The Student Room Group

Yale vs. Bristol

I need help...or at least informed opinions masquerading as advice.

I just got into Yale, Class of 2011. Before then, I had decided on Bristol for a number of reasons:

it's in england. as a place, i guess i'm more comfortable in the UK. plus, i've never been to the US of A

relating to the above point...most of the people i know will be going to england. and 2 of my closest friends might actually be going to bristol too

financially, Yale is a bit of a hassle. need to get aid and whatnot.


However...it's hard to put the 2 in the same league academically. At the end of the day I feel that by going to Yale, I'm missing out on a large part of what's important to me. At the same time, I'll be giving up a great opportunity by going to Brizzle.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or am I in this rut alone?!

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Reply 1
dude...you just got into one of the best Universities in the world! if money wernt a question the only Unis id choose to go to above Ivy League in USA are Oxbridge and LSE...
and, isnt Yale one of the few USA unis which gives financial aid to internationals? needs blind or something?
abrp
dude...you just got into one of the best Universities in the world! if money wernt a question the only Unis id choose to go to above Ivy League in USA are Oxbridge and LSE...
and, isnt Yale one of the few USA unis which gives financial aid to internationals? needs blind or something?



I'd still pick USA over Oxbridge and LSE, i think it'd be an amazing experience to go to school in the USA.

But anyways DUDE! Bristol isn't even the same building as Yale when it comes to excellence it's like across the street. Go to Yale-your successful future is pretty much guaranteed. I am so envious but seriously Well Done!
What the foooooooooooooooook...Yale is unconditional!
Reply 4
Dark and Lovely
I'd still pick USA over Oxbridge and LSE, i think it'd be an amazing experience to go to school in the USA.

But anyways DUDE! Bristol isn't even the same building as Yale when it comes to excellence it's like across the street. Go to Yale-your successful future is pretty much guaranteed. I am so envious but seriously Well Done!


i dunno....i think only HYP could make me reconsider Oxbridge-LSE due to result being more or less the same..but cost being much smaller in UK....possibly more prestige in HYP than LSE though.

and USA Unis give unconditionals to everyone...but they can withdraw their offer if the person does extremly bad (eg CCD instead of predicted AAA)
Reply 5
YALE! A thousand times yale!

My GOD man, it's no contest! Heavens!

To recap: YALE!
Go to Yale you crazy bastard!! Congrats by the way.
Reply 7
aboodz

However...it's hard to put the 2 in the same league academically. At the end of the day I feel that by going to Yale, I'm missing out on a large part of what's important to me. At the same time, I'll be giving up a great opportunity by going to Brizzle.

What is it that you feel is important? If you don't want to go to Yale then don't, If you think you will be unhappy studying there than maybe it isn't worth it.


That said, O think Yale would be more of an 'experience'
I disagree with the above advice. There is absolutely no way of judging whether you will be happy at a place. Visiting is completely different to being a student there.
Reply 9
Depends if you value the next 3/4 years more than the rest of your life...
As my mother told me this summer, "the universities you've studied at will be on your CV forever. Remember that when you make your decision."
Reply 11
The Ace is Back
I disagree with the above advice. There is absolutely no way of judging whether you will be happy at a place. Visiting is completely different to being a student there.

Well he himself has said he feels that he is 'missing something important' by going to Yale. I think when you're in doubt it's as good a reason as any to base your decision on.

Also, I'd say there are plenty of ways to judge if you'll be happy in a place.

EDIT: Maybe not plenty, but there are ways.

EDIT 2: What part of, 'do what you feel is right and would make you happy' do you disagree with? Because that's basically what my first post boiled down to.
I don't think there's any way to tell what a place is like without actually being a student there. Therefore you should base your judgement on the best uni you can get into, which in this case is clearly Yale. Also I'm pretty sure most people end up happy at whatever place they go to - this is the general impression I have got so far.
Reply 13
The Ace is Back
I don't think there's any way to tell what a place is like without actually being a student there. Therefore you should base your judgement on the best uni you can get into, which in this case is clearly Yale. Also I'm pretty sure most people end up happy at whatever place they go to - this is the general impression I have got so far.

Maybe, but there's still people who aren't. Who's to say you won't end up that percentage that drops out?
Reply 14
The Ace is Back
I don't think there's any way to tell what a place is like without actually being a student there. Therefore you should base your judgement on the best uni you can get into, which in this case is clearly Yale. Also I'm pretty sure most people end up happy at whatever place they go to - this is the general impression I have got so far.

Maybe, but there's still people who aren't. Who's to say you won't end up that percentage that drops out?
db
Maybe, but there's still people who aren't. Who's to say you won't end up that percentage that drops out?


Go to Yale: 4 years

Go to Yale, drop out, start over at Bristol: 4 years (1 at Yale, 3 at Bristol)

What does the OP have to lose?
except an amazing opportunity if he declines Yale.
Reply 17
the costs of a year in Yale. In tangible terms that is, but in a bizarre namby pamby way I think there's much more to leaving university than that. There's the surrounding stigma and attitude to drop outs and it's not a nice experience.

I just don't think it's right for people to suggest Yale purely on it's academic merits. The OP have explicitly said he has personal (for lack of a better word) issues with going to Yale. As someone who was withdrawn from univ this year, mainly for academic reasons, I can say how important those gut feelings can be.

I went to university with the intentions of getting the best degree I could in terms of employment prospects, and it certainly didn't make me happy. I know it's a different thing because I had issues with my course rather than with the univ, but I think some points still stand.
In the US you don't have to choose a course until the 2nd year, and even then you can take other classes and do a double major or a minor. Unlike in the UK, US students don't to go university and get depressed because they hate their course; you don't even enter university with a specific course! The only reason someone would drop out of Yale for academic reasons as you mention would be if they found the work too hard. But there are loads of tutors and support groups as well (US universities have $$ remember), so I doubt that would happen to the OP :p:
Reply 19
I sympathise with people wanting to drop out (not just because they cannot be arsed though) I really do.
However, there are a few unis, and I really mean very very few where getting an offer of study is something that you cannot turn down.
They are, not exhausitively - Oxbridge, Yale, Harvard and in my opinion the best place in the world, MIT.
Even if you don't like the look of these places or don't find them much fun when you are there, you just stick at it if you can.
I know it sounds stupid, and goes against the "follow your heart" mentality but this is a rare case. Bristol is a good uni but not in the same league by any means.

So what if you have 3/4 boring years. You are going to have to go into the real world anyway where you will spend circa 40 years working jobs you hate - so get used to it.

Exceptional circumstances call for exceptional stiff-upper-lip-put-up-with-it-ness.