So I’m currently trying to decide between these two schools (don’t worry about the commitment deadline, I’ve worked that out). I will be majoring in Electrical Engineering and while Duke is free, Penn only costs 5-10K, so not that big of a difference.
In a college life, I’m looking for an environment similar to UChicago/Princeton/Yale, and am searching an “intellectual” community, and hope to stay away from greek life or party heavy cultures.
My plan is to get a strong undergrad, to later continue my education in grad school. I’m also looking for an environment similar to yale/princeton/chicago’s campus environment (green spaces and fosters a defined college culture/environment).
Which college would be the best for this? Does anyone have any advice?
Assuming they are affordable, IMO Duke will have a bit more of a “campus” feel with Duke E and Duke W. Academically they are both strong options. Are you domestic or international?
I’m domestic. I agree that Duke would have a bit more of a campus feel, however my main concern is culture and academic environment. When I visited, I got a feeling that Penn might align more closely with me, but am not 100% sure. Like I mentioned, I’m looking for an environment similar to that of yale/pton/chicago.
What do you want? Gothic buildings? Eating clubs? Singing groups and intellectual discourse (you can find that at both)? If you want less sports focused, pick the Ivy.
Yes, I do prefer Gothic buildings, as I think it helps breed a certain atmosphere on campus. But also yes, I am not interested in the sports aspect of Duke.
Would penn’s party culture be a problem if I’m trying to find a highly intellectual community; and do you think it would be easer/harder to find that at Duke?
Could someone possibly speak about Penn’s party culture or the general environment which penn has, while we wait for a few duke students to respond? I’m worried that frat/greek culture is dominating on campus, and would definitely consider Duke if Penn has a more greek domination on campus compared to Dukes’.
There are plenty of students who don’t party heavily at Penn. Greek life proportion is around 30% but that includes all Greek orgs, not just the social frats and sororities.
I don’t know what proportion of Duke students are in frats/sororities since so many of those orgs disaffiliated with the university.
The reality is that both of these schools are academically rigorous and can be intense, grindy places. The rigor level is somewhat dependent on the student and major but I promise you there are many students who don’t party much at both schools.
I think it’s unlikely you are going to get Duke or Penn students to respond to this thread. You might reach out to admissions and ask them to connect you to some students. Good luck.
I think you’re going to find what you want at either school. Maybe base your decision on what you don’t want. Most people would probably say that Duke will feel a bit more preppy, a bit more Greek, a bit more sports oriented. Most people would probably say that Penn will feel a bit more preprofessional and cutthroat. There will be partying and drinking at both. I also think the Duke will have more of a classic college vibe.
You’re comparing really great apples to really great apples, except one apple is going to cost you up to $40k. These are two top colleges. So maybe decide if you want to save the cash. It sounds like it’s affordable though.
I’m not clear on how you have “worked out” the deadline. These colleges typically don’t give more than 24-48 hours to decide. Good luck.
What does this mean? $5000 a year would be $20,000 for all four years and $10,000 would be double.
Where do you want to attend college? If both are affordable and you want to be in the northeast area, then Penn is your better option. Phili is a great city, and it’s a train ride away from NYC if you are so inclined. Princeton is VERY close geographically to Penn. If that is the area of the country where you want to be…think about that.
Duke is an excellent university. You can also meet your goals there. @Catcherinthetoast might have some input.
Thank you! The billed is about 5K, but if you add in the healthcare, and other expenses it becomes around 10K per year.
Also, I’m not sure what the advantages of being close to nyc or pton might be, since most likely I will be spending most of my time at Penn. Although I am looking for something like Duke, I was afraid that it would be too social/greek/sports oriented (however, from what you guys say, seems like choosing Penn would be the worse option over Duke).
The good (or alternatively bad, depending on your personal perspective) news is if you are in Engineering, then likely the culture of the Engineering students is going to dominate your experience. It is just an intense area with a lot of required credits, people doing similar clubs and internships and such, and so on.
I honestly think this means you should not worry about the general student vibe at either of these colleges, because I am VERY skeptical any of that would even carry over to the Engineering students specifically. And for that matter, I am skeptical there would be a big difference in the Engineering culture at Duke versus Penn. Again for good or ill, the kids in Engineering (at least the ones who stick with it) tend to have a certain type of student culture that is common to most Engineering programs.
I think this frees you to pick on any other criteria you choose. I for one would be strongly tempted to pay less for Duke. It also has a really pretty campus that seems like your style. But I do also like cities and I specifically like Philly. However, that sounds like less of a thing for you, so to me it sounds like Duke is more or less perfect for you.
While U Penn is probably the better fit for you from a campus culture perspective, it might be a bit uncomfortable if you have scant financial resources to enjoy life during your undergraduate years.
EE majors will probably be similar at these schools and the engineering major will probably dominate your experience at either school.
Why would I not be able to enjoy my undergrad experience at Penn if I have don’t have a lot of financial resources? - do penn students pay out-of-pocket to eat out often (since the dining hall food is not good), or any other reason? - thanks.
I have a Penn student. My kid loves Penn and is thriving there. There is a lot to do that is not Greek. I think the out of pocket spending money would be the same at both schools. (food and entertainment). I would say Penn is closer to the vibe at Princeton than Duke.
I think between the two Penn is closer to the campus culture you are looking for. It is definitely more urban feeling though than Duke, so the physical eenvironment/campus at Duke may appeal to you more. Neither of them really remind me of UChicago/Princeton/Yale, but probably Penn more than Duke. That being said, you can likely find your people at either school.