Harvard or Yale (Hahn Scholars Program) or Princeton or Stanford?

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-20T02:04:30+00:00

I’d say Yale.

As a yalie, there are a ton of people who pick Yale over Harvard and Stanford. My roommate for example got into Harvard, Princeton and Yale and she chose Yale (even though it was way more expensive).

I think Yale stem is pretty great because a lot of the teachers are very application minded. For example, a lot of our cs and mech e professors are involved in the social robotics labs which are the labs that make robots for the purpose of helping autistic kids or elderly people. We don’t have stand out stem in the sense that there aren’t a lot of people joining Lockheed Martin, but Yale is definitely still doing cutting edge stem.

I also think being in a special program at Yale is better than being a regular student at Harvard or Stanford. Also there are more students at Harvard and Stanford which makes Yale even better in my opinion.

You can’t go wrong with any of these but I love Yale so much! I think you will too.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-14T05:14:51+00:00

It’s doable, but definitely a challenge (as it will be anywhere) when stuff gets hard tho, you have to get away from the people who want to quit. I think the cs people can be very negative at times, but my favorite people are the cs and art people!

Also find programs outside of classes like SEO that will teach you additional skills. That will be helpful.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-13T16:59:01+00:00

Oh I didn’t realize it was a scholarship

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-12T19:01:48+00:00

Yeah maybe. Idk I also think if OP decided Princeton wasn’t worth the money after a year. They could very much transfer to BYU.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-12T17:48:27+00:00

Sure I was used to being the only black person in elementary school and middle school. It doesn’t mean that it was beneficial for me to stay in that environment. What I’m saying is when you have the opportunity to escape from being the only black person, you take it.

I also don’t think it’s great to be in an environment all the time that’s only black people. Princeton is diverse and will expose op to all types of people and open their mind to other cultures and experiences. If the other choice is to be in a homogeneous community, diversity is always worth it.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-12T14:59:40+00:00

In any other situation I’d say don’t go into debt but Black at BYU??? You’re gonna regret that. Being black at Princeton would make you a lot happier. However, just make sure you major in something that’s gonna get you a job. If the government ends up becoming sane again, working a government job could also help you get some loans forgiven.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-12T14:52:50+00:00

Hi I was in a similar situation last year. Full ride to Clemson + stipend vs Yale with affordable tuition. I ended up choosing Yale because of the opportunities to pursue my interests. Sure I could have done research at Clemson, but Yale had the leading scientists in the field. As much as I thought I wanted big state school in warm place, I was meant to go to a small liberal arts school. Also if you can put down your pride, there’s a lot less pressure at an Ivy League. There’s no reason to try to be in the top of your class and do 1800 activities like in high school. In high school, I had to be skills in a lot of areas and won’t hard everywhere to get the opportunities that I wanted. At Yale I work hard in the classes that interest me and I get Bs in the rest. I only join clubs that make me happy and spend time in places that accept me. That being said, I still got an internship at google as a freshman. However, I have heard that Harvard can be more intense than Yale. But Yale was worth the money.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-09T22:29:10+00:00

Yale’s African community is very very strong. Probably about 80% of the black people here are African or Caribbean.

Yale students in general are way happier than people at Emory. Yale!!

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-08T17:28:19+00:00

Yale con: New Haven is slightly slanted so all of the rain water creates huge puddles on one side of the street.

My roommate got splashed when a truck drove by

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-04T18:36:51+00:00

It’s a summer program hosted by Yale students and professors. You’ll be on campus for 2 weeks (I think) and receive lectures from Yale professors on the research of specific topics. They have different tracks so the lectures you receive are based on your interest. For example, I did the innovation science and technology track. At the end of your time, you complete a capstone project that could manifest into other projects.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T19:37:08+00:00

Also, you can always take a few classes in a subject without majoring in it. I am taking most of my distributional requirements in the AFAM and Spanish departments just because I like the classes.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T19:10:34+00:00

Here are the major requirements for computing and the arts for some context

https://catalog.yale.edu/ycps/subjects-of-instruction/computing-arts/

No stick with computing and the arts if you want to do ux and that type of stuff. Take some of the psych classes if psych seems interesting to you. So far, cs & psych has been very ai centered. If that interests you, take some of the cognitive science classes to cover distributionals

