Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop shaming the Aspies already?

Because essentially that's what they're saying. Technically-focused neurodivergent students who may or may not be diagnosed are very valuable. Our global economy depends on innovation, and this is the cohort that drives it. The emotionally and socially connected are the glue that holds our society together, and they will always tend to be more successful in their lives, due to their superior social skills... so I don't know why we're attacking the ones that contribute to progress and are less social. On the contrary, we should be supporting them!

A school filled with them is a nightmare.

Does anyone seriously believe that duke is filled with neurodivergent students. Its reputation alone is enough to drive many away.

Its definitely gotten nerdy, which its clear they don't necessarily like. Read a bunch of the interim AO interviews in various Duke publications. Or listen to her speak. They've identified some issues to appease other constituent groups inside the university.

Duke is "nerdier" than it used to be but so are most top schools! Look at the data. The SAT percentiles from the 1990 had less than 1/4 of students with 98-99th percentile scores, 2020 they had 3/4(pre-test optional). A couple of ivies were 50% 98-99th %ile in 1990 but all have become skewed to the top end. Hence the grade inflation they all started around the 2010s. Anytime you have a student population with 3/4 in the top 1-2% and a significant subset of them the top 0.1%, neurodivergence will be higher than at a school with a distribution like UNC or NCSU.
Duke is no nerdier or more intense/driven than most of the ivies, and in fact is less than at least 5 of them. Duke is not trying to be less stem they are trying to expand the engineering and stem, and have emphasized science in particular in the current fundraising campaign!
They are trying to ensure they have true humanities kids , most recently by targeting them for transfer spots, and they are separately trying to ensure that a large portion of the stem students they get have interests outside of stem, such as community volunteering, arts, etcetera. In other words, Duke is playing catchup to the game the ivies have been playing for a few years. Unidimensional stem kids are not typically a good fit for Duke or ivies!
Duke 100% wants to continue to get the intellectually curious kids, they want the subset with multifaceted interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop shaming the Aspies already?

Because essentially that's what they're saying. Technically-focused neurodivergent students who may or may not be diagnosed are very valuable. Our global economy depends on innovation, and this is the cohort that drives it. The emotionally and socially connected are the glue that holds our society together, and they will always tend to be more successful in their lives, due to their superior social skills... so I don't know why we're attacking the ones that contribute to progress and are less social. On the contrary, we should be supporting them!

A school filled with them is a nightmare.

Does anyone seriously believe that duke is filled with neurodivergent students. Its reputation alone is enough to drive many away.

These are the 1st year students: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQW8QQTAADb/

Wow. That was scary. I'm a Duke alum. Duke has unfortunately become a school of two extremes. Rich party kids (lots of legacies and other kids who are "development priorities") who are active in Greek life. And kids like in that video who are very socially awkward. I was far from the coolest person at Duke. But I also wasn't a nerd. And there were tons of people like me when I was there, in addition to the people now at the two poles. The middle of "normal" kids has been squeezed. It is very sad. I am thinking very carefully about whether my "normal," "well-rounded" child will be happy at alma mater dear. And if not, where they can be happy.

And before someone jumps down my throat, many of the "normal" kids I describe who I was friends with were Asian, black, Indian, etc. And I am the parent of a teenager so I do know how kids dress these days. And most of those kids dress weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s funny how the tables have turned. Duke is no longer fun because it’s filled with nerdy Asian students while UChicago, by admitting rich white kids, is now fun.

Ha, this is spot on.

[Anonymous]

Most top universities are nerdy. USC used to be one of the biggest party schools in America, and now the culture is basically the complete opposite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I wish we lived in a world where Brazilian and Portuguese Studies, Art History and Museum Theory, and Medieval and Renaissance Studies were anything but hobby majors for those with inherited wealth. But alas, it's 2026 and not 1926.

These are uncertain times for 18-22 year olds. It's not unreasonable for them to want degrees that lead to decent jobs and opportunities. I'm assuming parents here are my age and did fine with English and History degrees. But that is not the world today unless you go law school, and who wants to be a lawyer these days. Otherwise, it's barista for you with those degrees.

