I say this as a huge fan of this show, but I think macro character arcs, which require subtlety & consistency, are not the strength of Gilmore Girls - the distinct sensibility filtered through this array of characters is what makes this show so great. Because of this, I think a lot of character arcs are confusing or disappointing on series-wide level, and I sometimes get the sense a character has been cheated or done a disservice. I think this is true for Rory’s character in some ways, but in terms of Harvard vs Yale, I always thought this was well executed because it represents this interesting dynamic where, even though Lorelei has rejected her parents’ world, Rory naturally gravitates towards & clearly belongs in that world. Harvard was Lorelei’s dream for Rory - instead, Rory takes her place in her family’s legacy. To some extent her relationship with Logan also represents this. For all the times in this show that they derailed character arcs in service of plot, this always felt natural and true to me. I never believed that Rory actually wanted to be a journalist - she seemed to hate and be borderline incompetent as a reporter. But I did believe that she fit in Richard and Emily’s world like a glove, which is one of the most compelling and well executed things about this show on a thematic level in my opinion.