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incollege88:
Duke is the perfect balance of “southern” and “northern.” It is southern in that everyone is by and large extremely friendly, regardless of where they’re from (Tennessee, Texas, Toronto, or Tanzania). Believe me, this contrasts starkly with some northern Ivies like Harvard, where, some of my friends say, people don’t know how to respond when you say hello (I’m kind of joking, kind of not…). The professors here are unbelievably warm and responsive for a research university. I have had lunch with professors, gone to their houses for dinner, and have had great one-on-one conversations with them. From talking to friends at other schools, this seems like it is very rare. It is interesting because despite the fact that most people here are not from the South (professors and students), I think Duke’s location and reputation attract northerners, and people from all over the country and world for that matter who are naturally warm and friendly people.</p>
<p>That said, Duke is “northern” in its student body composition and diversity–second most represented state is New York, third is Florida. My class is 8% international, 11% African American, 18% Asian, 7% Latino–more minorities than practically all of the Ivies. Despite what some erroneous review books say, I have found that races and classes interact a whole lot here. (Sometimes I feel like there is so little wrong with this place review books have to make things up.) I have friends of so many different ethnicities, races, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual preferences…and everyone gets along great. I can tell you that coming from a private school in Massachusetts, Duke is a whole lot more integrated in comparison. </p>
<p>Thus Duke combines the best of both worlds. Though people here get dressed up to go out, they wear sweats to class and are very chill in general. I hesitate to apply any stereotype to Duke students because there are so many types of people here–in fact the only thing they all have in common is that they’re really interesting and awesome and fun when you get to know them.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=31653[/url] ”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=31653</a></p> ;
<p>As for the “lack of diversity” in the South, I suggest you consult the ranking done by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, which ranks “relative success in attracting, enrolling, and graduating African-American students as well as their progress in bringing black professors to their campuses.” Of the top 10 universities, 5 were in the South (6 if you include Georgetown). Duke was ranked #1 .</p>