Northwestern or Duke?

atanas_vs
Wed, 05 Apr 2006 12:04:46 +0000

While I agree that the expertise required to teach undergraduates isn’t as great as for graduate students, it’s still better to be associated with the better department and to be taught by the better professors. Also, the research opportunities (very important for someone willing to continue with a PhD) should be more readily available (and with better profs) at the better department. I’d use the department ranking criterea for the undergraduate level, especially if the schools are about on par overall in your other criterea. Northwestern is definitely better than Duke in econ, so if you are set on that and according to your other criterea the schools are equal, you should probably go for NU.