Duke vs penn - Econ and public policy

[Anonymous]

I think its sad that OP comes on here to brag about this tough decision. Do you really give a crap what people on here say about the schools. Why don;\’t you go ask your kid what they think. You aren’t going they are.

[Anonymous]

Agree. Crack a book or google this question if you are so lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the notes! We will visit the campus and decide. Kid also has full ride form UMD but that's not in equation. Kid wants duke more based on his interactions and research. But decision only after admit days and campus visit.

You have to mention UMD full ride - brag

[Anonymous]

There is no meaningful difference in the quality of education an economics/policy undergrad will get at these 2 schools. Period.

So this kid should visit both and pick whichever one feels like a place they want to be for 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Penn imo, but kid can’t choose wrong here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Crack a book or google this question if you are so lost.

Honestly, your kid has a clear choice...because it doesn't make much sense to apply to both except for just applying based on rankings. Other than that, they have little in common as colleges. Somehow my own kid was able to look at both and quickly eliminate one in terms of even applying because they are very different school environments.

[Anonymous]

Penn!

[Anonymous]

Based on kids I know very well going to Penn and Duke as likely econ majors, info from several econ graduates from both institutions, and from my own interpretation (based on being in this field myself), here is my take (sorry about the length).

Penn econ is very far removed from Wharton. Most Wharton classes don't even qualify as pre-requisites or requirements for Econ major. An econ major can of course choose to "minor" from Wharton and take courses there. The Econ dept in Penn appears to be rather "traditional" and quant-oriented. Pre-requisites for intermediate macro and micro include a sequence of tough math courses that most kids cannot test out of. The sequence of courses is pretty tight and traditional. Penn also offers the option of being a Math Econ major, which is even more quantitative and a great signal for top PhD econ programs. Some kids minor in public policy, in which Penn has a decent reputation. Econ students (as well as other students in CAS and Wharton alike) could also consider getting deep into Penn's amazing courses offered in behavioral sciences. At the cutting edge of economics, there are overlaps with behavioral sciences that some kids really like.

Duke econ seems to be almost as rigorous in terms of what kids study and learn, with a strong quant component. However, the sequence of courses seems a little more "progressive" and flexible, which is a good thing. Duke also has more well-known faculty than Penn in some areas of applied econ, like development economics. The public policy school in Duke is pretty great. Research opportunities with grad students and faculty are ample and often used by serious undergrad students. In the economics field, the grad dept of Duke is regarded very highly for empirical applied research.

In summary, both offer an excellent, well-regarded, rigorous education for econ majors. While Duke has the edge on public policy (as a minor, or double major with econ) Penn offers the option of Wharton-based minors, math econ, and behavioral sciences. Both also offer kids the opportunity to be introduced early to stat packages (Stata, R) that are commonly used by companies and researchers alike. Both programs prepare undergrads very well for (and is highly regarded by) top PhD econ programs. The rigor of the courses should also make the students attractive to many employers, esp those who are looking for quant and stat skills and solid grounding in econ. Most kids who are planning to go to econ grad school do an undergrad thesis and/or gain significant research experience, for which there are plenty of opportunities.

I don't have well-formed views on school spirit, how friendly people are and so on. My sense from the kids I know is that Duke has excellent school spirit, due to the combination of it being somewhat isolated (compared to Penn) in a small town, the basketball team, and the general vibe of being a sort of a fun place. Penn students I know appreciate it for being an urban (regardless of the crime) campus and what the city offers, the "pre-professional " vibe, highly active and diverse clubs, and a pretty tight student body with close friends across the different school. In my view, the "fun" quotient should be the least important factor in choosing where to spend $80k+/year, and a distant second to academic "fit" with interests Both schools offer ample opportunities to party, I hear, although most students who want to do well in rigorous majors may not have a lot of time to avail of those.

In both schools, there are probably plenty of stressed kids among econ majors, since grading tends to be tough for most courses. Generally, for econ majors in T20 programs, a certain amount of facility (doesn't have to be a genius) with math and stat is a good predictor for success and less stress. Unlike how the average person thinks about "math", the math for econ - esp. at the undergrad level - is less about calculus and more about comfort and quickness with algebra, graphs and so on. It's about being able to think mathematically and translate concepts and problems to expressions and equations, as opposed to solving difficult differential equations or optimization problems.

Bottom line, both are great places for these majors. You child is lucky to be in a position to make this choice. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Both are great schools so you have to visit both to decide. As a data point, my daughter was accepted to both Duke and Penn (among other great schools) years ago for a very similar combination of studies and picked Duke. She enjoyed the school and classes a lot, went on to get a PhD in economics from another wonderful institution, and has spent the majority of her career as an economist at the IMF (International Monetary Fund).

[Anonymous]

Duke has a very mediocre econ department

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke has a very mediocre econ department

Duke is a huge feder to IB and top consulting.
Econ is a big part of the feeder

[Anonymous]

I have read the entire thread.

Leaning toward University of Maryland full ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read the entire thread.

Leaning toward University of Maryland full ride.

It's not on the option for this thread, but UMD finance + minor in data science would be a great option if full ride.

[Anonymous]

Has the kid decided?

[Anonymous]

Duke for the full-college experience. (Sports, school spirit, etc.)