Help pls! I have only a few more weeks to decide on either staying at my ivy - Princeton/Dartmouth/Harvard/Yale, or transferring to Duke.
I am planning to major in Stats/Econ at Duke and would like to work in either consulting or at a startup post-grad before pursuing my MBA. I am really not enjoying many aspects of my university rn (cold weather/ social scene - I find it niche and fake/ terrible administration & career services/ limited number of courses - lack of pre-professional ones/ lack of school spirit and sports culture).
I think I can withstand it for another three years, but I am concerned that staying may impact my academics/ motivation/ willingness to excel. There aren’t many courses/clubs that have been a great fit for me, frankly. Duke has a more vibrant scene w/ school spirit, better weather, and a much broader range of academic offerings (plenty of majors, minors, and certificates that my school doesn’t offer). In undergrad, I got into 7/8 Ivies plus Duke (I didn’t apply to Cornell), and I picked my current university mostly because of the name, but also because of financial aid. Duke isn’t much more expensive, but it’s about an 8k difference if I go next semester.
My biggest concern overall, though, is whether employers will question my slight drop in prestige from transferring, and whether transferring will impact my consulting recruiting/ involvement in clubs at Duke next semester, since I’ll be a sophomore. To be honest, I‘m not too involved at my current institution because of how misaligned I found the institution to be so at least I won’t be giving up too much.
Sorry for such a long post. This whole process has taken quite a toll on me and I’m just seeking some helpful advice as I decide on this huge decision. Thank you!!
Does this matter ?
If not, go be happy.
There will be Harvard grads who don’t find jobs or URI grads that find better jobs than Harvard grads.
So I don’t think Ivy - whichever it is - to Duke matters.
Ps - obviously Duke has ACC sports and milder weather but other issues you raise can be anywhere.
Good luck.
Since you are only a freshman, is it possible you could be happier where you are next year? It does sound like you really want Duke, but entering as a sophomore at any school can pose challenges. ps this was an unusual winter in the northeast!
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I’d rather thrive at Duke for three years than merely persist at an Ivy for four years. I think competitive next-step gatekeepers would typically prefer that as well. No guarantees that will happen, of course, but as you described the situation it seems like a change is worth a shot.
The only real issue I see is the cost difference, and it is up to you and your family to determine if that difference is comfortably affordable.
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I transferred after my sophomore year in college, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made!
You alluded to concerns about how this would look to future employers. I can’t imagine you will have any averse impacts career-wise, Duke is an excellent school. If anything, I think transferring shows a strong sense of self-awareness and willingness to put yourself in a new situation. I can’t speak to the competitiveness of the Duke clubs, but I’d imagine it’s tough anywhere at these top schools to get into the finance-related clubs, regardless of your class year.
Good luck with your decision and whether you stay at your current school, or transfer to Duke, I hope you have a happy and successful sophomore year!
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How much does that price difference matter to you and your family?
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OP- if you and your family can afford the differential, transfer to Duke.
But just a warning- “Wherever you go, there you are”. This applies to many things in life- as you will learn- but particularly to transferring.
You will meet people you don’t connect with at Duke- just like at your current college. You will have good classes and bad classes; you may struggle (a bit) to access the career opportunities you are looking for, because although Duke has a slightly stronger pre-professional orientation, it is NOT an apprenticeship to the types of things you see yourself doing as a young college graduate. So sure- business type clubs which you may or may not get into. But also music performance groups and dance and volunteering in the community and “Let’s read Kant and Hegel for fun” clubs and all that jazz. So if your perception is that Duke is going to put you miles ahead of where you’d be if you stayed- that depends on YOU and has nothing to do with Duke. You’ll still meet people who you think are shallow and still have to take classes which you think “what does this have to do with my future job” because Duke’s mission is to educate you, not to punch your corporate admissions card. And working for a start up typically means gaining some very practical skills (product development, or deep CS, or PR/media relations, none of which you are likely to learn at Duke).
So my suggestion is to spend a little time asking “what will I do differently when I transfer” without rose colored glasses. If you haven’t put yourself out there socially- how will you do that? If you haven’t tapped into the incredible professional networks at your current university (and trust me, they are there, no matter which of the U’s you are attending) how are you going to fix that at Duke? And how are you going to be more resilient if you end up with a miserable semester (bad roommate, terrible class schedule) than you were this past year?
Do some homework. And then transfer and fingers crossed this is the “fix” you needed!!
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Yeah, Princeton is definitely a fit school, even for an Ivy. Go where you’ll be happiest. Just make sure you know what you’re doing this time.
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Any of those Ivies have a very different vibe than Duke, and you can get a great education at any of your options. So if you can be a happier version of yourself at Duke, go for it.
I’ll echo the cautions of others, though. It will be a bit of a challenge coming in as a sophomore, and it will be up to you to make this a success - no school does that work for you.
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Duke doesn’t have better weather than the northeast. It has different weather.
Just keep on mind…sometimes the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. What will you do to make your experience wherever you go next year…better than this year.
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