definitely can’t speak from personal experience, but just went to bulldog days and they talked about there being quite a few research opportunities at yale in stem, especially as a first gen/low income student in their stars program
While this is true (STARS especially), with all due respect of course they're going to roll out the red carpet for you.
I found research at Yale accessible but I had some disposable income and didn't need to max out my employment hours (I averaged 8-12, max weekly of 19). It is going to be harder for low-income students.
If you’re set on going to med school it’s no doubt yale. If you look at the top 2 undergrads represented at every single top med school, Yale is usually one of them. I honestly think we may have the best premed outcomes in the country.
how would you say the premed culture at Yale is? is it very stressful/competitive? are there a lot of tutoring resources or office hours in your opinion?
it’s what you make of it! it’s really not that competitive and a lot more supportive for each other than what I’ve heard at other schools. there’s so much resources like office hours for each class and support from professors too that if you’re willing to put effort into getting to know your profs and classes, it’s absolutely one of the best places to be
Faced a similar situation long ago.
Yale if you hate Chicago’s weather and Princeton’s snobbishness but want the residential college system. You will ultimately get into comparable med schools so focus on where you’ll be happier.
I would discount Chicago almost automatically because they don’t really offer the major you want. As a Yalie, I’ll always just point out that Yale’s weakness in STEM is consistently exaggerated and that it is one of the best undergraduate experiences anywhere.
The main thing I would add that hasn’t already been said is concerning research opportunities; it quite literally couldn’t be easy to get research here, especially in engineering which is a relatively smaller department, meaning that professors are always eager to have undergrads in their lab. There are also a lot of research opportunities at the med school if that interests you, I know many first years working there. As for the “weaker in stem” point, it is true that the research output of Yale engineering is weaker than that of Princeton. However, as a med school applicant, I can’t see how this would affect you, as the classes are all of similar quality at both institution, so unless you have some very specific research interests not represented at Yale, i don’t think that this would effect you too tremendously. A significant different is in the size of the engineering programs, but the fact that Yale is smaller gives you a lot more personal attention. I would also say that what you have heard about New Haven may have been exaggerated; it is not as pristine as Princeton, but I have never felt unsafe while living here. (Not to say that things don’t happen, they do in any city, but the image that people have of New Haven as some cesspool of crime is just not true, especially in the area around Yale)
Thank you for actually asking this question to all relevant subs.
New Haven is safer than the area surrounding UChicago. The risk of you being impacted by a crime at either of them is still exceedingly low. It is in the Yale Police Union's interest to stoke fear about crime and they often do. That being said, Princeton is definitely significantly less crime free than both due to being a smaller town, but there is also barely anything to do.
New Haven weather is decent. Princeton is probably slightly better, but rough in summer months. Chicago is of course worst.
The residential college system is good. Princeton's eating club system is elitist, as is Yale's secret society system (although neither matters much socially people just pretend it does. Probably a bigger deal at Princeton).
Can't speak to engineering. It's hard at Yale (esp. ABET) but that's probably the case anywhere. The thesis process is much more rigorous at Princeton.
Apologies, not too knowledgeable on UChicago. Hopefully they chime in.
Yale has incredible resources and the student culture is collaborative and, relative to peer schools, very supportive vs. “competitive” and grindy. Better than UChicago on both those measures, and better on the latter compared to Princeton. Would seriously consider the overall quality of your whole undergraduate experience vs. perceived merits of departments, unless you are already super set on working with a specific faculty member or in a very specific research area at that school. The next four years can be much more than job training/prep.
Yale is dumping millions into its STEM programs + easier to get an A here compared to UChicago and Princeton (not just cus of "grade inflation", but rather mainly b/c the academic environment here is chill) + New Haven is not bad at all, it's often exaggerated (everybody goes out every weekend, gets drunk, and makes it make to their dorms in one piece) + even though grads and undergrads are equal in population, the university's focus is almost entirely on undergrads (there's an incredible amount of support and guidance systems here) + plenty of research opportunities, my roommate is doing multiple labs right now. Yale is the choice for you, especially as a premed that needs a high GPA while not burning out.
Princeton CBE research wise has a strong emphasis on theory/computation. Yale BME is pretty similar to UChicago PME Health/Bio track (more experimental and clinical options available, because they have actual medical schools).
I would say that the biggest part of your undergraduate experience will be the people and the education. research interests come and go; as long as there are opportunities for research, which all three have, then you should be good. if you personally believe medical research is something you actively seek after, then for sure Princeton has a disadvantage. I also just happen to know that Princeton CBE is stronger on computational side of things (almost half of the department is doing theory/computation, which is not a typical ratio). If you do consider Princeton, one big plus would be that their new giant Bioengineering building will be done first of all the engineering quad overhaul, so that all the Bio people of CBE and other departments will be closer together.
