u/PuzzledPeanut1748

hi guys. what’s up. I’m an incoming student, and I currently plan on either doing electrical engineering or computer science, and I’m deciding between what introductory math or physics class to take.

for context, i took AP calc bc and self studied both AP physics C courses this year after taking physics 1 last year and physics 2 this year.

for math, im debating between the two since I’m not sure if proof writing would be a useful skill to have later down the line. I do prefer to focus on real world applications of math rather than just theoretical (which is one of the reasons why 25/55 is completely out of the question for me here), but I was thinking that proof writing might be a good skill to have later down the line and might help me better develop some math thinking skills…

for physics 16 I was just worried that ap50 / ps12/ p15 or whatever else there is would be kind of repetitive of what I already learned in high school through physics 1 and c. I’m interested in learning about relativity and I do think I have a good enough grasp on physics c concepts to be prepared.. however I hear that 16 takes a lot of time outside of class to do hw and p sets, and I’m definetly pretty bad with time management when it comes to hw already (general procrastination + assignments tale longer for me in general I feel like) so I’m mainly veering towards ap50 for that reason, but if anyone has anything to say to steer me back towards 16 let me know! I should also add that regardless of which one I take for mechanics I’m planning on taking ap50b for electricity and magnetism, since I do enjoy project based learning and there isn’t really a 16 equivalent for that class.

also . I’m not really sure if opting to not take the “harder” version of either of these classes would look worse for grad school applications?? (this is mostly a concern for physics since from what I’ve heard both math series are equally hard) I’m used to course rigor being a huge thing throughout high school for college applications, and I’m not sure if the same applies to grad school applications. the research I did made it seem like it still was a factor, but definitely a smaller one.

I would really appreciate it if anyone who took any of these classes could share their experience and help me make my decision… thank you guys for any advice you may have 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Hey chat. How's it going…. Anyways. I have a very big decision to make very soon. Somehow my chud self was admitted to both the Harv and the Yale for electrical engineering! I’ve been deliberating over this decision for a while, and I've been going back and forth between the two. I was just wondering what you guys think you would do in my position. I’ve outlined a list of what I feel are the pros and cons below. 

Harvard

• Engineering: I feel like Harvard has a more expansive and respected engineering program. Neither Yale or Harvard are big engineering schools (which is making this decision harder), but Harvard is definitely higher ranking, and after visiting both and researching them, I definitely feel like Harvard has more opportunities, classes, research, etc. Especially after their new campus opened in 2020ish. (I know Yale is doing something similar at their campus, but that project won't be done until a couple years after I graduate). I really fell in love with just the atmosphere of the SEC building in Allston and the Science building too.
• MIT Access: Harvard allows its students to take classes at MIT, as well as join MIT clubs and participate in research with MIT faculty (its still much harder for Harvard students to do this than MIT ones though). I love MIT, it was my top school and I’m on the waitlist for them right now. Theres a lot of classes at MIT that I would love to take that Harvard and Yale both don't offer, and Id really like to meet students and faculty there. Ik that I wont be spending all my time at MIT and will probably get like 1 or possibly 2 classes per semester if I'm lucky there (+ having to deal with transportation and other complications), but It’d still be an awesome experience I think
• Financial Aid: Harvard and Yale both gave me similar financial aid, and are both actually in the negatives in terms of direct costs. However, Harvard seems to offer more aid for study abroad, and is offering me a grant to buy technology for my first year.
• Location: After visiting both, I really like Harvard’s campus and the Cambridge/Boston area better compared to Yale and New Haven. Some students I've met have talked abt going into Boston over the weekends which I think is really cool. And there's the MBTA which I think would help me get around off campus.

Yale

• Degree: Technically, I went into the college process wanting a degree in Computer Engineering. However, now I am deciding between two schools that do not offer it. At Harvard, I would be pursuing Electrical Engineering. But at Yale, I would actually be pursuing an “Electrical Engineering and Computer Science” degree. The required classes focus more on computer engineering topics, which I like. However, the degree is not ABET-accredited, and honestly, I feel like Harvard’s EE degree also allows for you to specialize in CE, but slightly less than Yale does.
• Location: I already mentioned that I liked Harvard’s campus and Cambridge/Boston better than Yale’s and New Haven, but I also really like how Yale is close to New York. I'm actually from NY state, and I've always loved the city. Although the distance difference is pretty negligible compared to people who are going like across the country, after visiting both Harvard and Yale with my family, my parents let me know that due to some circumstances regarding stuff like their physical health, they wouldn't be able to visit me at all if I went to Harvard, which they are very upset about. They have been really, really, really, really trying to get me to go to Yale now. Ik location isnt supposed to be a deciding factor, but I feel l do want to keep their wishes in mind.
• Community: I’ve heard that Yale’s community is less competitive and less pretentious, and more collaborative and friendly compared to Harvard. I'm not sure if this is 100% true, but based on what I've read about both schools, I feel like Yale’s community suits me more. I've also heard the professors are more focused on undergraduates’ experience, but again, I met a lot of friendly professors at Visitas.
• UTokyo: I have always wanted to go to UTokyo on a study abroad trip, but the school has a set list of institutions that partner with them for study-abroad. Yale is one of them.I don't think Harvard students are allowed to do the U-STEP study abroad program at UTokyo, since they're not on the list that Yale is on.

There's also a lot of smaller factors too that I have in mind. Also, I was only able to see Yale for one day and Harvard for 2, so I had a better opportunity to get to know students, groups, and faculty. I feel like that aspect is driving me a bit more towards Harvard too. 

Any help you guys have would be greatly appreciated (: Please ask me any clarifying questions if you think it would help!!!