Hello, when I visited last month for admitted student days, they moved us from East to West using a bus, which took around 10 minutes (I could be remembering wrong, but it felt somewhat long). It definitely didn’t feel like you could walk to West, bike maybe.
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Thank you! Yes by Penn billed expenses are 4K, however if I add in the required healthcare, supplies, cost for other expenses (like eating out, laptop, etc.), it turns high towards 8-9K. Then, if I want to Study Abroad over the summer (which costs a lot), then that 9k essentially doubles. Yes food quality isn’t that important, but might be something to consider if both schools seem equal in other aspects.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your detailed answer!! When I visited Penn, all the plain looking buildings (not on locust walk) made me depressed, there wasn’t any good architecture (again I’m excluding things like Fisher or the other main/old buildings), and the only green spaces I could find on campus was the quad.
But, I’m very relieved to hear that Penn has a botanical garden on campus, thanks!
Both schools are very similar to me, and honestly, I want to go to the school that will prepare me the best, academically, intellectually, personally, financially, and motivationally for Graduate school (whether masters or phd). I simply want to go to the school that will offer me the easiest access to the most opportunities (whether that’s research, help funding for supplies, study abroad, etc.). But of course, it has to fit my personality of an intellectual-based campus/environment.
Thank you for the advice; based off this, would you recommend Penn or Duke for what I’m looking for in a college experience?
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Yes the split campus is kind of weird. Surprised more people don’t talk about that when talking about Duke. You could walk it, but it’s not a nice walk. It’s about 2 miles.
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So…you DID commit to Penn? Congratulations. Make the most of your four years there. It’s a great school.
So is Duke, but presumably you already notified them that you will not be matriculating there.
I’m currently asking to see if they have any remaining spots open, chances are low but I really don’t want to get loans to go to Penn as Duke was free.
Somehow I missed that Penn would require loans. Did you disclose that upthread? I believe if that had been made clear you may have received different advice from some posters.
Since you’ve committed to Penn and presumably notified Duke, it is possible there is no longer anything to decide. However, if Duke is still an option I would recommend committing to the school that does not require loans.
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Won’t you have these other costs at Duke as well…health insurance, supplies, laptop, eating out? Oh and transpiration home for school breaks.
Study abroad? Did you get a special stipend to do this during the summer at no additional cost from Duke? If not…that isn’t free either. PLUS…there is NO requirement to do a study abroad. My engineering major did not do a study abroad at all.
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I would only be taking a maximum of about 5-7K in loans, so after 4 years it would be about 20K (assuming I pay some while attending). Not sure how bad this is, but could be a problem since I want to go to Graduate school.
Yes and no. Yes because it’s college. No because Duke covers all of that for me 
Duke says they will fund study abroad so not a stipend with financial aid. And, I really really want to study abroad!
The federally funded Direct loan amounts are
$5500 freshman
$6500 sophomore
$7500 junior
$7500 senior
For a grand total of $27,000. Is this loan amount sufficient for you? If so, that’s not horrible.
Also, if you work in the summers, and have a part time job during college, you could possibly need less in loans. Really…working up to 10 hours a week should be possible. Did you receive federal work study as part of your financial aid package from Penn?
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Yes, 3.5K in WS, but will not do it 1st semester as I want to adjust to college life. I think those loan amounts will work, but am worried how that will impact my grad school life.
There’s your answer. 
Have you factored in the cost of having a car on campus (or savings by not havingacar on campus?)
As long as you are a college student (grad or undergrad or professional) your Direct Loans will not be repaid during that time.
So…how will these undergrad loans impact your grad school?
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I just got back from a week in Durham, hanging out around Duke’s east campus. I walked back and forth between campus, downtown, Old North Durham, and the 9th street area every day and rarely drove. I’m biased because I grew up there (but it’s changed a lot since that time) and I haven’t spent a ton of time in Philly but I want to defend Durham and Duke a bit. Here are some things to know:
- Weather – that part of the Southeast has much milder winters, and while it’s hot and muggy during the early fall and summer, fall and spring are lovely and you’re pretty much done with school by early May.
- Accessible amenities – @circuitrider’s characterization of both Durham and Duke’s location relative to Durham felt a little unfair. I’d say that in terms of proximity to student-centric restaurants and amenities, it’s at least as appealing as Princeton (probably in some ways more so, albeit not as quaint/upscale). You can certainly walk to buy milk – Whole Foods is literally across the street from Duke’s East Campus, which is where all the freshman dorms are. The campus is huge – there’s a shuttle system that runs between East and West campuses frequently and students use it to get between dorms and class – but I don’t think it’s vital to have a car (in fact, on-campus parking is kind of a pain.)
- In terms of culture Durham has a lot in common with Philly and New Haven in terms of being a racially diverse city making a comeback. There’s a big foodie scene, a strong progressive/activist political scene. Yes, the car-oriented suburbs are right there too. But the region is the scientific/tech powerhouse of the Southeast, with NC State, UNC, and Duke drawing in a concentration of people from around the country and globe. Davidson and Wake Forest feel much more Southern/provincial by comparison.
- Despite some commonalities, the Mid-Atlantic is not nearly as friendly an area as the Triangle. I forget how hard it was to move from North Carolina to Princeton as a teenager – how I became used to people not saying hi, used to a faster pace, a harder edge, a more competitive vibe. I think the regions probably have more in common in some ways than they used to but people in Durham still smiled and made eye contact with me when I encountered them, just walking around town. And that’s a lovely thing in my book.
I actually don’t think this was a super obvious decision – the big differentiator in my mind would have been the money (getting to go to Duke for free is a pretty big deal.) I think it’s a big enough school that students will find their people. It sounds like the decision has been made (although regretted?) so this might feel like a gratuitous post but I think if others are similarly considering these schools, it’s worth sharing a bit more of a nuanced perspective.
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So basically you are speculating here and just hoping that Duke will have saved a free spot for you with a full ride.
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Since the OP has committed to Penn, I am closing this thread.
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