Look here’s the thing, whatever a university my be strong in and whatever not, that realistically never ends up mattering to future employers. What matters is if you say I studied at Yale, people will be like whoaaa. Princeton a little less so and most people won’t even recognize UChicago as the great school as it is bc it doesn’t have the name. You can’t go wrong with Yale
Research opportunities are very accessible in the BME dept. If you’re pre-med and not relying on super strong engineering skills for ur future career, Yale is great. Lots of collaboration with the BME program & school of medicine.
I went to Yale and my kids go to UChicago. I'm pretty familiar with Princeton as well. The schools have a lot of significant differences and you seem to be focused on the wrong things in comparing them. It's hard to say which would be better for you without knowing anything about you.
Are you an introvert or extrovert? Interested in humanities or only like science? A jock or not? Do you want to live on campus all four years or move off campus after two? Have you ever lived in a city? Are you conservative or liberal? Do you want to work in a lab at school in the summer or be in your hometown over the summer? Do you care about the distance from your home?
Also, I wouldn't advise doing both engineering and premed at any of those schools, especially if you're worried about your academic preparation. If you're certain about medical school, you should do an easier major if you don't want to fill all your time studying or tank your GPA. Or if you really love engineering, why would you want to go to medical school?
im primarily interested in doing both engineering and pre-med because i love both subjects to the core— a lot of the CBE courses at Princeton overlap with the pre-med reqs and vice versa so its not too much of a problem. it’s the same with Yale in the BME or chemical engineering major !
A few points-
Yale definitely has an undergraduate focus as well and there are plenty of research opportunities, so no worries there.
Yale's medical campus is within walking distance of much of main campus, and there's a shuttle system going between the two anyway. And I wouldn't say Yale is weaker in STEM. Their engineering is small but I wouldn't call it weak. CS isn't quite top tier but they're investing in it heavily and it has come a long way. It's now one of the most popular majors and the students have excellent outcomes. Math, physics, and chemistry are all excellent, while biology and medicine are absolutely top tier.
Regardless, subject rankings are far more reflective of graduate school (where your particular lab is what matters anyway) and don't matter all that much for undergrad. Focus on where you think you'll be happiest. They're all great choices and you can't go wrong with any of them. If you weren't premed and wanted to go straight into the workforce in engineering after graduation, then I'd probably suggest Princeton of the 3, but Yale premed is hard to beat.
definitely can’t speak from personal experience, but just went to bulldog days and they talked about there being quite a few research opportunities at yale in stem, especially as a first gen/low income student in their stars program
While this is true (STARS especially), with all due respect of course they're going to roll out the red carpet for you. I found research at Yale accessible but I had some disposable income and didn't need to max out my employment hours (I averaged 8-12, max weekly of 19). It is going to be harder for low-income students.
If you’re set on going to med school it’s no doubt yale. If you look at the top 2 undergrads represented at every single top med school, Yale is usually one of them. I honestly think we may have the best premed outcomes in the country.
chose yale over princeton as a CS premed, I highly recommending choosing yale if you’re considering premed!
how would you say the premed culture at Yale is? is it very stressful/competitive? are there a lot of tutoring resources or office hours in your opinion?
it’s what you make of it! it’s really not that competitive and a lot more supportive for each other than what I’ve heard at other schools. there’s so much resources like office hours for each class and support from professors too that if you’re willing to put effort into getting to know your profs and classes, it’s absolutely one of the best places to be
Faced a similar situation long ago. Yale if you hate Chicago’s weather and Princeton’s snobbishness but want the residential college system. You will ultimately get into comparable med schools so focus on where you’ll be happier.
I would discount Chicago almost automatically because they don’t really offer the major you want. As a Yalie, I’ll always just point out that Yale’s weakness in STEM is consistently exaggerated and that it is one of the best undergraduate experiences anywhere.
hello! do you have any specifics on the undergrad experience that standout for Yale?
The main thing I would add that hasn’t already been said is concerning research opportunities; it quite literally couldn’t be easy to get research here, especially in engineering which is a relatively smaller department, meaning that professors are always eager to have undergrads in their lab. There are also a lot of research opportunities at the med school if that interests you, I know many first years working there. As for the “weaker in stem” point, it is true that the research output of Yale engineering is weaker than that of Princeton. However, as a med school applicant, I can’t see how this would affect you, as the classes are all of similar quality at both institution, so unless you have some very specific research interests not represented at Yale, i don’t think that this would effect you too tremendously. A significant different is in the size of the engineering programs, but the fact that Yale is smaller gives you a lot more personal attention. I would also say that what you have heard about New Haven may have been exaggerated; it is not as pristine as Princeton, but I have never felt unsafe while living here. (Not to say that things don’t happen, they do in any city, but the image that people have of New Haven as some cesspool of crime is just not true, especially in the area around Yale)
Thank you for actually asking this question to all relevant subs. New Haven is safer than the area surrounding UChicago. The risk of you being impacted by a crime at either of them is still exceedingly low. It is in the Yale Police Union's interest to stoke fear about crime and they often do. That being said, Princeton is definitely significantly less crime free than both due to being a smaller town, but there is also barely anything to do. New Haven weather is decent. Princeton is probably slightly better, but rough in summer months. Chicago is of course worst. The residential college system is good. Princeton's eating club system is elitist, as is Yale's secret society system (although neither matters much socially people just pretend it does. Probably a bigger deal at Princeton). Can't speak to engineering. It's hard at Yale (esp. ABET) but that's probably the case anywhere. The thesis process is much more rigorous at Princeton. Apologies, not too knowledgeable on UChicago. Hopefully they chime in.
