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[quote=Anonymous]If it's useful I saw this on Reddit today and it seems pretty relevant to your interests. It looks like a text someone got from a Duke student while trying to decide between Penn, Duke, Yale, and Princeton (they seem to have picked Duke ultimately):

“Hey ___, ___ told me you’re interested in ___ and are deciding between a few schools including Duke and Penn. Happy to share how I came to my decision although we have different scenarios. I was deciding between Duke, Harvard, and the Huntsman dual-degree program with Wharton and CAS at Penn. It was tough delineating clear differences between the three, but as I talked to more students and understood the offerings across economics and policy-oriented fields, I was able to get a sense of where I wanted to be.

To start off, my first elimination was Penn as I realized Huntsman was actually very limiting. There are requirements for classes and summers that are inimical to exploration throughout the four years. Many of the kids are overloading on classes to fit everything and have difficulty finding time to get heavily involved with activities and programs outside of classes. The ones that do are incredibly stressed and constantly overworked, which might work for some people, but that was not what how I wanted to experience college. This inclination towards optionality ended up being a significant boon in hindsight as throughout Duke my interests have shifted and expanded across multiple fields; I’ve explored and taken several classes in statistics, CS, and film along with public policy. I’ve also had ample time to be involved with Duke Student Government, volunteer programs throughout Durham, and entrepreneurial organizations on campus. In tandem I’ve found this classroom and extracurricular exploration to be incredibly fulfilling and horizon-broadening, and I still have time to pursue personal hobbies and enjoy my friends.

This leads me to my next, and perhaps most defining, reason to attend Duke. The people here are hard to categorize as a monolith, but if I had to, I’d say they’re overwhelmingly friendly, supportive, and well-rounded. Duke has a unique spirit that cannot be found at its peer schools. The school unity anchored by the basketball program brings people together in a way that’s hard to describe until you experience it. I was never a fan of basketball before Duke, but it’s incredibly fun to participate in the sports traditions on campus and see everyone come together. The beauty is that engineers, art history enthusiasts, physicists, aspiring doctors and lawyers, startup founders, etc. all congregate and share in the joy of Duke basketball and taking a break from the otherwise busy life at Duke. Of course it’s never required or expected to partake, but at a minimum it creates a certain energy and level of happiness on campus that is truly infectious. This reflects in the strong alumni network with extremely fond memories of their time at Duke who consistently go to bat for you if you reach out to ask for opportunities, connections, or just to get advice and pick their brains.

On the other hand, Penn felt more somber and gloomy. Few people were spending time outside simply relaxing, and everyone seemed to be running off to the next with little time for the aforementioned flexibility and exploration. While both schools certainly have a strong pre-professional element, Duke simply has a lighter feel permeating campus. This was also the reason I eliminated Harvard; while attending Visitas I realized the campus life felt dry and inanimate, and the people I met felt less united and friendly. I’m not sure if you felt the same visiting Princeton or Yale.

I know I just threw a lot at you, but tldr: find which school has the environment, flexibility, and people you want to be around for your 4 years. For me that was Duke, for you that may be Princeton or Yale, but truly the opportunities afforded to you at all of these schools will be largely similar, so optimize for other factors. Best of luck and let me know if you have any more questions!”[/quote]

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