The Rival Rundown: Harvard vs. Yale

Welcome to a brand-new College Candy feature: The Rival Rundown! We’ll be taking a look at the oldest, fiercest, and even funniest rivalries between colleges and universities all over the country. We’re going to be examining everything from mascots to mess halls to the most obnoxious traditions, all with the intent of determining which schools are ballin’ out of control.

By Sara C

And if you’ve always wanted to give props to your school on CC, now’s your chance! Shoot us an email explaining what’s awesome and unique about your school (or what stinks about Rival U) at rivalrundown@collegecandy.com!

What better rivalry is there to begin with than arguably the oldest and most prestigious in the country? That’s right, its Harvard versus Yale, baby! The two Ivy League institutions have been duking it out since 1852 at the inception of the first Harvard-Yale Regatta.  Now, their rivalry extends beyond crew to who gets the top US News & World Report ranking and the largest endowment. Let the hysteria begin!

1. Mascot Matchup

Harvard- The Crimson are…well, a deep red color. Unless you’re hematophobic (fearful of blood), there isn’t much that is particularly intimidating about Crimson. And the “mascot” is technically a charicature of John Harvard, the founder of the institution. Interesting.
Yale- Yalies are ever faithful to their Bulldogs, which has been proudly carried on by seventeen generations of live bulldogs, each named “Handsome Dan.”

Three credits to: Yale–bulldogs are more intimidating and, well…tangible.

2. College Town Cool Points

Harvard- Cambridge, MA is a quaint, affluent suburb of Boston, also known as College Town, USA. With literally dozens of other colleges lining the Charles River, the big-city culture of Boston caters to the student set.
Yale- New Haven, CT is a seaside city with both inner-city and gothic elements. Biggest bonus? MetroNorth railroad connects Yalies directly to New York City in under 90 minutes.

Three Credits to: Harvard–being close to a big city is nice, but being beside one (with ample selection of cute coeds) is nicer.

3. Famous Fixtures in Pop Culture

Harvard- Dropout Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook when he and his buddies wanted a way to rank who’s hot and who’s not on campus. Need we say more?
Yale- On Gossip Girl and Gilmore Girls (both GG shows, might we add), the main characters are all sweatin’ the fine digs in New Haven.

Three credits to:  Yale–you know Blair, Serena, and Rory made the 06511 the new 90210.

4. Ass-kicking Alumni

Harvard– Conan O’Brien, Natalie Portman, Mira Sorvino, Barack Obama, Tommy Lee Jones, Mo Rocca.
Yale- Anderson Cooper, Meryl Streep, Paul Newman, Chris Noth,  Sarah Hughes, Jordana Brewster.

Three credits to: Harvard–with Conan and Obama both getting raises this year, the Crimson get the win.

5. Acceptance Rate Agony

Harvard- boasted a measly 7% acceptance rate for its incoming class of 2013.
Yale- accepted just 7.5% of its applicants for the new freshman class.

Three credits to: Harvard–if you’re one of the few to get a thick packet with a Cambridge return address, go get a lotto ticket, you lucky dog!

And the diploma goes to: Harvard! Among the Ivy values of selectivity and prominence, the Crimson succeed.