<p>@ilovebagels: wow, what an extremely unbiased account </p>
<p>I chose Duke over Penn for one simple reason: the school spirit seemed to be a lot higher at Duke and it gave off more a sense of community in my mind because of basketball. So, yes, I chose Duke over Penn because of the basketball - I know, it sounds crazy, but it really connects you to the rest of the student body and to other alumni for life. Duke and Penn attract VERY similar people and they are quite similar in prestige. The community feel and school spirit of Duke tipped the scale in Duke’s favor, but everybody has a different opinion. I’m sure I’d also be extremely happy at Penn.</p>