Duke University Class of 2025 — Regular Decision

CRHeel94
Wed, 14 Apr 2021 20:44:02 +0000

My son told them yes, but he’s really torn between Duke and Chicago. Chicago is ranked higher in math and their school culture really appeals to him. He didn’t have Chicago high on his list at the beginning of the process but as he did more research and learned more about the school it kept rising in his list. He was tempted to do ED2, but he wanted to take a shot at Harvard.

My wife and sons are visiting the US next week. I told them to extend their trip and fly up to Chicago. UChicago is one of the schools that my son (and wife for that matter) have never visited (and in the case of my sons they’ve never been to Chicago). I know the school is closed but they will try to walk around and get a feel for the school. What are you guys doing for a tour?

On the other hand, he also loves Duke. He was a little worried about seeing such few math majors, but he’s done his research and is pretty happy with their math department as well as the other departments. He likes the schools general vibe, likes the weather and has been to Duke a couple of times. The first interactions he’s had with his prospective classmates has been wonderful. Plus we have family in the area, which is a useful support network for our son. Duke is my wife’s number one preference; she worries that Chicago is too much of a pressure cooker and that Duke offers more balance. I did grad school at Duke so I have a strong connection there. However, I’ve also been aware through the process that it will be my son’s choice and that it has to fit to his wants and needs. It’s a good problem, but a tough decision.