Thoughts on UPenn and Duke

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke’s closest peer school is Northwestern.

+1. But I would also add Vanderbilt as a duke peer institution. Vanderbilt also has strong academics, exciting sports, greek life, and a leafy campus adjacent to a smaller city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke’s closest peer school is Northwestern.

+1. But I would also add Vanderbilt as a duke peer institution. Vanderbilt also has strong academics, exciting sports, greek life, and a leafy campus adjacent to a smaller city.

Smaller city? But this is Nashville vs. Durham. Not the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke’s closest peer school is Northwestern.

+1. But I would also add Vanderbilt as a duke peer institution. Vanderbilt also has strong academics, exciting sports, greek life, and a leafy campus adjacent to a smaller city.

They are both now schools where the quarterback is paid muliples if what the president makes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke’s closest peer school is Northwestern.

+1. But I would also add Vanderbilt as a duke peer institution. Vanderbilt also has strong academics, exciting sports, greek life, and a leafy campus adjacent to a smaller city.

A Penn student wouldn’t be caught dead at vandy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke’s closest peer school is Northwestern.

+1. But I would also add Vanderbilt as a duke peer institution. Vanderbilt also has strong academics, exciting sports, greek life, and a leafy campus adjacent to a smaller city.

A Penn student wouldn’t be caught dead at vandy

There is a lot of overlap among students applying to Duke, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern. Penn seems like a much colder, grimmer, and competitive environment. It attracts a different kind of student. Wharton dominates the school and you feel it when you visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke’s closest peer school is Northwestern.

+1. But I would also add Vanderbilt as a duke peer institution. Vanderbilt also has strong academics, exciting sports, greek life, and a leafy campus adjacent to a smaller city.

A Penn student wouldn’t be caught dead at vandy

There is a lot of overlap among students applying to Duke, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern. Penn seems like a much colder, grimmer, and competitive environment. It attracts a different kind of student. Wharton dominates the school and you feel it when you visit.

This is true for our DC. Applied to all three. Plus Stanford.

Plus Michigan (deferred EA) and Wisconsin (accepted EA).

Their priorities are big academics + big sports. Does not want to be in a city. (Vandy is technically in the city of Nashville, but when we visited it did not feel that way to DC because there’s no traffic cutting through campus, and because of the feel of the surrounding neighborhoods etc.)

DC did not consider Penn. Great school, of course. But not a fit for their interests and priorities. Though it’s easy to see how other kids would love both. This truly depends on what your kid likes, prefers, and prioritizes in a college.

[Anonymous]

Never pick Duke over UPenn

[Anonymous]

Did undergrad at one, grad at the other, married to someone who did undergrad where I did grad. I was accepted to both for undergrad and had a very hard time deciding between them. Now considering both for my child. So super familiar with them both.

There is a ton of overlap. Both great schools. Have to visit them both. A lot depends on where you are coming from.

The many posters here who are making nasty comments about one school or the other are evil and do not represent the school they are speaking in favor of. There are few if any schools I would bad mouth like that. If you are smart enough to go to these types of schools you should also have the class and decency to accompany it. They are both incredible institutions (though neither is perfect) and do not deserve any hatred or childish putdowns.

I wish the mods here would delete all of these awful posts. Constructive criticism is fine. But that's not what this is. It takes away from intelligent, helpful, meaningful discussions.

But this is the internet in 2026. What should I expect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke has the whole collegiate experience. No comparison to a 2nd tier Ivy League school. Not much crossover applicants between the 2.

The schools you consider second-tier Ivies still have an academic seriousness that Duke, with its southern location and obsession with basketball, lacks. It’s a nice place to get a degree, if you’re OK with its copycat architecture and social pretensions. But it’s always trying to hold itself out as something it isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did undergrad at one, grad at the other, married to someone who did undergrad where I did grad. I was accepted to both for undergrad and had a very hard time deciding between them. Now considering both for my child. So super familiar with them both.

There is a ton of overlap. Both great schools. Have to visit them both. A lot depends on where you are coming from.

The many posters here who are making nasty comments about one school or the other are evil and do not represent the school they are speaking in favor of. There are few if any schools I would bad mouth like that. If you are smart enough to go to these types of schools you should also have the class and decency to accompany it. They are both incredible institutions (though neither is perfect) and do not deserve any hatred or childish putdowns.

I wish the mods here would delete all of these awful posts. Constructive criticism is fine. But that's not what this is. It takes away from intelligent, helpful, meaningful discussions.

But this is the internet in 2026. What should I expect?

+1000

There’s so much useful information here on DCUM. I’ve learned a ton over the years, including on this college-specific board.

And, there’s also a ton of rudeness, pettiness, false statements offered up as fact, bizarrely worded and ungrounded opinions, and a touch of insanity.

It is what it is. Strong critical thinking skills and thick skin are a must.

Also, Duke and Penn are both excellent schools! Any kid who gets that choice is incredibly lucky and will likely thrive wherever they go!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Duke has the whole collegiate experience. No comparison to a 2nd tier Ivy League school. Not much crossover applicants between the 2.

The schools you consider second-tier Ivies still have an academic seriousness that Duke, with its southern location and obsession with basketball, lacks. It’s a nice place to get a degree, if you’re OK with its copycat architecture and social pretensions. But it’s always trying to hold itself out as something it isn’t.

Where do you think Yale and Princeton and Bryn Mawr got the idea for Collegiate Gothic? They were copycats too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid got into UPenn and Duke last year (along with Brown) and chose Duke after doing campus visits. I highly recommend letting your kid tour their top choices after seeing where they get accepted

What’s the stats, profile and major that someone can get into all 3 Duke, Penn and Brown RD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid got into UPenn and Duke last year (along with Brown) and chose Duke after doing campus visits. I highly recommend letting your kid tour their top choices after seeing where they get accepted

What’s the stats, profile and major that someone can get into all 3 Duke, Penn and Brown RD?

Really smart. There are no specifics. It is all a crap shoot. What do you expect the answer to be? 3.90213 GPA, 1560 SAT, 3rd place in state trombone competition, epee fencer, 6-2, 175 lbs, English literature major?

[Anonymous]

Both are packed with douchebags. Wouldn't want my kids with the same diploma as Trump or Steve Miller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both are packed with douchebags. Wouldn't want my kids with the same diploma as Trump or Steve Miller.

Yes, please avoid those schools. More spots for others who will appreciate the great education and opportunities!