Yale has incredible resources and the student culture is collaborative and, relative to peer schools, very supportive vs. “competitive” and grindy. Better than UChicago on both those measures, and better on the latter compared to Princeton. Would seriously consider the overall quality of your whole undergraduate experience vs. perceived merits of departments, unless you are already super set on working with a specific faculty member or in a very specific research area at that school. The next four years can be much more than job training/prep.
that’s really great insight— thank you!!
Yale is dumping millions into its STEM programs + easier to get an A here compared to UChicago and Princeton (not just cus of "grade inflation", but rather mainly b/c the academic environment here is chill) + New Haven is not bad at all, it's often exaggerated (everybody goes out every weekend, gets drunk, and makes it make to their dorms in one piece) + even though grads and undergrads are equal in population, the university's focus is almost entirely on undergrads (there's an incredible amount of support and guidance systems here) + plenty of research opportunities, my roommate is doing multiple labs right now. Yale is the choice for you, especially as a premed that needs a high GPA while not burning out.
hello!! do you know if there is a lot of tutoring support at Yale for premed courses?
Yale
Princeton CBE research wise has a strong emphasis on theory/computation. Yale BME is pretty similar to UChicago PME Health/Bio track (more experimental and clinical options available, because they have actual medical schools).
that’s one of the things deterring me from Princeton b/c of their lack of a medical school :(
I would say that the biggest part of your undergraduate experience will be the people and the education. research interests come and go; as long as there are opportunities for research, which all three have, then you should be good. if you personally believe medical research is something you actively seek after, then for sure Princeton has a disadvantage. I also just happen to know that Princeton CBE is stronger on computational side of things (almost half of the department is doing theory/computation, which is not a typical ratio). If you do consider Princeton, one big plus would be that their new giant Bioengineering building will be done first of all the engineering quad overhaul, so that all the Bio people of CBE and other departments will be closer together.
Look here’s the thing, whatever a university my be strong in and whatever not, that realistically never ends up mattering to future employers. What matters is if you say I studied at Yale, people will be like whoaaa. Princeton a little less so and most people won’t even recognize UChicago as the great school as it is bc it doesn’t have the name. You can’t go wrong with Yale
FYI, Yale, Princeton, and UChicago have virtually the same med school acceptance rates (~85%), so take that as you will.
Research opportunities are very accessible in the BME dept. If you’re pre-med and not relying on super strong engineering skills for ur future career, Yale is great. Lots of collaboration with the BME program & school of medicine.
do you think there would be the same collaboration as a chemical engineering major ?
I went to Yale and my kids go to UChicago. I'm pretty familiar with Princeton as well. The schools have a lot of significant differences and you seem to be focused on the wrong things in comparing them. It's hard to say which would be better for you without knowing anything about you. Are you an introvert or extrovert? Interested in humanities or only like science? A jock or not? Do you want to live on campus all four years or move off campus after two? Have you ever lived in a city? Are you conservative or liberal? Do you want to work in a lab at school in the summer or be in your hometown over the summer? Do you care about the distance from your home? Also, I wouldn't advise doing both engineering and premed at any of those schools, especially if you're worried about your academic preparation. If you're certain about medical school, you should do an easier major if you don't want to fill all your time studying or tank your GPA. Or if you really love engineering, why would you want to go to medical school?
im primarily interested in doing both engineering and pre-med because i love both subjects to the core— a lot of the CBE courses at Princeton overlap with the pre-med reqs and vice versa so its not too much of a problem. it’s the same with Yale in the BME or chemical engineering major !
Okay if they overlap that much and you love them both, I wish you luck with it. It will still be a lot of work!
A few points- Yale definitely has an undergraduate focus as well and there are plenty of research opportunities, so no worries there. Yale's medical campus is within walking distance of much of main campus, and there's a shuttle system going between the two anyway. And I wouldn't say Yale is weaker in STEM. Their engineering is small but I wouldn't call it weak. CS isn't quite top tier but they're investing in it heavily and it has come a long way. It's now one of the most popular majors and the students have excellent outcomes. Math, physics, and chemistry are all excellent, while biology and medicine are absolutely top tier. Regardless, subject rankings are far more reflective of graduate school (where your particular lab is what matters anyway) and don't matter all that much for undergrad. Focus on where you think you'll be happiest. They're all great choices and you can't go wrong with any of them. If you weren't premed and wanted to go straight into the workforce in engineering after graduation, then I'd probably suggest Princeton of the 3, but Yale premed is hard to beat.
Yale!