20 years ago, the choice would be obvious - Harvard. Not so simple today. This is really a visit and check out the vibe choice.

And Duke is not the fun smart school for frat boys that it used to be. And Harvard is not the school of the scions of the elite that it used to be either.

Things have changed a lot. Four years is a long time for an 18 year old. Go with fit and fit alone. At this level of schools, the opportunities will be fine regardless.

Duke on its most boring day is signicantly better than Harvard. Best 4 years of one’s life is college. Tough to beat Duke. For class of 2030, Duke received 62,000 applications an increase of 3,200 kids for a class size of 1700. Harvard will not release its totals. Again, Duke has it all with academics, weather, beautiful campus, top athletic program and a phenomenal alumni network.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone hates Duke unless they went there. Harvard.

Everyone knows that undergraduates are an afterthought at Harvard. Duke.

Any university with fantastic resources can be leveraged by a competent undergrad with decent EQ. I've attended multiple schools that were considered too large to provide an intimate, personalized experience and found that untrue.

Going to a school that's considered "fun" mostly means more bros and more drinking. Yet many people don't define fun that way.

You're making an argument that people should fight and claw their way through a university that offers a sub-par undergraduate education simply because it's Harvard.

That's for clout-chasers, not those looking for a place to spend four of the best years of their lives.

My spouse and his friends had a great time at Harvard but the final clubs maybe aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, just as not everyone will be Greek at Duke. Also raves about his professors, I don’t think the undergrad experience will be subpar at either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you visited Harvard recently, the choice is obvious. Go to Duke and pursue advanced degree at Harvard. 80 degrees at Duke vs high 40s in Cambridge. Fun vs no fun.

Most kids who graduate from Harvard or Duke never pursue an advanced degree (though a sizable minority do).

Also, why do people treat NC like it’s FL? It’s 57 in Durham today and 53 in Boston…in late April!

If you really want better weather you need to go to Atlanta and south or Arizona, southern TX or CA.

Yup, same for Vanderbilt. Weather is pretty close to DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you visited Harvard recently, the choice is obvious. Go to Duke and pursue advanced degree at Harvard. 80 degrees at Duke vs high 40s in Cambridge. Fun vs no fun.

Most kids who graduate from Harvard or Duke never pursue an advanced degree (though a sizable minority do).

Also, why do people treat NC like it’s FL? It’s 57 in Durham today and 53 in Boston…in late April!

If you really want better weather you need to go to Atlanta and south or Arizona, southern TX or CA.

Picking one random day to demonstrate a point is not a very Harvard approach to analysis and argument.

Just did a quick search and average high in Durham in February is 54 vs. 41 in Cambridge. That is a non-trivial difference. Durham is kind of hot and gross in the summer but students aren't there then, so they benefit from the months where the difference actually is positive and miss the ones where it is something of a negative.

This obviously is far from the top decision point for this choice, but it is non-trivial and factors into the overall campus culture.

I decided between Duke and an Ivy (not HYP so not the same decision) and when I visited Duke it was sunny and guys were playing beer frisbee in shorts on the quad and girls were in sundresses vs. the Ivy a week later where it was still chilly and gray and everyone was still wearing jackets. Though to the points of others, I don't think Duke is quite as fun and carefree as it was back in my day.

Not arguing for Duke over Harvard - I would probably pick Harvard. But just clarifying some misinformation here.

It was near 90 at Duke Saturday and low 50s in Cambridge. The campus and social life is still much better than Harvard unless one dimensional nerd. Huge difference and campus vibe is more relaxed at Duke.

Anonymous wrote:If you visited Harvard recently, the choice is obvious. Go to Duke and pursue advanced degree at Harvard. 80 degrees at Duke vs high 40s in Cambridge. Fun vs no fun.

Most kids who graduate from Harvard or Duke never pursue an advanced degree (though a sizable minority do).

Also, why do people treat NC like it’s FL? It’s 57 in Durham today and 53 in Boston…in late April!

If you really want better weather you need to go to Atlanta and south or Arizona, southern TX or CA.

If interested in business, Harvard has the edge. Also, just wanted to say I really enjoyed my undergraduate years there, albeit twenty years ago. You meet incredibly interesting people at Harvard.

