What’s so great about Duke?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question - my kid has applied to both Duke and Cornell RD. I think he has a good shot of getting into both. Which one should he pick? He is a STEM kid FWIW. My gut feel is Cornell. He is not into frats or big 10 basketball.

Troll. But I'd bet Duke wins over 80% of the [few] cross admit battles. Smart kids at this level are shamelessly obsessed with US New rank. And Duke has better weather.

[Anonymous]

It is not so unusual for kids to get into both Cornell and Duke. My kid got into Cornell, Duke, and Penn 2 years ago. Chose Penn and is very happy there.

[Anonymous]

I went to Duke for grad school. It was a great place for grad school. I didn't think I would have liked it for undergrad and neither of my kids did either when we visited. It is spread out, has a very elitist, country club feel, and the admissions officer was quite arrogant when he gave his talk. Duke has smarter, harder-working kids than in the past, but still isn't an especially intellectual place. It is more like a traditional "fun" college experience than other academically elite institutions. Most people who go there love it although many people do not like Duke alums at all for many reasons, including the clubbiness and self satisfaction that some have. Many of my classmates send their kids to Duke and they for the most part are corporate insider-type people who are good at networking and who gave a lot of money to the school. All that said, I loved my time there in grad school.

It is different from Ivy League and other older schools because it isn't that old, it's Southern, and it doesn't have the same continuous tradition of top-notch academics that its current counterparts have. This means Duke has a new feel to the school compared to Ivy League schools, and more of a new-money feel to it (tobacco built as it is). On the plus side, people who work there are super nice and the weather is not harsh and the community is generally more pleasant than just about any place I've lived in the US. Duke used to be a low-stress place but that has changed inside the school along with higher test scores and lower acceptance rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Durham is a lovely city to live in. Duke isn't that big but UNC and State are just down the road, so there's plenty of student-oriented culture. Duke has some of the best kids in the country and some of the worst. It's probably not that different from similar schools. The campus is pretty (most of it). It rarely gets cold and the spring and fall are delightful.

Duke grad here. Some of my thoughts, exactly. Durham was one of the best parts of my Duke experience. I loved off campus culture, taking partime jobs and meeting folks from N Carolina. I also loved the hiking in the area and the ability to drive to mountains and beach in a few hours. I loved the weather. Spring and fall were long, and winter very short. My teachers were fabulous and I loved the grad student teachers too. Remember, smart kids come in all shapes and sizes. I was a lefty political activist there, and found my people, and loved it! And that Duke name on my resume has always come in handy.

[Anonymous]

Meh....just another douchey, fratty, southern school that’s managed to game the rankings and raise a lot of capital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question - my kid has applied to both Duke and Cornell RD. I think he has a good shot of getting into both. Which one should he pick? He is a STEM kid FWIW. My gut feel is Cornell. He is not into frats or big 10 basketball.

Troll. But I'd bet Duke wins over 80% of the [few] cross admit battles. Smart kids at this level are shamelessly obsessed with US New rank. And Duke has better weather.

You are the troll. Of course tons of people choose Cornell over Duke. Cornell is an ivy, Duke is not. People care about USnews up to a point, they don't take it at face value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one even knows that Penn is an Ivy.

Penn State is an Ivy?

One of my co-workers said her dad told her to go to Penn State instead of Penn b/c no one really knows the difference b/t the two. Wise man.

So you must have a very mediocre job then...The only people who dont know the difference between the two are unsophisticated, uneducated or semi-educated people who run in very mediocre circles. Btw those same people cannot name a single ivy past HY(P) and sure have never heard of Duke.

+1 this is a sign of major lack of sophistication. not something to brag about at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question - my kid has applied to both Duke and Cornell RD. I think he has a good shot of getting into both. Which one should he pick? He is a STEM kid FWIW. My gut feel is Cornell. He is not into frats or big 10 basketball.

Troll. But I'd bet Duke wins over 80% of the [few] cross admit battles. Smart kids at this level are shamelessly obsessed with US New rank. And Duke has better weather.

You are the troll. Of course tons of people choose Cornell over Duke. Cornell is an ivy, Duke is not. People care about USnews up to a point, they don't take it at face value.

http://www.parchment.com/c/college/tools/college-cross-admit-comparison.php?compare=Duke+University&with=Cornell+University

Shove off, Ivy obsessed moron.

[Anonymous]

I have to admit that I would be thrilled if one of my kids got into Duke. My oldest is a 10th grader now in public school. There are a lot of Duke grads in the DC area. I know 6-7 very well and while they are pretty nice, they are all kind of annoying too. They constantly brag about Duke and they all act like they are super smart even though they seem just like most others I know (reasonably smart and hardworking but nothing extraordinary). The ivy grads that I know (similar number) seem much more low key. Also, my Duke friends are obsessed with their kids going to Duke and act like it is not an option to go to a no-name SLAC or a generic state school. My Ivy friends are more understanding that their kids may not get into their ivy and also may have no interest in going there. All the Duke people I know were also in frats/sororities so it seems a big deal there. Most of them also have their kids doing Cotillion now and say it is critical for life success. I know I am generalizing terribly but it is hard not to form an impression from the people you know. That being said, I will plan on taking my kid for a visit there and will try to keep an open mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question - my kid has applied to both Duke and Cornell RD. I think he has a good shot of getting into both. Which one should he pick? He is a STEM kid FWIW. My gut feel is Cornell. He is not into frats or big 10 basketball.