My kids study engineering and economics at Duke equivalent T20 schools. From meeting their friends, these are incredibly bright and curious kids, especially the engineers. Those engineering kids are probably better read than any other students. It takes a lot of curiosity and discipline to get through an engineering degree at a top school. And that follows through to other parts of their lives.

People dismissing engineering students today are living in another era. Those kids are the smart ones, and they are working in a field that values curiosity, cooperation, and problem-solving. Reading well is a side hobby. And that's ok.

Very wrong here. Spend a lot of time reading. It is the crux of my job other than managing other ppl - that and then analyzing what I read.
- $3.6 HHI and net worth over 40m

p.s. encouraging both of my college kids to study the humanities (one did that and already has IB offer).

IB is more likely to hire the engineering kids today. It's still a miserable life when you're 23.

No. Why would a financial firm hire an engineering graduate when there are tens of thousands Econ or math graduates begging for a IB job? The engineering graduates can get an engineering job

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop shaming the Aspies already?

Because essentially that's what they're saying. Technically-focused neurodivergent students who may or may not be diagnosed are very valuable. Our global economy depends on innovation, and this is the cohort that drives it. The emotionally and socially connected are the glue that holds our society together, and they will always tend to be more successful in their lives, due to their superior social skills... so I don't know why we're attacking the ones that contribute to progress and are less social. On the contrary, we should be supporting them!

A school filled with them is a nightmare.

Does anyone seriously believe that duke is filled with neurodivergent students. Its reputation alone is enough to drive many away.

Its definitely gotten nerdy, which its clear they don't necessarily like. Read a bunch of the interim AO interviews in various Duke publications. Or listen to her speak. They've identified some issues to appease other constituent groups inside the university.

For years, admissions at Duke cared about admitting spiky students. The well-rounded students who were varsity sports captains did poorly in admissions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s funny how the tables have turned. Duke is no longer fun because it’s filled with nerdy Asian students while UChicago, by admitting rich white kids, is now fun.

This is funny and probably true.

[Anonymous]

Are there enough truly elite humanities students to filter all the way down to duke?

Honest question.

After hyp, Oxford and Cambridge (for the truly elite humanities kids who can pass their subject matter interview), Chicago, brown, other elite schools in the north east…

…no one thinks of duke and “the humanities”

Iirc, the school was named after a tobacco industrialist!

Someone who studies “art history” at duke isn’t going to be some big academic. They are going to be rich and probably hot and go work at nyc gallery or auction house.

Southern schools were built to educate rich people on managing agrarian economies and later big state schools to educate people for practical matters.

Also, it’s hard to be a “life of the mind” humanist when it’s too warm/sunny. Durham isn’t really the setting for this type of study.

Duke is becoming what it always really was - Jhu/cmu with way hotter students.

The hot students are now fewer in number, that’s the change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there enough truly elite humanities students to filter all the way down to duke?

Honest question.

After hyp, Oxford and Cambridge (for the truly elite humanities kids who can pass their subject matter interview), Chicago, brown, other elite schools in the north east…

…no one thinks of duke and “the humanities”

Iirc, the school was named after a tobacco industrialist!

Someone who studies “art history” at duke isn’t going to be some big academic. They are going to be rich and probably hot and go work at nyc gallery or auction house.

Southern schools were built to educate rich people on managing agrarian economies and later big state schools to educate people for practical matters.

Also, it’s hard to be a “life of the mind” humanist when it’s too warm/sunny. Durham isn’t really the setting for this type of study.

Duke is becoming what it always really was - Jhu/cmu with way hotter students.

The hot students are now fewer in number, that’s the change.

In the long, esteemed history of DCUM and the countless dumb, ignorant posts that have been made here, this is at or near the pinnacle of bad posts. Wow. Sorry Duke dinged you.

