<p>I don’t think there are a lot of research differences between Duke and Cornell when it comes to biology. Duke is in the research triangle, but that is mostly a factor for graduate students, not undergrads.</p>
<p>TAdd – I know you really had your heart set on Duke, so I suspect you will end up there. But I’ll just reiterate two things that may help to inform your decision:</p>
<p>1) The Presidential Research Scholars gig is really something not to be passed up. From the minute you step foot on campus you will have myriad opportunities to interact with many top-level professors and researchers, and the University is going to be giving you a fair amount of money to pursue their research goals. I happen to think that Cornell is probably the best place for undergraduate research in the country, and for anybody seriously interested in pursuing a career in research, Cornell needs to be strongly considered.</p>
<p>2) There’s something to be said about getting out of your comfort zone and exploring another area of the country. It will open up your horizons in many ways that perhaps you never thought about.</p>