Dear Mr. Bradshaw,
I will be applying to several Ivy League schools for the fall of 2024. I know that the admissions competition is fierce, so I will also submit applications to a number of schools outside of the Ivy League, just in case. I expect to graduate first in my class and while I may be accepted at a few top colleges, I am not sure which school will be best for me. I understand there are rivalries among colleges and that each school has its own strengths and weaknesses. How can I decide which schools would be the best fit?
Signed,
Puzzled Junior
Dear Puzzled Junior,
There are, indeed, famous rivalries between and among universities. Let’s start with the one closest to home: Indiana University vs. Purdue University. Which one would be your best fit? It’s generally thought that at Purdue the academic focus is on STEM subjects, namely engineering and computer science, while Indiana is the place for pre-med, business and music education. Many students hedge their bets and apply to both because there is far more depth to the curriculum at both than might be apparent from the labels given to these schools. On an equal footing is the rivalry between Cal-Berkeley and Stanford. If I wanted to attend a top college on a beautiful campus, then Stanford would be the place to go. When I chose a college, I wanted the rough-and-tumble politics and diversity of Berkeley to keep me motivated. In addition to being able to study at one of the nation’s leading public universities, Berkeley had it all — engineering, science, and liberal arts — in an urban setting where diversity is the norm in every aspect of college life. Stanford has a similar academic standing to Berkeley, but the campus is beautiful to the degree of being almost distracting. I felt I needed the tension resulting from a diversity of ideas. You need to think about where you will be comfortable in a cultural sense as well as academically.
Both Berkeley and Stanford boast outstanding academic credentials, with the proof being that Apple, Facebook and Google hire many of their graduates at their nearby Silicon Valley headquarters. On the opposite coast is perhaps the oldest college rivalry: Harvard vs. Yale. I was privileged to attend Harvard Law School. That rivalry is not just limited to who may be ranked No. 1 or 2 in U.S. News and World Report academically. Each school does have its own identity, even if one cannot distinguish them on the basis of the number of valedictorians enrolled. Harvard clearly has the endowment advantage with $53 billion vs. Yale’s $42 billion. Some believe Harvard runs Wall Street and Washington and is the pipeline to prosperity through the Old Boy/Girl Network. Others believe Yale is the place to study to become a professor or future judge. Those aren’t the only differences between the schools. Harvard is thought to be a hotbed of competition compared to Yale’s more tranquil environment. Harvard is also reputed to be more politically radical than Yale, though the gap, in my opinion, is narrowing.
One student turned down Harvard because he was disappointed to find a demonstration in progress while touring the campus. Yale’s medieval campus setting produced the tranquility he sought. Yale also is known as a powerhouse for producing presidents. That doesn’t mean the rivalry is all about the struggle for power and money. Several members of the graduating classes at Harvard and Yale in 2022 applied to become teachers in the Teach for America program, which focuses on helping kids in underprivileged school districts. You did not say what your career aspirations are because that will play a huge role in guiding you in your college selection. I suggest a deep dive online to seek a good academic fit, and if at all possible, make campus visits to get a sense of the environment.
Gerald Bradshaw is an international college admissions consultant with Bradshaw College Consulting in Crown Point.
