Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:51
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
It seems to many a socially adept student is like Ainsley Norris in Landman.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:50
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Guess 7 figures.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:49
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
How much qualifies for the 100 golden tickets available to legacy? “children of Duke alumni who remain involved in the University through financial contributions or other investment” - asking for current hs junior
Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:47
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Notre Dame.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:45
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Anonymous wrote:It's actually quite sad. What made "Duke" duke is gone.
Because it's different than it was 20 or 30 years ago? Name a single higher education institution that is not different than it was 20 or 30 years ago. It's a different world.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:45
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Terry Sanford would not be happy.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:41
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
It's actually quite sad. What made "Duke" duke is gone.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 18:40
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
It’s amazing to hear the Duke grads from the 90s assume that their fellow alums who are critical of nerdy atmosphere are bitter because kids didn’t get accepted. Totally false. Most of my classmates turned down Ivies because didn’t want to go to one dimensional social climbing environments. Student attendance at Wallace Wade and even Cameron are a fraction of what it used to be. Reunion attendance for any class over 15 years is also down. Alumni giving rate used to be in the low 40s% is in low 20s and at that they fudge the numbers.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 17:53
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Totally agree. We used to wander around in our freshman herd from party to party and most doors were open. I believe the last Thursday kegs were 1993, but some on Friday and lots on Saturday. No one cared if you were "cool" or not - you could go to most parties. This gradually was getting phased out but now there is no fun on campus at all.
The field parties are weird - I don't get that. But apparently it is a big thing. And it creates more of a sense of haves and have nots, as you noted, and freezes out those who are happy being in the middle - don't necessarily want to be Greek but want to go to some parties and be social. Which is what made Duke so great. The "average" Duke student was still very social, without being your usual Type A Greek person. Now that is gone. You're either all in on these parties or studying all the time.
+1, PP. I graduated mid 90s, not Greek, and loved that we could all wander from section to section and it didn’t matter. Everyone partied together. I’ve been on campus recently, and it’s shockingly quiet. I heard about the field parties. WTF. DD is looking at schools, and I hate to say it but I’m steering her away from Duke. Never would have predicted that after loving my time so much there.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 17:49
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Anonymous wrote:
Not true.
Top students must choose between T10 schools with equally extraordinary academic opportunities and post-graduation outcomes. Some choose strictly by the rankings. Others choose based on geography. And yes, some DO consider life outside the classroom as the tie-breaker.
This is where Duke used to be special.
The student social life at Duke was different than the rest of the T10 - kids were brilliant, driven AND social.
That said, my reference above (“at least” Duke still has good athletics and weather) was meant to be snarky.
As an alum, I’m genuinely disappointed that Duke has deprioritized strong social skills when choosing among equally brilliant kids.
So much of a college education takes place outside the classroom. And as a bonus, those social bonds in college become professional networks that last for decades. (DH and I continue to tap into our college networks for advice and connections for our children.)
Bottom line: Kids who are less able to connect with their peers detract from the overall academic experience.
Duke’s value proposition USED TO BE that it was full of “serious students” with strong social skills who knew how to connect with and enrich each other. Sad that they are now choosing a different path.
Duke aspires to be like an Ivy but it's usually at least a decade behind. Pursuing smarter but pointier kids with somewhat less social skills is just another catch-up.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 17:26
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Duke at $11.6 billion in beginning of 2025 is at number 11. UTexas system, UMichigan, and UPenn are slightly higher but their enrollment is multiple times larger than Duke. Michigan has 33k undergrads, Penn 10k and Duke at 6,800. The change in the vibe on campus has alienated lots of grads and development office privately acknowledges that trend. Same if not more noticeable at Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale. Notre Dame is a powerhouse at $20 billion and benefits as other top Catholic schools Holy Cross from a more homogeneous, continual demographic (wealthy Catholic families).
The vibe on campus becoming more academically intense, highly driven is a trend across most of the ivies more than it is at Duke. It is not new. The shift began around 2012.
True. But Duke used to be different (more social) than the rest of the T10. It was part of what made it special.
But the article OP linked to above makes it clear that Duke no longer prioritizes the social skills and enthusiasm that made it desired compared to its academic peers.
At least it has good weather and Nina King running a a successful athletics department. Otherwise, it may as well be Cornell (shudder) or Penn (minus Philly and the easy access to NYC) .
Not things top students target.
Not true.
Top students myst choose between T10 schools with equally extraordinary academic opportunities and post-graduation outcomes. Some choose strictly by the rankings. Others choose based on geography. And yes, some DO consider life outside the classroom as the tie-breaker.
This is where Duke used to be special.
The student social life at Duke was different than the rest of the T10 - kids were brilliant, driven AND social.
That said, my reference above (“at least” Duke still has good athletics and weather) was meant to be snarky.
As an alum, I’m genuinely disappointed that Duke has deprioritized strong social skills when choosing among equally brilliant kids.
So much of a college education takes place outside the classroom. And as a bonus, those social bonds in college become professional networks that last for decades. (DH and I continue to tap into our college networks for advice and connections for our children.)
Bottom line: Kids who are less able to connect with their peers detract from the overall academic experience.
Duke’s value proposition USED TO BE that it was full of “serious students” with strong social skills who knew how to connect with and enrich each other. Sad that they are now choosing a different path.
