A larger percentage of surveyed Harvard freshmen would vote for Hillary R. Clinton if the presidential election occurred today than their Yale counterparts, according to polls sent out last month to both of the schools’ newest classes.
Though the majority of students surveyed at both universities said they would vote for Clinton, roughly 80 percent of Harvard respondents indicate they would cast their ballot for the Democratic nominee, compared to 67 percent of Yale respondents.
The Harvard Republicans student group announced last month it will not support Trump. Its Yale counterpart, the Yale College Republicans, did endorse Trump, despite internal opposition to the decision.
- Only 5 percent of Yale respondents said they will support Trump’s bid for the presidency, compared to 6 percent of respondents from Harvard. Eleven percent of Harvard respondents indicated they intend to support independent candidate Gary Johnson’s ticket, compared to 5 percent of surveyed Yale freshmen.
- About 2 percent of Yale freshman respondents said they would vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein at Yale while 3 percent of Harvard respondents said they would support her.
Of the 1,657 students The Crimson emailed, 1,209—73 percent—responded to the survey.
The Yale Daily News, Yale’s daily student newspaper, garnered a 69 percent response rate; of the 1,373 freshmen the YDN emailed, 942 responded.
A maority of both Harvard and Yale respondents indicated they did not hold particularly strong religious beliefs, if any at all.
- When asked about what faith they observed, a plurality of both Harvard and Yale respondents indicated they practiced some form of Christianity, including Protestantism and Catholicism.
- The next largest category regarding faith at both schools was agnosticism, with 23 percent of Harvard respondents and 20 percent of Yale respondents indicating they were agnostic.
For the last two years, the surveyed freshman classes at Harvard have had more sex experience before matriculating to the College than their Yale peers. This year, though, surveyed Yalies edged out their Harvard counterparts, with 39 percent reporting having had sex before college, compared to 36 percent at Harvard.
A plurality of Yale freshman—42 percent—indicated they had an “extensive” sex education in high school.
With nine consecutive victories under their belts, Harvard respondents were optimistic about the outcome of this year’s Harvard-Yale football game—to be played at Harvard—with the average estimated score falling at 58-18 in favor of the Crimson.
—Staff writer Brandon J. Dixon can be reached at brandon.dixon@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonJoDixon.