Make me love Duke

Colleges & Universities Duke University
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<p>See - you begrudge my talking about limited experience, but then throw in

to bolster your

statement. Besides - how shocked could I be that five international students at Cornell know about Yale?</p>

<p>And I find it a bit difficult to believe that you discussed the “Duke vs. Yale” issue with your thousands of friends, but perhaps you did.</p>

<p>Regardless, you continue to miss the main point that such things do not mean anything when it comes to an individual person trying to decide which individual school is best for that individual.</p>

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<p>I didn’t discuss this with thousands of friends. It is just that, like I said before, thousands of people that I knew didn’t know of Duke while they all knew of Yale. It is a fact.</p>

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<p>I agree that anyone should seriously consider “fit” to be an important consideration of college selection process. But, Yale and Duke aren’t that different socially (although Duke is better in this regard) or in terms of academic structures, since both schools would provide any person good liberal arts education with rigorous courses. Both schools would provide any student rewarding job/grad school prospects. Both schools would provide fantastic education. And, I thought that both schools’ campuses were pretty nice, except that the area of New Haven wasn’t so nice, but Durham isn’t so nice either. If a student is deciding between MIT and Duke, “fit” should be very seriously considered since the two schools are vastly different. But, in this case between Yale and Duke, it makes sense to give some weight to other factors, such as overall prestige, overall grad school/job placement, etc.</p>

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<p>very well…</p>

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<p>I think we’ve presented the OP with the main overall differences between the schools. Yale may have more international recognition in some areas, but that does not mean that it is the best university for the OP socially or academically, nor does it mean that it is the better university. </p>

<p>Also, socially these schools are VERY different. Duke has a more prominent athletic scene, greek system, and school spirit which make the campus climate very different from that of Yale. The campuses of the schools are VERY different. Sure Duke is in Durham, however, it’s rather isolated and it
is in the middle of an 8,000 acre forest. Yale doesn’t have this isolation. </p>

<p>patlees: What your father’s business partner in Korea thought of Yale and Duke doesn’t really matter unless the op wants to be hired by a business in Korea.</p>

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<p>FWIW: I do business with China. A small sample (!) of people have asked where my son goes to school. Every one had heard of Duke. “Oh, Duke. That is a gooooood university.” So, if the OP doesn’t want to work in Korea, maybe he can work in China. ;)</p>

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<p>Ok, this thread isn’t helpful at all anymore. I know Yale like the back of my hand. I know for a fact that many of the complaints about Yale are false (Yale students are miserable? They consistantly rank among the happiest in the PR surveys, and all of the Yalies I’ve ever talked too claim to be on fantasy island). If all of this slander against Yale is false, then the slam on Duke must be false, too. Why do these threads have to become so polarized? I am a high school senior trying to learn more about colleges- there is really no need to spout mistruths.</p>

<p>By the way, I intentionally left out the fact that another school I’m CONSIDERING is Yale because I wanted to avoid this kind of comparison.</p>

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<p>bmwdan13</p>

<p>I hope your visit helps you to know what’s best for you.</p>

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<p>well, Chinese population roughly makes up for a quarter of world’s entire population. I am sure some in China, especially those who do businesses with the U.S. market, do know of Duke, but I am willing to bet the proportion of the Chinese people who know Duke compared to the entire population in China is insignificant in number. Meanwhile, HYSM + Berkeley are pretty well known in China, isn’t that true?</p>

<p>bmwdan13 - I apologize for my enthusiastic tone about Yale. It is just bc I heard so many wonderful things about Yale and most Yalies love Yale. The reason I brought up this matter of prestige thing is bc I genuinely thought that you couldn’t go possibly wrong academically or socially by going to either school since the two schools are both excellent in these aspects, and I thought that it might be worth while for you to take a look at the prestige levels of both schools. But, it wouldn’t hurt for you to visit schools and decide which one you like better.</p>

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<p>patlees88, I think you missed the little “wink” :wink: in my post.</p>

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<p>A great portion of the chinese population survives by subsistence farming, and doesn’t know jack about Duke or Yale.</p>

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<p>hahaha wolfpack, so true. Dan: visit both campuses, formulate your own opinion, good luck man.</p>

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<p>People are annoying. Ruin. Every. Thing.</p>

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<p>bmwdan - as a duke senior who has just read through this entire thread, i want to be helpful to you. your subject says “make me love duke” - and i’m going to try through showing you my experiences.</p>

<p>i got to duke a little anxious and uncertain of my experience. from the second i moved into campus, i knew i had made the right choice. every kid i met moving into east (all freshmen- to date, it’s one of my favorite duke experiences) was fantastic. everyone was eager to know everyone else, everyone was fascinating, interesting, charismatic, fun. the upperclassmen we met (sure we were girls and they were frat boys) were accomodating, and went beyond just getting us a beer but would check up on us during the week to make sure we were happy with our classes and aware of fun social events. and this is why i love duke students as much as i do – we’re smart kids, but we’re also FUN kids. we will work hard all day and all week, but over the weekends, we kick back and have a great time (whether its through frat parties or clubs or bars, or if that’s not your scene, movies and shows and tons of other events on campus). both things really matter to us. my best friends from my freshman year dorm have become super close again recently, and we’ve been reminiscing about the past and just still loving our memories and making new ones.</p>

