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Berkeley doesn’t do very well in those awards despite having an enormous number of 1500+ (out of 1600) SAT scorers. I’m not saying this isn’t an indicator of quality (I frequently cite the Goldwater scholarship), but it’s important to note that not all excellent colleges do well in this area.</p>
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I wrote earlier that I thought Duke offered more academically, but I also noted that I thought the difference wasn’t enough to significantly impact an education. Your statement implies that a top biology student at Davidson wouldn’t be able to get into the same graduate programs as a top biology student at Duke, for example. I find this hard to believe.</p>
<p>On the other hand, things like location and student body WILL make a significant difference in one’s college education.</p>