Anonymous wrote:I went to Duke and my best friend at Duke chose Duke over Princeton and Stanford. I didn’t find this out until years later and was a little shocked in that it was a bit unusual even in the late 90s. He said he wanted fun and Duke as way more fun back then. He had a blast in college and loved his undergrad experience. He went on to HLS and is a successful lawyer. He was genuinely a smart person and wasn’t so worried about his career at 18 and made healthy normal kid choices and continued to do so at Duke, drinking at parties and studying during the week. Didn’t seem to hold him back on life, suffering his Duke choice. And we have an incredibly tight circle from Duke and we get together and watch games and text about it, etc. The Duke hate does fuel a sense of loyalty and belonging that isn’t quite replaceable by attending Harvard. Go to Harvard for grad school like my friend.

Duke is way less fun now. Even the school acknowledges it has become a problem.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Duke and my best friend at Duke chose Duke over Princeton and Stanford. I didn’t find this out until years later and was a little shocked in that it was a bit unusual even in the late 90s. He said he wanted fun and Duke as way more fun back then. He had a blast in college and loved his undergrad experience. He went on to HLS and is a successful lawyer. He was genuinely a smart person and wasn’t so worried about his career at 18 and made healthy normal kid choices and continued to do so at Duke, drinking at parties and studying during the week. Didn’t seem to hold him back on life, suffering his Duke choice. And we have an incredibly tight circle from Duke and we get together and watch games and text about it, etc. The Duke hate does fuel a sense of loyalty and belonging that isn’t quite replaceable by attending Harvard. Go to Harvard for grad school like my friend.

Fun=drinking

Such a prevalent mindset. Why isn't this questioned?

Fun was probably the sex part and kids mostly drinking in order to hopefully get to have sex. It’s called being 18-22. And the alternative universe of sitting in your room staring at your phone playing video games seems to likewise have some real downsides. Just sayin.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone hates Duke unless they went there. Harvard.

Everyone knows that undergraduates are an afterthought at Harvard. Duke.

Any university with fantastic resources can be leveraged by a competent undergrad with decent EQ. I've attended multiple schools that were considered too large to provide an intimate, personalized experience and found that untrue.

Going to a school that's considered "fun" mostly means more bros and more drinking. Yet many people don't define fun that way.

You're making an argument that people should fight and claw their way through a university that offers a sub-par undergraduate education simply because it's Harvard.

That's for clout-chasers, not those looking for a place to spend four of the best years of their lives.

Anonymous wrote:I went to Duke and my best friend at Duke chose Duke over Princeton and Stanford. I didn’t find this out until years later and was a little shocked in that it was a bit unusual even in the late 90s. He said he wanted fun and Duke as way more fun back then. He had a blast in college and loved his undergrad experience. He went on to HLS and is a successful lawyer. He was genuinely a smart person and wasn’t so worried about his career at 18 and made healthy normal kid choices and continued to do so at Duke, drinking at parties and studying during the week. Didn’t seem to hold him back on life, suffering his Duke choice. And we have an incredibly tight circle from Duke and we get together and watch games and text about it, etc. The Duke hate does fuel a sense of loyalty and belonging that isn’t quite replaceable by attending Harvard. Go to Harvard for grad school like my friend.

Fun=drinking

Such a prevalent mindset. Why isn't this questioned?

I went to Duke and my best friend at Duke chose Duke over Princeton and Stanford. I didn’t find this out until years later and was a little shocked in that it was a bit unusual even in the late 90s. He said he wanted fun and Duke as way more fun back then. He had a blast in college and loved his undergrad experience. He went on to HLS and is a successful lawyer. He was genuinely a smart person and wasn’t so worried about his career at 18 and made healthy normal kid choices and continued to do so at Duke, drinking at parties and studying during the week. Didn’t seem to hold him back on life, suffering his Duke choice. And we have an incredibly tight circle from Duke and we get together and watch games and text about it, etc. The Duke hate does fuel a sense of loyalty and belonging that isn’t quite replaceable by attending Harvard. Go to Harvard for grad school like my friend.

Op is trolling obviously

If you want better feedback, I'd suggest providing a little more info.

The fact that it's a question makes me wonder if they prefer Duke and are drawn to that experience / campus but feel like they ought to choose Harvard because -- well, it's Harvard?

If you're asking in terms of prestige, one school would brag that its undergrads go on to grad school at the other -- and we all know which is which.

But prestige is just that, and your child is a full-fledged human about to go through a major life transition. So: What environment feels exciting and supportive?

One thing to keep in mind: the vast majority undergrads at these schools will go on to earn a graduate or professional degree. So think of this as the first step in their higher ed journey, not the final word.

Good luck.