<p>Please help! Accepted to Duke, Northwestern, and UPenn as a biology/political science double major and am having trouble deciding where to go. I’ve visited all 3 and haven’t narrowed it down. Things that matter to me: strength of programs, marching band (drumline), school spirit and sports, class sizes, social (but not too social) campus.</p>
<p>UPenn pros: was recruited by UPenn, superb biology/poly-sci programs, urban atmosphere (better opportunities for internships?), NYC and DC not too far away, really laid-back marching band, cold weather. Also my parents’ #1 pick.
UPenn cons: west Philly is a bit gritty, disliked the campus, I’ve heard horror stories about the hyper-competitive and uber-elite atmosphere, no sports (relative to Duke and Northwestern), worst financial aid package (but no loans).</p>
<p>Northwestern pros: My favorite campus of all, small class sizes, Evanston/Chicago for internships/nightlife, cold weather is a plus, awesome football.
Northwestern cons: LOTS of students in Greek life (almost too many for me), drumline is so competitive I doubt I could ever participate, mediocre financial aid package (with loans).</p>
<p>Duke pros: Lovely campus, freshmen live together, awesome sports environment, small undergrad population, the highest ranked bio/poly sci programs of the 3 schools, marching band I could participate in, best financial aid package (but it included loans). Seems competitive but not cutthroat.
Duke cons: Can I get internships in Durham? Heard Durham is a bit sketchy. Weather too warm, seems a bit too Greek-y.</p>
<p>Research triangle park has a lot of internship opportunities. However, most internships occur over the summer anyways, so the location of the school isn’t necessarily that important as long as it has inroads into other areas. Duke students frequently go to DC and NYC for summer internships, so there shouldn’t be a major concern there. I chose Duke over Penn and lived really close to Northwestern, so I’d say all three are good choices and you can’t go wrong. </p>
<p>Duke has really strong bio and political science departments with a lot of research opportunities there. While Duke has a fairly vibrant Greek life, it’s not overwhelming - only about 1/3 of the students join a Greek organization. If you don’t want it to affect you, you can easily ignore it. There are also plenty of non-Greek organization that you can partake in. Durham isn’t the greatest metropolis, but it is more than sufficient for a college town with ample things to do (and there is more than enough to do on campus anyways to fill your time). There are a surprisingly large number of good restaurants nearby and a sufficient number of stores, theaters, bars, cultural activities, etc. </p>
<p>In fact, I somewhat liked the fact that Durham caters to a more college crowd as it seemed more inviting. In Evanston or Philly, you can’t even get into a bar until you’re 21, while in Durham, it’s no problem at all (you just can’t technically buy alcohol as they don’t give you a wristband). That allows the Duke community to go out “together” a bit more and have large events. Durham has some more sketchy areas, but so does West Philly and west Evanston for that matter. You just have to be smart like you are in any other large city. Durham offers a lot more than meets the eye and students can easily take advantage of it. Also, the cost of living is a bit lower, so that is always a plus, and you said Duke gave you the best financial aid.</p>
<p>I’d say that there is no clear “obvious” choice among the three, but I’d say your cons for Duke can easily be addressed. And if there’s no clear winner, the financial component of Duke may tip the scale in its favor. Duke is a great place and sounds like a great fit for you. And the weather is really only hot in Durham for like one month of the year that you’re actually on campus (Aug-Sept) as you’ll likely be somewhere else over the summer, so the heat shouldn’t be too bad. I came from Chicago and greatly enjoyed the more mild Durham climate.</p>
<p>You seem like a good fit for Duke. Duke is also giving you the best financial aid. You don’t have much of a decision to make my friend.
Also, Durham has improved in leaps and bounds over the past few years. The research triangle area is among the fastest growing regions in the country, and Durham is home to some exceptional restaurants. The old tobacco warehouses have been replaced by swanky cafes and there is a nice new performing arts center. Ninth street gives you the feel of a college town and Chapel Hill (the quintessential college town) is a brief (free) bus ride away.
Durham has a lot of character. It’s quite charming if you know where to go.
As for school spirit, Duke is virtually unrivaled as far as private schools are concerned.</p>