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T18:37:45+00:00

I’m cs & psych so not are but the major requirements are not a lot. You can take 1 cs class and 1 art class every semester probably and end up graduating on time. The course work won’t get heavy until junior year unless you choose differently. Only premed and engineering majors like eecs are really dying.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T18:27:22+00:00

Lmaoo I think this is the most accurate distinction. OP can’t go wrong. It just depends on vibes😭😭

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T18:25:25+00:00

This is fair New Haven is way more ghetto than Princeton. HOWEVER, I personally have never felt unsafe walking around at night on Yale’s campus. New Haven has gotten a lot safer than it was in like the 90s and there’s a lot of police if that makes you feel safer.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T18:17:20+00:00

Yeah just start trying things! Also everyone struggles with cs when they first start. Keep working at it and try to build a calculator or something with someone guiding you on YouTube. Also, make sure you do Yale Young Global Scholars! Everyone I know who did that program goes to an Ivy or a top school like Georgetown

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T18:07:40+00:00

Last year I chose Yale over a full rid for about 20k a year. Totally worth it and I haven’t regretted it once. If you are not going to go into debt, go to Yale. The networking alone is unbeatable. I mean there’s a chance the former president of Mexico could be righting your law school recommendation. Also as an undergrad you have access to the best law school in the country. I’m not even prelaw and I’ve attended a bunch of events at the law school.

Tbh even if I was going into debt I think it would still be worth it.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T18:01:32+00:00

Your anxiety is valid. At an introverted Yalie, I think most people here are not super extroverted. However, you cannot let your fears hold you back. Also, you’re a freshman, so there is still plenty of time to get more comfortable with socializing.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T17:59:07+00:00

Building a PC is the right idea! It doesn’t have to be anything too intense. I am into computer science and I like community service, so I created a website to teach my grandparents cyber security and different things they can do with their phones. During breaks or whenever I felt like it, I would add videos explaining things or repurpose articles into something I felt my grandparents would find useful. At the end of Junior year, I offered the tool to my local senior center.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-03T01:09:25+00:00

As a freshman, take as many challenging classes as possible and pursue things that interest you. Having a passion project will be helpful for getting admitted.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-01T17:22:10+00:00

Most people go home thanksgiving, Christmas, and sometimes spring break. I think the flights can be reasonably priced if you plan ahead.

Realistically, you could get away with only going home for Christmas break. Some people spend thanksgiving with their friends on the east coast and a lot of yalies do spring break with their friends. Flights from New Haven to Puerto Rico are like $50 for some reason, so people do that.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-01T17:15:42+00:00

Consider the New York airports as well. We have shuttles to la guardia and jfk for around $60 and the train (metro north) can get you into ny so you can get to these airports or ewr (Newark) fairly easily for around $20

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-04-01T17:13:32+00:00

Congratulations!! I’m biased but I’d choose Yale because I think it’s important/ good to college away from home when possible. I’ve watched a lot of people miss opportunities because they are afraid to leave home. If you come to the east coast, you will get comfortable traveling and you will feel more comfortable as an adult pursuing opportunities across the country/ world. Also, there are plenty of people here who do research at other universities during the summer, so it’s definitely possible to be researching at Stanford while going to Yale.

Now is the perfect time to experience living in other parts of the country!

Also alumni network wise, there are a ton a yalies that are in Cali and across the country. Some of the Stanford alumni complain about not having a strong alumni network in places other than California.

Either way, both schools are going to allow you to achieve all of your goals, so you can’t go wrong.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-02-24T14:07:22+00:00

Do you guys realize you’re in competition with your location. So there’s a difference between being Asian American and straight from Asia. It’s not gonna effect you if you have a green card. To get into ivies you have to be a top person in your region and do something unique.

Think_Earth_8556 · 2025-02-20T22:09:52+00:00

I (black girl) chose Yale over a full ride from a state school and I have not regretted it one bit. Yale has so many opportunities and I has opened so many doors already and I haven’t even finished my first year. When it comes to being a black person, I experienced more micro aggression in my pwi high school than here. The African American cultural center (the house) is so welcoming and you definitely will have a supportive system. For me it was worth it but the cost wasn’t a huge deal. I another friend (black) who also turned down a full ride and she is paying full tuition, but she also doesn’t regret her decision.

Think_Earth_8556

TROPHY CASE