<p>my classes have been fantastic. i came into duke looking to study one thing (international relations w/ the intent to go to law school) and am leaving doing something completely different-- something i never would have thought for had it not been for engaging, caring professors who took the time to get to know me as a person (not just a student in their class) and help me find things like courses, majors, internships and ultimately jobs that would allow me to continue with my passions that as an incoming freshman, i didn’t know i had. this semester i have two professors who went to duke, entered the business world in various capacities, made a ton of money and a huge difference internationally, and are now back at duke since it’s their favorite place in the world and they want to make a difference to us. i have learned so much about practical business applications, life as a duke grad and in the “real world” and about having a career from these people and find that even as a second semester senior, my education is still relevant, worthwhile and entirely worth getting up and going to class for.</p>

<p>as for the people, i have met my best friends in the entire world at duke. these are people i trust with my life, who i can have a great time with studying in the library for finals or sitting around my apartment making breakfast or going to shooters. i joined a sorority, which was something i definitely was not intending on doing when applying to colleges, and this past recruitment at our pref night ceremony (basically where all the seniors sit around and share how much it meant to them) i surprised everying by BAWLING my eyes out since i can’t imagine my life without these girls or my college experience without them.</p>

<p>i love duke for its traditions – from freshmen living on east campus, to tenting for basketball games at kville, to our completely unique tailgate experience and annual big theme frat parties i always look forward to. these are things that i didn’t think i wanted out of a college experience (going to sporting events? sleeping in the cold for them? frats?), but now that i’ve had them, i can’t imagine a college experience without them. i catch myself telling freshmen things like “tailgate is the best duke tradition” but by the end of the conversation, i’ve rattled off a list of 6 “best duke traditions.”</p>

<p>as for job placement, at times i’ve been stressed out by the duke career center, but graduating from duke i have a GREAT resume with internships i never in a million years thought i’d have. (and to that proud yalie who dropped a comment about duke kids not getting internships, i’d just like to personally boast that i got one internship OVER a yale kid who sat in the interview room acting like he owned the place and deserved the job bc he went to yale). i was in nyc with a ton of my duke friends this summer, and everyone’s internships (whether they were in media, publishing, finance, consulting, medical research, you name it) were so impressive and competitive; my dad was shocked to see 21 year olds with our resumes and our work days.</p>

<p>again, to the yale kid who’s posting-- you have some facts completely incorrect. when you said that you had a friend who visited duke, stayed with a kid who was SELECTED BY duke and then that student slammed duke… well, for admitted student days/blue devil days, the admissions ambassadors aren’t necessarily “selected by” duke through any sort of screening process or application process. these are always students who volunteer their time to help out. the fact that someone who didn’t like duke so much that they were volunteering his/her time to meet pfrosh and telling one to choose another school says more about that student’s character than it does about the general duke ugrad experience, if you want me to be quite frank. the students who are chosen through an application process are facs, but you don’t meet them until you move in. and i also don’t think our yield is nearly as low as the statistic you provided.</p>

<p>i won’t lie- i don’t know anything about the sciences here at duke. but i do know that my friends who are have not had ANY trouble with finding research mentors or attaining necessary funding to conduct their own original research… and duke has helped them out so much through the process. </p>

<p>i’d be willing to answer any sort of specific question, since i either know the answer or a friend does. i’d be willing to elaborate on experiences. i just want you to realize how much my four years here have meant to me. yesterday marked the 1-month until LDOC (last day of classes-- its a huge day here, third eye blind is headlining a concert… its just an epic day/night) mark and i started bawling. i cannot begin to imagine my life not here. i can’t believe that four years ago i didn’t think duke was the best fit for me. i am thankful each and every day i made the decision to come to this school, because it was hands down, the best decision i have ever made in my entire life. i’m excited to be a dukie until the day i die – i will rock my duke spirit in nyc after graduation. (hey- i have followed duke basketball in europe, in the dominican republic, in acapulco, etc). some of my favorite events are the duke in nyc winter bball games where you see all the old alums, you get excited over a game, and then you celebrate together. cheering for duke brings people together. i am confident that my duke experience both in the classroom and outside of it has prepared me so well for the “real world” – it’s provided me with situations i never thought i’d deal with (from being friends with lacrosse players, to dealing with more personal issues with friends, or a pesky durham police force within the past month), introduced me to people i never thought i’d know, and i have grown up so much. i have experienced so much that seemed so foreign to me until duke, and i am forever grateful for that.</p>