Well as an alum with a student there now and alum and non-alum friends with recent or current students, Duke does have serious driven students who also have social skills.
The student body is shifted to smarter compared to the 90s. I would have liked the current Duke better. Too many unserious students in the 90s and way too much greek life that focused on alcohol thursday-sunday. And yes my student is greek but they are the minority and they mingle with nongreeks.
The alums who complain about Duke are always the ones whose students did not get in. Goodness there is a lot of copium on this thread.
As a parent with an very sociable, and also very focused and hardworking kid joining the class of 2030 -- thanks for this!
PS She dresses well! But doesn't really care how other people dress. So I think she might be really happy there yay!
Anonymous
04/15/2026 15:50
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Duke does not cater to nerds. It is not JHU, Emory, or Columbia. The development office is getting the message loud and clear.
I do think this is true - there's been a ton of pushback. This new Admissions Dean has their work cut out for them. Angry angry alums.
Wait the alums stopped donating because the student body is getting nerdy and unattractive? Seems shallow.
I can understand why alums at Georgetown have stopped donating (due to their dropping their Catholic identity). That seems more legit to me.
They didn’t. Participation from alums is higher than ever the past two years. Most of the people on here have no recent connection to Duke or they are the bitter alums whose smart but not top 1-2% kids did not get in.
Just talk at Duke Parents' Committee Luncheons.....there is a lot of chatter.
The Duke Parent Committee is strictly for non-alum parents. They would not know. Alums are giving in higher numbers than they ever have
Anonymous
04/15/2026 15:47
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Duke at $11.6 billion in beginning of 2025 is at number 11. UTexas system, UMichigan, and UPenn are slightly higher but their enrollment is multiple times larger than Duke. Michigan has 33k undergrads, Penn 10k and Duke at 6,800. The change in the vibe on campus has alienated lots of grads and development office privately acknowledges that trend. Same if not more noticeable at Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale. Notre Dame is a powerhouse at $20 billion and benefits as other top Catholic schools Holy Cross from a more homogeneous, continual demographic (wealthy Catholic families).
The vibe on campus becoming more academically intense, highly driven is a trend across most of the ivies more than it is at Duke. It is not new. The shift began around 2012.
True. But Duke used to be different (more social) than the rest of the T10. It was part of what made it special.
But the article OP linked to above makes it clear that Duke no longer prioritizes the social skills and enthusiasm that made it desired compared to its academic peers.
At least it has good weather and Nina King running a a successful athletics department. Otherwise, it may as well be Cornell (shudder) or Penn (minus Philly and the easy access to NYC) .
Not things top students target.
Not true.
Top students myst choose between T10 schools with equally extraordinary academic opportunities and post-graduation outcomes. Some choose strictly by the rankings. Others choose based on geography. And yes, some DO consider life outside the classroom as the tie-breaker.
This is where Duke used to be special.
The student social life at Duke was different than the rest of the T10 - kids were brilliant, driven AND social.
That said, my reference above (“at least” Duke still has good athletics and weather) was meant to be snarky.
As an alum, I’m genuinely disappointed that Duke has deprioritized strong social skills when choosing among equally brilliant kids.
So much of a college education takes place outside the classroom. And as a bonus, those social bonds in college become professional networks that last for decades. (DH and I continue to tap into our college networks for advice and connections for our children.)
Bottom line: Kids who are less able to connect with their peers detract from the overall academic experience.
Duke’s value proposition USED TO BE that it was full of “serious students” with strong social skills who knew how to connect with and enrich each other. Sad that they are now choosing a different path.
Well as an alum with a student there now and alum and non-alum friends with recent or current students, Duke does have serious driven students who also have social skills.
The student body is shifted to smarter compared to the 90s. I would have liked the current Duke better. Too many unserious students in the 90s and way too much greek life that focused on alcohol thursday-sunday. And yes my student is greek but they are the minority and they mingle with nongreeks.
The alums who complain about Duke are always the ones whose students did not get in. Goodness there is a lot of copium on this thread.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 15:42
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Duke does not cater to nerds. It is not JHU, Emory, or Columbia. The development office is getting the message loud and clear.
I do think this is true - there's been a ton of pushback. This new Admissions Dean has their work cut out for them. Angry angry alums.
Wait the alums stopped donating because the student body is getting nerdy and unattractive? Seems shallow.
I can understand why alums at Georgetown have stopped donating (due to their dropping their Catholic identity). That seems more legit to me.
They didn’t. Participation from alums is higher than ever the past two years. Most of the people on here have no recent connection to Duke or they are the bitter alums whose smart but not top 1-2% kids did not get in.
Just talk at Duke Parents' Committee Luncheons.....there is a lot of chatter.
Anonymous
04/15/2026 15:39
Subject: Less socially adept admitted students at Duke?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Duke does not cater to nerds. It is not JHU, Emory, or Columbia. The development office is getting the message loud and clear.
I do think this is true - there's been a ton of pushback. This new Admissions Dean has their work cut out for them. Angry angry alums.
Wait the alums stopped donating because the student body is getting nerdy and unattractive? Seems shallow.
I can understand why alums at Georgetown have stopped donating (due to their dropping their Catholic identity). That seems more legit to me.
They didn’t. Participation from alums is higher than ever the past two years. Most of the people on here have no recent connection to Duke or they are the bitter alums whose smart but not top 1-2% kids did not get in.