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Duke [Full Scholarship] vs MIT [$77k/year]
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Anonymous
| My kid won a merit scholarship at Duke which would give him a full tuition, room, and board scholarship. He was also admitted to MIT, but received little aid and we would have to pay $77k/year. MIT was one of his dream schools, but I am wondering if we should go with Duke and maybe just give him the college money we saved as a graduation gift? I love the thought of him at MIT, but it seems nonsensical to turn down a full ride at a T10 just to pay out the nose for a T5. What would you do in this situation? |
Anonymous
| What does he want to major in? That should be deciding factor. |
Anonymous
| Wow! I didn’t think Duke gave merit scholarships. |
Anonymous
I'm OP. He wants Computer Science. MIT's legendary CS program is really, really hard to turn down. But Duke is free... |
Anonymous
| It depends. If he's a STEM major, MIT would be a better choice. But, depending on how much you saved up going for MIT and the tuition might be worth it. |
Anonymous
My kid was rejected to MIT, but if they did get in, we would've done what we could to pay for it even though it would've hurt our retirement. MIT for CS will open so many doors. My kid is very high stats, and they did not bother applying to Duke. I don't think Duke CS is regarded that highly. Now, if it was a T20 vs T50 with merit, I might think T50 full ride, but MIT is like #1 or #2 for CS, depending. |
Anonymous
| I'd still take Duke. It's a T10 and honestly, your kid will have the big tech opportunities open if he wants them. $77k/year is insanely expensive, and that money can easily be used to pay for his future home. |
Anonymous
| I would worry about best fit, OP. These schools have very different atmospheres. Have you visited during Admitted Students' Day? |
Anonymous
With CS, MIT is really worth it but depends, how much you have saved up and if you're willing to pay. |
Anonymous
|
We had the similar problem, it was a difference of paying roughly 200k at T20 vs paying $400k at a T10.
If you are going to give it to him anyways, give it to him for MIT, if you need it for retirement, let him go to Duke. Duke is a great school but for CS, MIT gives a clear advantage. |
Anonymous
| MIT |
Anonymous
| MIT no question. |
Anonymous
| MIT for that major. No question. |
Anonymous
|
MIT over Duke.
Not a close call in my opinion. |
Anonymous
|
These two are in same class.
MIT all the way. |