Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 11:53     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Duke has more in common with HYP and probably Dartmouth and Notre Dame. Duke has a large Catholic population. Don’t see much in common with Brown, Columbia etc.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:47     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
I don’t know why Vandy mom continues to post these threads, they never get the responses she intended.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:41     Subject: Re:top sports/weather trumps academics?
They are all great schools, a kid would be lucky to attend any one of them. Do we get non-stop threads started to promote the Ivies? I don’t think we do?
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:33     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:crazy the shift at my DCs private in terms of priorities. Seems like a palpable shift from DCs older sister, where her friend group all wanted ivies or bust. DC friend group seems to prioritize the “experience” and a fun good weather vibe. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but Duke and Vandy out in front of every school save HYPSM in terms of interest. Vandy resurgence in football and basketball not hurting - just flipped on espn and party scene at SEC bball finals in Nashville, Vandy kids living the life according to my DC. sigh

So you don’t think Duke and Vandy offer strong academics?


Right? I would put Duke and Vandy in the same category as Ivy academics when compared to actual SEC flagship schools like Alabama (which also have their own value.) The distinction is small in the broader picture.


Dp, Duke and Vandy aren’t peers. Vandy on the same level as Wash U and Emory, Duke as Hopkins, NW, Chicago.


They are all peers, they are all peers with any of the Ivies as well. The constant attempts at granular slicing and ranking are nonsensical yet you persist.


That’s rich, I wasn’t the one who started this thread. Sorry if it makes you sad, Vandy mom, but the majority of the world doesn’t see Vandy as a peer to the Ivies or Duke. It’s still a very good school as is Wash U, Emory, Georgetown, etc . . ,
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:29     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:crazy the shift at my DCs private in terms of priorities. Seems like a palpable shift from DCs older sister, where her friend group all wanted ivies or bust. DC friend group seems to prioritize the “experience” and a fun good weather vibe. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but Duke and Vandy out in front of every school save HYPSM in terms of interest. Vandy resurgence in football and basketball not hurting - just flipped on espn and party scene at SEC bball finals in Nashville, Vandy kids living the life according to my DC. sigh

So you don’t think Duke and Vandy offer strong academics?


Right? I would put Duke and Vandy in the same category as Ivy academics when compared to actual SEC flagship schools like Alabama (which also have their own value.) The distinction is small in the broader picture.


Dp, Duke and Vandy aren’t peers. Vandy on the same level as Wash U and Emory, Duke as Hopkins, NW, Chicago.


They are all peers, they are all peers with any of the Ivies as well. The constant attempts at granular slicing and ranking are nonsensical yet you persist.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:28     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:Other than HYP, nobody cares about the Ivies. Duke has the entire package-world class academics, fantastic sports, best campus in US, and enviable weather.
.

Common response from Duke boosters... While HYP are perhaps the most famous, it seems like the vast majority of applicants to elite colleges each year still very much care about the other five.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:27     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:crazy the shift at my DCs private in terms of priorities. Seems like a palpable shift from DCs older sister, where her friend group all wanted ivies or bust. DC friend group seems to prioritize the “experience” and a fun good weather vibe. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but Duke and Vandy out in front of every school save HYPSM in terms of interest. Vandy resurgence in football and basketball not hurting - just flipped on espn and party scene at SEC bball finals in Nashville, Vandy kids living the life according to my DC. sigh


Would guys rather hang out with Hilary Rodham or Sophia Vergara?


A better way to put this is “would you prefer to spend time with intellect, influence, and long term growth or waste a bit of time on a depreciating asset?” Your answer says much about you and your child.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:23     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:crazy the shift at my DCs private in terms of priorities. Seems like a palpable shift from DCs older sister, where her friend group all wanted ivies or bust. DC friend group seems to prioritize the “experience” and a fun good weather vibe. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but Duke and Vandy out in front of every school save HYPSM in terms of interest. Vandy resurgence in football and basketball not hurting - just flipped on espn and party scene at SEC bball finals in Nashville, Vandy kids living the life according to my DC. sigh

So you don’t think Duke and Vandy offer strong academics?


Right? I would put Duke and Vandy in the same category as Ivy academics when compared to actual SEC flagship schools like Alabama (which also have their own value.) The distinction is small in the broader picture.


Dp, Duke and Vandy aren’t peers. Vandy on the same level as Wash U and Emory, Duke as Hopkins, NW, Chicago.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:23     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:Other than HYP, nobody cares about the Ivies. Duke has the entire package-world class academics, fantastic sports, best campus in US, and enviable weather.


The copium is strong in this one.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:21     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:crazy the shift at my DCs private in terms of priorities. Seems like a palpable shift from DCs older sister, where her friend group all wanted ivies or bust. DC friend group seems to prioritize the “experience” and a fun good weather vibe. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but Duke and Vandy out in front of every school save HYPSM in terms of interest. Vandy resurgence in football and basketball not hurting - just flipped on espn and party scene at SEC bball finals in Nashville, Vandy kids living the life according to my DC. sigh

So you don’t think Duke and Vandy offer strong academics?


Right? I would put Duke and Vandy in the same category as Ivy academics when compared to actual SEC flagship schools like Alabama (which also have their own value.) The distinction is small in the broader picture.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:15     Subject: Re:top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:Dc private name?


I thought so

(Crickets)
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 10:06     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:crazy the shift at my DCs private in terms of priorities. Seems like a palpable shift from DCs older sister, where her friend group all wanted ivies or bust. DC friend group seems to prioritize the “experience” and a fun good weather vibe. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but Duke and Vandy out in front of every school save HYPSM in terms of interest. Vandy resurgence in football and basketball not hurting - just flipped on espn and party scene at SEC bball finals in Nashville, Vandy kids living the life according to my DC. sigh

So you don’t think Duke and Vandy offer strong academics?
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 09:37     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Why are Vandy moms so insecure that we have this exact thread at least once a month? Almost as bad as Emory mom.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 09:34     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:To address OP's actual topic-

DD's private has the same high interest in southern, fun schools. I attribute it to the absolute nightmare of the competitive private school experience, coupled with the absolute nightmare of the college admissions experience. They're burnt out having to be perfect and cure cancer in their free time. A fun SEC experience with good weather is the anecdote.


Our private has interest in the southern schools but it is primarily among the bottom quarter if the class picking public schools.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 09:34     Subject: top sports/weather trumps academics?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I was a ooor single mother kid from Chicago and chose Duke on athletic scholarship because it was a beautiful place far different than my neighborhood in Chicago. I was a diligent student and found the honors program in my major to be very rigorous. I was entirely on my own financially so Duke was not an enjoyable place in any way for me socially. That was acceptable - first priority was athletics to keep the scholarship followed by academics- I was lucky and Duke delivered unreal social mobility for me. Certainly enough challenge for me, too. My daughters went to Princeton and through observation I thought it was very rigorous and difficult. My impression was that it was a touch more challenging (just a touch) than Duke. This is an entirely anecdotal observation though so it shouldn’t be given much weight. With the schools being discussed, education is what you make of it.


Duke doesn't have honors programs?

You're clearly too old to be Sean Dockery...


It still has the honors program in my major. The only difference is the quality of the honors papers. They are significantly better than what I churned out. This is not self deprecation- I have read the papers and they are impressive.