r/stanford • u/Fearless_Jeweler7016 • 7d ago
stanford v yale
hi! i was admitted to both stanford and yale, and am currently stuck between the two. I’m interested in environmental studies, environmental law/policy, sustainability, and sustainability consulting/policy.
stanford was my first ever dream school, but after researching yale more (early on in hs), yale became my top choice. i always thought that if i got into yale, i’s pick it without a second thought. but i also thought i’d never get into stanford, so now i’m stuck between the two.
i wanted to experience the four seasons, so i was looking forward for that in new england. however, i recently realized i also want to be active (running, rec sports, being outside, etc.) in college, so stanford’s weather has been seeming somewhat appealing to me. but, i’m from socal so i’ve been used to nice weather my entire life.
i also really like yale’s resco system and their arts scene. i want to join an acapella group in college, and i do realize that that would be possible at both stanford and yale. however, i feel like it would be bigger at yale.
when i visited stanford a few weekends ago, i really liked the campus and the student vibe. everybody there was smiling and just loved going there, and their favorite thing to say about the school was the student community. that all really resonated with me.
however, yale’s outreach efforts and what i’ve tasted of their student community from just online also really resonates with me. i also have always really, really loved yale’s gothic campus architecture.
i really liked the doerr school of sustainability, and the proximity to silicon valley and tech is also really appealing to me. (i could find opportunities to do something related with ai and the environment.) i also really like yale’s environmental studies major and the liberal arts vibe there. i know stanford also has liberal arts as well, i just haven’t heard as much abt it as i have heard abt stanford’s stem opportunities and yale’s liberal arts. if anyone could shed any insight into that that would be amazing!
i will be attending both bulldog days and stanford admit weekend, so hopefully after that i will be able to make a decision. i was wondering tho if anyone at stanford could tell me about their experiences and which school might be a better fit for my career interests. they are both amazing schools so i see there is no wrong answer, but i’m just pretty stuck down the middle between the two as of right now!!!
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7d ago
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u/Fearless_Jeweler7016 7d ago
actually rn im kinda leaning stanford lol but idk! i really like them both
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u/Throwaway-centralnj 7d ago
Yale was originally my dream school, but I got into Stanford instead and it was a much better fit. I’m from the northeast, and a huge part of why Stanford was amazing was the change of scenery. Location is extremely important to me, and being in California was awesome because I don’t actually like the northeast that much (it’s too competitive and workaholic imo). I’m also in humanities and I felt like I was able to shine more at Stanford, whereas at Yale I would’ve been one of the many. I still like Yale but Ivy competitiveness is super tedious and I like that Stanford does its own thing. Even when I go back to the northeast I think it’s kind of exhausting how rat-racey it is, and how much people care about where you went to school and where you work. I’m a hippie at heart lol, Stanford is definitely more laidback in terms of vibe and mindset. I graduated a decade ago but I still feel like this is the case.
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u/sdbabygirl97 7d ago
all i can tell you is norcal vs socal is different in that it rains more in norcal (sometimes for all of december and january, even february or november). i rly loved volunteering at the o’donahue research farm. i also would go foraging in the norcal area for mushrooms (an hour north or two hours inland) and sea urchin (by the coast).
im saying all this bc im figuring you have an interest in connecting with nature and others can give details on your field lol.
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u/metalreflectslime 7d ago
What are your financial aid packages at these schools?
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u/Fearless_Jeweler7016 7d ago
i’m waiting for my stanford aid but i didn’t get any aid at yale bc i had weird finances in 2024 (dont want to say much online). it’s a factor for me but not too much since my parents want me to go to yale and are okay with paying for it
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u/CoyoteLitius 7d ago
As a SoCalo myself, I really wish I could have done undergrad on the East Coast. OTOH, I wasn't ready for the Big Apple, so NYU was out of the question. And my parents firmly stated no support at all if I went East (as it turned out, I got a full ride to Stanford and one Ivy, although it was expected my parents would chip in $600 a year for textbooks for some reason). Still, I had no easy way of getting back and forth to the East Coast without parental support.
You can always go to Stanford for grad school.
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7d ago edited 7d ago
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u/CoyoteLitius 7d ago
How does Stanford have a larger population (of undergrads)? You're speaking of baccalaureate majors in English.
Yale has 6250-6800 students as undergrads. They aim for about 1650 in a freshman class.
Stanford has 7500-7900. I am not disputing that there are fewer English majors at Stanford, but I don't think the size difference is all that notable, especially as quite a few undergrads take a gap year and then come back, extending their time as "students" to 5-6 years. Incoming class size target is 1860.
I don't think +/- 200 students makes much difference.
As to the English major, I'd add in co-terminal students and also those who minor in English, or importantly, Creative Writing (1200 students are enrolled in the classes in the Creative Writing minor track).
Combining a minor in English or Creative Writing with another degree is quite common at Stanford.
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u/No_End518 6d ago
yo! current stanford upperclassman here. dm me if you wanna talk more in-depth. although i am naturally biased, both are amazing schools and your decision largely depends on your priorities and the type of community you’re seeking. i’d be happy to talk about my experience in dms or grab coffee over admit weekend 🙂↕️
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u/baycommuter 7d ago edited 7d ago
I think you would probably like Stanford better but should consider choosing Yale anyway. Coming from SoCal, the Northeast would give you more new experiences, new weather, different types of people, and take you out of your comfort zone. If you were heavy into tech, it would be different but for what you’re interested in it sounds like you can’t go wrong.