<p>saying “duke can do a lot for you, but yale can do so much more” is a sentence that makes me really sad. i didn’t get into yale and again, i am so thankful that i didn’t, since i would’ve for sure gone there instead of duke since i knew NOTHING about duke at the time. but i think that sentence is entirely inaccurate. i have had unparalleled resources in the classroom and in terms of career services. and as a matter of fact, i’ve had two bosses tell me that they like that i went to duke, since while they know its top notch academically, they feel that duke students are generally much more down to earth and fun than their ivy league counterparts. and while that may be a generalization, i don’t hesistate to use it, considering the generalizations against duke that have been thrown about this thread as if they were fact. (ps- i turned down ivies for duke, i’m not an ivy reject, don’t get on my case with that one). i don’t think anyone will ever be able to concretely and convincingly prove that statement correct (or incorrect, for that matter) since no one has had four years undergrad at both schools and has the ability to gauge first hand just what each school can truly/fully do for you over the span of those four years (and, if you’re nearing graduation like myself, in the years as an alum).</p>

<p>i hope i’m being at least helpful… it’s not really statistic driven, but since i’ve been here, i’ve cared less and less about that stuff since in the long run, it’s really not that important in the grand scheme of things. but seriously, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to drop a PM, i’d be more than happy to help! best wishes in your decision making!!</p>

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<p>I’d go to Duke over Harvard now after reading that.</p>

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<p>And the award for longest thread post goes to…</p>

<p>But seriously, bluestar7, after reading your post, I’m looking forward to going to Duke even more. I love the fact that you went to Duke expecting to study one thing, and are leaving doing something completely different. As a freshman-to-be who’s questioning his career path, I’m very relieved.</p>

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<p>definitely, a great post. my only qualm about duke is that I cannot see myself cheering for duke basketball eeewwww.</p>

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<p>^^^It’s not a requirement. Though, you may be surprised to find yourself infected, too.</p>

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So if this sophomore wasn’t “learning” at Duke, what makes you so sure that he/she would learn at Harvard or even the University of Michigan, a school which has significantly higher class sizes and more limited academic resources per capita? Compared to both those schools, Duke is definitely more undergraduate focused so I think it’s fair to say the problem lies more with his/her own inability to take advantage of the educational opportunities available than any fault of Duke. The sophomore you met says that the student body is “deteriorating due to excessive drinking and partying” but the increased admissions rates to graduate schools and the high-quality internship/job offers for graduating seniors is indicative of quite the opposite. Also, Duke has become far more selective than it was a decade ago and has been consistently ranked at #8 or above overall in the last decade.</p>

<p>As someone as seemingly intelligent as yourself, I am suprised that you took the words of one clearly disgruntled student, who clearly had ulterior motives, at face value and were so convinced by them that you now use those accounts to reflect the values and culture of an entire school which is comprised of more than 6,000 ugrads. Also, as another poster commented, the individual who you met at Blue Devil Days was not selected by the university but rather volunteered his own time, apparently to make excuses for his own shortcomings. As far as yield is concerned, I find it laughable that you consider this to be a useful admissions parameter. Yield does nothing but measure the whims and perceptions of uninformed 18-year olds in college admissions. The fact that Yale has a higher yield should come as no suprise to anyone as it is riding the coattails of the prestige that stemmed from its former status as one of the unequivocally top insititutions for learning for hundreds of years before more modern universities came into existence. A lot of things have happened though since the existence of Yale, Harvard, Princeton and UVA as the only good institutions of higher learning in America like the independence of the Colonies, the abolition of slavery, universal voting rights and the rise of Duke in the rankings. Yale is still a fantastic institution but it is now one of many. Please don’t tell me that you’re going to argue yield as a tool that shows the quality of a university when you have far less subjective and more useful statistics like the student/faculty ratio, SAT/ACT 50th percentile for incoming students, graduation rate, faculty resources, alumni giving, etc.</p>

<p>As far as city environments go, New Haven and Durham are about equally dangerous or unsafe from a criminal standpoint. I can’t speak for New Haven, but Durham has many pleasant, ethnically-diverse dining options(Amelia Cafe, Bali Hai, Chamas, Dale’s, Elmo’s Diner, Four Square, Jamaica Jamaica, Magnolia Grill, Mt. Fuji, Papas, Tonali, etc.), nice clubs(Devines, George’s, Metro 8, Parizades, Shooters, etc.), vintage sporting teams(Carolina Cobras, Durham Bulls, etc.) and great music venues(Carolina Theatre, Cat’s Cradle, Montas International Lounge, The Cave, etc.). You say that Durham is “isolated” when Duke students have access to the entire Triangle which includes Raleigh and Chapel Hill(a great college town) while all Yale kids have at their disposal is the drudgery and eyesore that is the suburbia of Connecticut. Talk about isolation lol.:)</p>

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<p>wolfpack12: It will happen! If you go to Duke, you will love the Blue Devils or get out of the school! :D</p>

<p>I would agree with what evil<em>asian</em>dictator has to say about Duke.</p>

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<p>evilasian, the Carolina Cobras still play? I thought they were gone.</p>