This disclaimer has been mentioned multiple times, but if it were the case, the main Duke campus would be full of former Duke Kunshan students. The maximum time the OP would be able to spend at Duke NC is a single semester.
Also, Duke Kunshan is not a Duke degree that happens to be obtained in China. It’s not a satellite campus like Temple Tokyo or SUNY Korea. It is its own entity with Chinese accreditation.
While I don’t doubt that Duke Kunshan is a coveted acceptance in Asia, I think there are very few students, either in Asia or in the US, who would pass up a chance at Duke in NC to pay the exact same net cost to attend Duke Kunshan. I don’t understand the argument that being outside of one’s comfort zone is something to pay a university for. There are many ways to be uncomfortable, and/or to live and work in China, that do not cost 100K over 4 years.
Speaking of things that do not cost 100K, Tulsa is free, and the international dual degree includes a full year abroad, including both study and work. And a US Duke degree, IMO, offers greater ROI for the same money compared to a Duke Kunshan degree. I remain unconvinced that Duke Kunshan wins over either of these.
If the OP’s primary interest were Chinese language and culture, and/or IR/diplomacy, than I would understand the push for immersion. But I have read nothing to indicate that this is the case, or that he aspires to be a diplomat. He’s a CS major. Who are we to decide that choosing this immersive experience in an often-problematic country should be his priority, and that the failure to do so would constitute giving in to fear? (And why are we now talking about sending him to… medical school?.. in Singapore??)
It’s absolutely fine for any poster to make the case of “In this situation I would choose Duke Kunshan, and this is why.” It’s valuable to hear a different perspective from what others have been saying. But the whole “take the biggest risk because therein lies the greatest reward” exhortation presupposes that risk guarantees reward, which is not how it works, kind of by definition.
In my opinion, if OP were the kind of student who should commit to the 4 years in China, and pay as much for it as for the main Duke campus, he would be excited for that opportunity above and beyond the others. I do not read that in his posts. What I read is, “I dunno, maybe I shouldn’t rule it out?” It’s a big leap from there to a commitment that does not have an escape hatch back to Duke-in-NC. Some leaps are worth taking, but not just because they’re leaps. Every option on the table includes challenge and personal growth, and only the OP can decide which kind of growth is most valuable for him.