It is amazing that people express so much hatred towards specific schools. You can prefer one school over another. But to truly abhor a university like this is childish and demonstrates a remarkably low IQ. And I am not saying that to defend Duke - it is true about all of the angry rants towards any school.

[Anonymous]

Duke took 90 transfer kids last year and has said they will take 90 more this year.
They are 100% focused on transfer kids who are humanities (English, History, art, foreign language) and social sciences (sociology and anthropology) majors.

They've said that they don't expect freshman admits to come locked into a major but by sophomore year they do. This makes sense and it's really difficult to build a "fake" profile through a year of college because if you're taking Econ and STEM classes and joining those clubs at your sending school then it's impossible to convince Duke that your passion is really in Romance languages. Sure, you could have a grand year-long plan based on tricking Duke but then you're sort of screwed at your home school if you don't get in (when you have taken a year of sociology courses, haven't started your engineering course work and aren't in STEM clubs, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there enough truly elite humanities students to filter all the way down to duke?

Honest question.

After hyp, Oxford and Cambridge (for the truly elite humanities kids who can pass their subject matter interview), Chicago, brown, other elite schools in the north east…

…no one thinks of duke and “the humanities”

Iirc, the school was named after a tobacco industrialist!

Someone who studies “art history” at duke isn’t going to be some big academic. They are going to be rich and probably hot and go work at nyc gallery or auction house.

Southern schools were built to educate rich people on managing agrarian economies and later big state schools to educate people for practical matters.

Also, it’s hard to be a “life of the mind” humanist when it’s too warm/sunny. Durham isn’t really the setting for this type of study.

Duke is becoming what it always really was - Jhu/cmu with way hotter students.

The hot students are now fewer in number, that’s the change.

In the long, esteemed history of DCUM and the countless dumb, ignorant posts that have been made here, this is at or near the pinnacle of bad posts. Wow. Sorry Duke dinged you.

It is amazing that people express so much hatred towards specific schools. You can prefer one school over another. But to truly abhor a university like this is childish and demonstrates a remarkably low IQ. And I am not saying that to defend Duke - it is true about all of the angry rants towards any school.

+1

This quote alone makes the Top 10 list of all-time dumb claims on the DCUM college board:

“Also, it’s hard to be a “life of the mind” humanist when it’s too warm/sunny. Durham isn’t really the setting for this type of study.”

In fact, it’s so moronic that I’m now wondering whether it was intended as satire.

Also, re Duke and Art History:

https://dukemag.duke.edu/stories/open-unexpected

https://www.guggenheim.org/articles/author/valerie-hillings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke took 90 transfer kids last year and has said they will take 90 more this year.
They are 100% focused on transfer kids who are humanities (English, History, art, foreign language) and social sciences (sociology and anthropology) majors.

They've said that they don't expect freshman admits to come locked into a major but by sophomore year they do. This makes sense and it's really difficult to build a "fake" profile through a year of college because if you're taking Econ and STEM classes and joining those clubs at your sending school then it's impossible to convince Duke that your passion is really in Romance languages. Sure, you could have a grand year-long plan based on tricking Duke but then you're sort of screwed at your home school if you don't get in (when you have taken a year of sociology courses, haven't started your engineering course work and aren't in STEM clubs, etc).

How does Public Policy and the Sanford School fit in here? Does Duke assume it’s really just a plan to major in Econ and go IB/MBB?

If so, that strikes me as deeply cynical and sad. Duke’s Public Policy department is excellent, and there are tons of kids who are genuinely interested in pursuing a career (and for some, a graduate degree) in the field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke took 90 transfer kids last year and has said they will take 90 more this year.
They are 100% focused on transfer kids who are humanities (English, History, art, foreign language) and social sciences (sociology and anthropology) majors.

They've said that they don't expect freshman admits to come locked into a major but by sophomore year they do. This makes sense and it's really difficult to build a "fake" profile through a year of college because if you're taking Econ and STEM classes and joining those clubs at your sending school then it's impossible to convince Duke that your passion is really in Romance languages. Sure, you could have a grand year-long plan based on tricking Duke but then you're sort of screwed at your home school if you don't get in (when you have taken a year of sociology courses, haven't started your engineering course work and aren't in STEM clubs, etc).

