Duke and majors....scholarships?

Colleges & Universities Duke University
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<p>Excuse me…very ignorant mom here when it comes to colleges.</p>

<p>We live in NC and know the reputation of Duke University. But for the most part, we only know it as a school to study med. (I told you I was ignorant, lol). Anyway, I have an up and coming HS Sophomore that is very bright and great future ahead, so I’m trying to get all the college info I can so I can be well informed. </p>

<p>She is gifted in many things, but math and science are her big loves. However, she’s not sure at this point WHAT she wants to do with her life. It use to be a doctor, but she has since changed her mind on that one (though she is surely bright enough to do it). She wants to do something in the math/science field…say…research scientist, engineer (of some sort), or something in astronomy…she’s just not sure.</p>

<p>What other majors is Duke known for? Do they offer merit scholarships? I know this is a broad question, but anything at all you can share will be great.</p>

<p>Also, just HOW does one go about finding out what college (that is of interest to a person) is the better fit for a particular person? How do you find out about the majors they are best known for?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>This site may be helpful. <a href=“https://www.collegedata.com/[/url]”>https://www.collegedata.com/&lt;/a&gt; it allows you to enter college interests etc to focus in on possibilties. Some of it is subjective but in general serves a purpose. GL</p>

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<p>Starting out in the college search, I’d suggest a number of resources. College Board and Princeton Review both have college searches. A bit unreliable, but they give you a place to start. The Fiske Guide is probably the best college book out there. Besides excellent descriptions of schools, it gives you the strong majors at the schools and other schools to look into. College visits are also a great way to learn about schools. </p>

<p>Duke is pretty strong in all the sciences. Biology (and BME) is probably the strongest, but chemistry and physics are strong as well. Other science majors, like Earth Science and Environmental Science are also extremely good. I’m a freshman, so I haven’t 100% decided yet, but I think I’m going to major in Biology and Earth Science, and Duke offers awesome opportunities for my interests.</p>

<p>Other majors? Duke is strong in economics, public policy, English, languages, history, biological anthropology, religion, Classics, and a good many other majors. </p>

<p>As a North Carolina resident, your D has a lot of great choices. I’d certainly advise you to take a look at Davidson, a school often overlooked even by NC students. Duke offers many scholarships for NC residents, so you might want to look them over.
<a href=“http://www.registrar.duke.edu/bulletins/Undergraduate/2005-06/financial.pdf[/url]”>http://www.registrar.duke.edu/bulletins/Undergraduate/2005-06/financial.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If your D is interested in math and science (and if she’s unsure what she wants to do), I would definitely recommend Summer Ventures in Science and Math (<a href=“http://www.summerventures.org%5B/url%5D”>www.summerventures.org</a>). It’s a 4 week summer program in a science/math field of your choice at one of 6 NC universities. It’s completely free if you get in. I did the Biology program at Western Carolina and had a blast. Governor’s School is also a good idea.</p>