Should I choose Duke?

collegeting
Tue, 03 May 2016 21:00:26 +0000

Hi everyone,

I have a big decision to make. I’ve been accepted at Duke, and University College London (UCL). I want to study economics.
I am from London and have lived here all my life. I need to decide whether I want to stay in London for university, and graduate after 3 years with a great degree from a great university, or go to North Carolina and graduate after 4 years with a great degree from a similarly good university.

Imaginably, I’ve thought long and hard about this decision. Firstly, in terms of cost, the financial aid offered by Duke makes the costs very similar when you factor in the cost of housing in London, so that is not a factor in my decision.

The factor I consider most important is how ‘prestigious’ the degree I will receive is- to employers, etc. I’m hoping to go to business school, and one of the top ones if possible, so it would be important to know which college they’d view as more impressive. I’m also considering careers in the financial sector, possibly investment banking, so again it would be important to know which college they consider more reputable. From the research I’ve done, UCL is definitely ranked higher than Duke, in both overall rankings and economics rankings, however I feel that UCL’s ranking is a bit unrealistically high- I don’t think many people would actually consider it among the top 5/10 in the world. In summary, I don’t really think there is enough of a difference in reputation to make a difference, but I would be interested to find out more, particularly about how well Duke is considered.

Other than that, I think the main factor is how much I’d enjoy myself at the university. I am definitely a very social person and I like to go to parties/clubs/raves until late in the morning. I am very last minute with academics and tests etc, I prefer to cram last minute than do work over a period of time. UCL would provide a good social experience, with many opportunities for parties and clubs in London, but I’ve heard that social life is good at Duke too. Is the difference noticeable? I feel that I might get more of a college experience being at Duke.

I know less about Duke- could anyone provide some of its Pros and Cons?

It’s a very difficult decision but it’s going to affect my life hugely so I would greatly appreciate any advice.