How does Public Policy and the Sanford School fit in here? Does Duke assume it’s really just a plan to major in Econ and go IB/MBB?

If so, that strikes me as deeply cynical and sad. Duke’s Public Policy department is excellent, and there are tons of kids who are genuinely interested in pursuing a career (and for some, a graduate degree) in the field.

Its a big major. Just look at the data. They don't need more public policy kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop shaming the Aspies already?

Because essentially that's what they're saying. Technically-focused neurodivergent students who may or may not be diagnosed are very valuable. Our global economy depends on innovation, and this is the cohort that drives it. The emotionally and socially connected are the glue that holds our society together, and they will always tend to be more successful in their lives, due to their superior social skills... so I don't know why we're attacking the ones that contribute to progress and are less social. On the contrary, we should be supporting them!

A school filled with them is a nightmare.

Does anyone seriously believe that duke is filled with neurodivergent students. Its reputation alone is enough to drive many away.

These are the 1st year students: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQW8QQTAADb/

Wow. That was scary. I'm a Duke alum. Duke has unfortunately become a school of two extremes. Rich party kids (lots of legacies and other kids who are "development priorities") who are active in Greek life. And kids like in that video who are very socially awkward. I was far from the coolest person at Duke. But I also wasn't a nerd. And there were tons of people like me when I was there, in addition to the people now at the two poles. The middle of "normal" kids has been squeezed. It is very sad. I am thinking very carefully about whether my "normal," "well-rounded" child will be happy at alma mater dear. And if not, where they can be happy.

And before someone jumps down my throat, many of the "normal" kids I describe who I was friends with were Asian, black, Indian, etc. And I am the parent of a teenager so I do know how kids dress these days. And most of those kids dress weird.

I agree. And that video is a one-off video. There there are many more Chronicle videos out there that are strikingly similar. (I used to follow the Chron on IG.)

Using 1990s era touchstones, here’s the current breakdown of Duke undergrads:

25% Epworth
25% SAE/Kappa
25% Hardcore Pratt/STEM library dwellers and grinds
20% Recruited athletes
5% Miscellaneous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we stop shaming the Aspies already?

Because essentially that's what they're saying. Technically-focused neurodivergent students who may or may not be diagnosed are very valuable. Our global economy depends on innovation, and this is the cohort that drives it. The emotionally and socially connected are the glue that holds our society together, and they will always tend to be more successful in their lives, due to their superior social skills... so I don't know why we're attacking the ones that contribute to progress and are less social. On the contrary, we should be supporting them!

A school filled with them is a nightmare.

Does anyone seriously believe that duke is filled with neurodivergent students. Its reputation alone is enough to drive many away.

These are the 1st year students: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQW8QQTAADb/

Wow. That was scary. I'm a Duke alum. Duke has unfortunately become a school of two extremes. Rich party kids (lots of legacies and other kids who are "development priorities") who are active in Greek life. And kids like in that video who are very socially awkward. I was far from the coolest person at Duke. But I also wasn't a nerd. And there were tons of people like me when I was there, in addition to the people now at the two poles. The middle of "normal" kids has been squeezed. It is very sad. I am thinking very carefully about whether my "normal," "well-rounded" child will be happy at alma mater dear. And if not, where they can be happy.

And before someone jumps down my throat, many of the "normal" kids I describe who I was friends with were Asian, black, Indian, etc. And I am the parent of a teenager so I do know how kids dress these days. And most of those kids dress weird.

Ugh. Apologies for the typos. Trying again:

I agree. And that video is NOT a one-off. There are many similar Chronicle interview videos out there. (I used to follow the Chron on IG.)

Using 1990s era touchstones, here’s the current breakdown of Duke undergrads:

25% Epworth
25% SAE/Kappa
25% Hardcore Pratt/STEM library dwellers and grinds
20% Recruited athletes
5% Miscellaneous