Troll. But I'd bet Duke wins over 80% of the [few] cross admit battles. Smart kids at this level are shamelessly obsessed with US New rank. And Duke has better weather.

You are the troll. Of course tons of people choose Cornell over Duke. Cornell is an ivy, Duke is not. People care about USnews up to a point, they don't take it at face value.

Lower Ivy. Nuff said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Duke for grad school. It was a great place for grad school. I didn't think I would have liked it for undergrad and neither of my kids did either when we visited. It is spread out, has a very elitist, country club feel, and the admissions officer was quite arrogant when he gave his talk. Duke has smarter, harder-working kids than in the past, but still isn't an especially intellectual place. It is more like a traditional "fun" college experience than other academically elite institutions. Most people who go there love it although many people do not like Duke alums at all for many reasons, including the clubbiness and self satisfaction that some have. Many of my classmates send their kids to Duke and they for the most part are corporate insider-type people who are good at networking and who gave a lot of money to the school. All that said, I loved my time there in grad school.

It is different from Ivy League and other older schools because it isn't that old, it's Southern, and it doesn't have the same continuous tradition of top-notch academics that its current counterparts have. This means Duke has a new feel to the school compared to Ivy League schools, and more of a new-money feel to it (tobacco built as it is). On the plus side, people who work there are super nice and the weather is not harsh and the community is generally more pleasant than just about any place I've lived in the US. Duke used to be a low-stress place but that has changed inside the school along with higher test scores and lower acceptance rate.

I went to Princeton and had friends at Duke. I remember visiting them during a spring break when there were still snow flurries in NJ and by the time I got to Durham there were students lying on the quad in the sun. That made quite an impression.

But the frats there did seem more hard-core than the eating clubs at Princeton. More drinking and even preppier attire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:... There are a lot of Duke grads in the DC area. I know 6-7 very well and while they are pretty nice, they are all kind of annoying too... Most of them also have their kids doing Cotillion now and say it is critical for life success...

That's so funny. When my kids act up I sometimes threaten them with Cotillion. Maybe when they get older I'll threaten them with Duke! (My own experience with Duke grads is that most of the guys are okay, if a little douchy, but the women are SO fake.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... There are a lot of Duke grads in the DC area. I know 6-7 very well and while they are pretty nice, they are all kind of annoying too... Most of them also have their kids doing Cotillion now and say it is critical for life success...

That's so funny. When my kids act up I sometimes threaten them with Cotillion. Maybe when they get older I'll threaten them with Duke! (My own experience with Duke grads is that most of the guys are okay, if a little douchy, but the women are SO fake.)

"Real" Duke grad woman here, know of zero Duke women in DC who have ever mentioned having their kids do Cotillion (not that there's anything wrong with that *hands up*). Actually Duke's Women's Forum alumni event series is delightful and thoughtful so I've had the opportunity to meet lots of DC Duke women of different ages. Duke, like all elite and insanely expensive schools, attracts an unpleasant element of cloistered rich families working hard to stay rich and stay cloistered. It also attracts some completely amazing students who go on to do incredible things and be fantastic people. TBH I have a complicated relationship with the University and its reputation but what's being said here is beyond hyperbolic, it is completely made up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... There are a lot of Duke grads in the DC area. I know 6-7 very well and while they are pretty nice, they are all kind of annoying too... Most of them also have their kids doing Cotillion now and say it is critical for life success...

That's so funny. When my kids act up I sometimes threaten them with Cotillion. Maybe when they get older I'll threaten them with Duke! (My own experience with Duke grads is that most of the guys are okay, if a little douchy, but the women are SO fake.)

"Real" Duke grad woman here, know of zero Duke women in DC who have ever mentioned having their kids do Cotillion (not that there's anything wrong with that *hands up*). Actually Duke's Women's Forum alumni event series is delightful and thoughtful so I've had the opportunity to meet lots of DC Duke women of different ages. Duke, like all elite and insanely expensive schools, attracts an unpleasant element of cloistered rich families working hard to stay rich and stay cloistered. It also attracts some completely amazing students who go on to do incredible things and be fantastic people. TBH I have a complicated relationship with the University and its reputation but what's being said here is beyond hyperbolic, it is completely made up.

Fits the profile to a T.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one even knows that Penn is an Ivy.

Penn State is an Ivy?

One of my co-workers said her dad told her to go to Penn State instead of Penn b/c no one really knows the difference b/t the two. Wise man.

So you must have a very mediocre job then...The only people who dont know the difference between the two are unsophisticated, uneducated or semi-educated people who run in very mediocre circles. Btw those same people cannot name a single ivy past HY(P) and sure have never heard of Duke.

+1 this is a sign of major lack of sophistication. not something to brag about at all.

You mean posting about sophistication on an internet forum shows a lack of sophistication? Yes I'd say that's the case.