Duke Class of 2022 Discussion Thread

DukeShama
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 16:03:16 +0000

@Marzzz , IMHO as a Duke alum, a Duke parent, a college admissions professional, and long time Duke interviewer, I hear what you’re saying. I think the Duke admissions presentation feels intimidating. Even as a very involved alum and parent of smart kids, I felt meek sitting there. But I promise, once you are at Duke as a student, you’ll see that’s not what Duke is like at all. My son sat in that info session and his take away was, “This place is great. Too bad I’m not amazing enough to be here.” He’s now a freshman in Pratt, LOVING life, doing great academically, involved in tons of activities, and just so happily at home and comfortable at Duke. He has found a collaborative, intellectual, fun, spirited, kind, and interesting group of friends who challenge and affirm him. Duke offers a world of opportunity that is rare even at its peer institutions. The kids are crazy smart and involved. But the feeling on campus is accepting and way more humble than you might think. Admissions presents the best of Duke-- and that is quite shiny and ambitious. But the energy on campus is much more accessible. Good luck in your decision! I’m sure Brown is great too. I think Duke is more structured than Brown-- and not just academically. Brown doesn’t have as much programing in place for freshmen. I bet that’s intentional too. Maybe Brown suits students who don’t want the structure and who prefer to build their own community that reflects their interests. Duke has Focus Groups and East Campus and pre-orientation programs and many other very intuitive ways to be a part of the community. They’re both excellent-- just different.