone planning to go into science research post-grad. ISC has also formed her social group as the 18 kids left in the program have bonded and do a lot of the things you list that you like socially. My D isn’t an Eating Club type and has no plans to try to join one even the open admission ones. She may join a Co-op which is an alternative that lots of kids do. Basically even though the Eating Club scene is a social focal point there are plenty of options for people not into that.
Your sister can probably give you better advice than anyone here since I assume she understands what makes you tick better than any strangers. Are you going to Bulldog Days and the equivalent at Princeton and Dartmouth? I’d at least try to make it to your top 2 choices.
While Princeton doesn’t have grade deflation it still has the lowest average GPA of all the Ivies (and S & M). Still plenty go to top med schools and get into the Medical Researcher program.
That’s what I’m thinking, too.
I get the impression the LGBT community/support is especially strong there.
Plus (unlike Princeton) it has a medical school.
But you liked all 3 well enough to apply, so if one has a significantly lower net cost, that might be hard to pass up.
Most likely still true. However, the recent data that I looked at (I lost the source, unfortunately) showed slight grade inflation each year at Princeton since 2014. The question is, has it caught up to the rest of Ivy average or still far from there or is it a good thing, even… I certainly wouldn’t use that as a college deciding factor, though.
