You must keep some rather idiotic American company (or perhaps in general). Most people I know in the US enjoy themselves at university, don't work too hard, drink if and as much as they please (the age requirement is basically meaningless--if you actually believe that this affects the social scene in any way)--and are really quite sociable. On the contrary, reports from friends at Oxbridge and the ivy leage have given me the impression that the social scene over here, particularly in actual city-schools (boston, new york, chicago etc.), is a lot better. Campus visits and experiences have given me the same sense. And no you cannot own a gun or drive at the age of 10.
"People in america are too stupid to realise that there is a good reason half their best unis are in an area/county called CAMBRIDGE."
--Your head appears to be too far up your ass to make a comment more intelligent than this.
"I'd just like to point out to that moron, that even in the most DUBIOUS world league tables of universities i have ever seen drawn up, cambridge comes above MIT.
MIT is nothing, it's nowhere. That is why i was advised against going there. Its a top american uni, hence is a socially inept haven of rich kids. No one anywhere other than america has heard of it, because theres princeton, yale, stamford, harvard etc all of them alot bigger names. And none still sound anything near as impressive as Cambridge or oxford."
--Again, you seem to be the moron here. Allow me to dismantle your argument: 1) I have seen, heard, read and researched the fact that American unis tend to be a lot more diverse, inclusive and open-minded than Oxbridge (which has problems with such issues). Hardly a place for "socially inept rich kids". If anything, you have given me the impression that Oxbridge students are obnoxious, self-glorifying brats. (Actually, that's just you. I know most are very nice, and I couldn't make rash, sweeping generalizations.) In fact, the top-tier unis here are significantly more intellectually and socially vibrant/interesting/diverse--the social scene as well. Stop spouting insecure nonsense.
2) Its interesting...I have been advised against going to Cambridge by my own father, a cambridge alum, and by a cambridge tutor as well--but perhaps this is a cultural bias, since you also claim to have been advised against MIT.
3) MIT is easily more selective than Stanford or Princeton. On the same level as Harvard and Yale. For the sciences, economics and political science, MIT ranks above or equal to harvard, yale, princeton etc. It is incredibly well-regarded, easily on the same (or above, perhaps below, depending on subject) level as Harvard.
4) As for "no one anywhere other than america has heard of it". Pure BS, nonsense, rubbish, crap. I have lived abroad for much of my life. My family is very international, and we're not white Americans. Everywhere i have lived, MiT has been held in incredible regard. All the people I have spoken to from around the world (including the UK and Europeans) indicate similar sentiments. If anything, MIT has a greater and faster growing international reputation than any other uni in the world.
5) Again, I have heard this from Oxbridge alums and a tutor, americans, europeans, indians, french, canadians, swiss, malaysians, indonesians and chinese: In terms of reputatation, Oxbridge is roughly equal to HYPMS, perhaps a bit less (and weakening, as political influence, research, professors, applicants, and money shifts even more towards the US ).
6) As for these supposed tables...I have seen MANY that rank MIT ahead of Oxbridge. Don't even claim such skewed/false statistics.
I may have comeoff as defensive, but that isn't my intent. I didn't even apply to MIT. I have been accepted to Cambridge. My father and uncle went to Oxbridge. One cousin goes to Oxford, one will be going to MIT. I just felt that Foolfarian needed to get a sense of reality and wake up from his close-mindededness.
Oxbridge and MIt are all fantastic schools--but don't allow insecurity, or patriotism, or whatever to cloud your judgment.