<p>evil<em>asian</em>dictator: Very, very well written in a non biased way.</p>
<p>evil<em>asian</em>dictator:</p>
<p>My intention to include yield was not to prove which school is of better academic quality, but to show the significant difference in school preference. Nothing more, nothing less. If I wanted to prove that Yale is a better school than Duke, I could have just resorted to rankings, but I chose not to. I don’t want to claim that Yale is just a better school, even if that is how I came off. However, I did want to say that given Yale’s massive endowment, there are more resources available for students. </p>
<p>I did give other students’ statements about Duke, not my own. It is the OP’s choice on how to interpret them, and how much value to assign to those statements. However, those statements were from my only experiences with Duke, which is why I included them. I was very specific where I was when I heard the statements, and I included the specific types of individuals who made those statements. In retrospect, I should have included a disclaimer with those statements.</p>
<p>Why doesn’t Duke screen the volunteers at Blue Devil Days? All Yale students involved in recruiting (tour guides, student ambassadors, etc.) have to audition. Perhaps this is something you could suggest to admissions. The reason I listened to her was because she is a student very much like myself. Same ethnicity, same academic goals, same career goals, from the same state, many similar values, etc.</p>
<p>I admit that I was not clear when saying that Duke is isolated. My point was that you have to take a bus to get to most places (even to get off freshman campus), which I would find very frustrating. </p>
<p>“I can’t speak for New Haven, but…”</p>
<p>“…all Yale kids have at their disposal is the drudgery and eyesore that is the suburbia of Connecticut.”</p>
<p>No, you certainly can’t speak for New Haven, so please don’t try (Yalies also have cheap, quick, and direct train access to New York and Boston). You also can’t claim that Yale has inferior premed to Duke, as you had done before. This all surprises me given the fact that you applied to Yale Early Action last year.</p>
<p>(sarcasm) Duke’s official colors are better (/sarcasm)</p>
<p>Ha!
Raising my [sarcastic] glass.</p>
<p>but I was just saying be aware of the bros desgised as smart people who happen to have 1500’s on their SAT somehow</p>
<p>My freshman writing instructor, a graduate student in the English department, was an incredibly good teacher. I was a good writer when I arrived at Duke, but I became a much better one in large measure due to the personal attention that this guy lavished on me and everyone else in my section. He went on to become the editor-in-chief of Fortune magazine. That was typical of the quality of instruction that I received at Duke. Do the work and make the most of the opportunities offered to you and you will receive a superb education there.</p>
<p>Reading your post makes my own decision b/t Yale and Duke even harder. It is so hard to forget that students at both Duke and Yale really love thier school, enough to write a very in-depth and incredible response! Thank you for writing, bluestar. I just realized that my decision will not be made until much more thought has been spent and many more preconceptions have been broken.</p>
<p>To the OP: I think all the arguments about Duke vs. Yale are invalid, mainly because experiences vary for different people. You have to realize that one school can be perfect for somebody and absolutely awful for someone else, even if they’re coming from similar circumstances. I got into Duke, visited it, and hated it…I got the EXACT same impression that rd31 did. However, two of my high school classmates attend Duke, and they’re having a great time there with no regrets. I’m sure they’re getting a fabulous education. Also, my cousin got into Yale and is having the time of her life, yet one of my best friends hates it and wants to transfer. So, if you’ve visited both, go with the one that feels right and hope it works out. If not, you can always transfer.</p>