WVU (State Flagship) [$24k] VS Duke (World Class University) [$32k] [biology or biochemistry, pre-med]

Net price per year at each college, after applying scholarships and financial aid grants.
Duke – $32,312
WVU – $23,564

Maximum parent contribution per year.
My parents should be able to cover most of the cost for either option.

Major/division admitted to at each college, if applicable to the college. Also, any special programs like honors programs or combined degree programs (e.g. BA/BS->MD).
Duke – Trinity College of Arts & Sciences (Biology Major)
WVU – Eberly College of Arts and Sciences (Biochemistry Major)

If you applied to regular fall term start, specify if you were admitted to start at a different campus, in study abroad, in an online/distance or extension program, or other than in the fall term.
N/A

Desired major and post graduation goals (including if pre-med, pre-law, etc.).
Pre-med

If not a frosh admit finishing high school, indicate status (e.g. sophomore level transfer, junior level transfer, frosh after gap year(s)).
Currently a high school senior (first-year admit).

International or domestic student (and state of residency if domestic).
Domestic student – West Virginia resident

Student preferences beyond the above (including weather, class sizes, campus culture, college demographics, fraternities/sororities, distance from home, etc.).**

No strong preferences. I liked the idea of staying relatively close to home, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Preliminary assessment of each college based on the above.
WVU – I believe I can still be very successful here and potentially finish my degree in 3 years. I already have strong connections academically and socially. The college credits I’ve earned in high school would transfer well and not go to waste.
Duke – It’s an incredible school and a huge opportunity, but it does feel a bit intimidating. I don’t know anyone else attending, and I’m uncertain about how well I’ll fit in.

Why did you apply to each college you are considering?
WVU – If I decide to stay in-state, this is the clear choice. I’m familiar with the resources and opportunities available, and I feel confident I could make the most of them and reach my long-term goals efficiently.
Duke – It’s an exceptional university that clearly opens many doors. My concern is that, for the first time, I might have more opportunities than time to pursue them all—and I worry that could make me feel like I’m falling behind or not measuring up, even with more resources available.

Since both are affordable you have earned the right to choose. I agree that you can be successful at both schools.

IMO Duke could be an incredible opportunity. If you feel Duke is a good fit, I would not let fear of keeping up hold you back from attending – you were accepted for a reason.

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You’re afraid of Duke because you won’t know anyone - but how many will you know or regularly see at WVU.

Normally I say one can be successful at both and it’s true.

But the Duke opportunity is too good here.

Duke is smaller and yet has many more resources.

It’d be tough to turn down, etc.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

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Congratulations!!

TBH, the price difference between WVU and Duke is not as large as I was expecting to see when I clicked on your thread.

There are a couple of things going on here, which I think you need to unpack separately. One is a bit of impostor syndrome - the fear that you won’t fit in at Duke, or won’t feel like you’re living up to the opportunities there. To that I would say, schools like Duke are pretty good at identifying students who can succeed there. While Duke would be more challenging, both academically and in terms of culture shock, I think you should be confident that you can handle the challenge and that personal growth would result, potentially more so than from the more safe and comfortable option.

I have a lot of respect for WVU. I attended summer programs there when I was in high school, and I had a number of friends who went to college there and had wonderful college experiences. I don’t feel as if WVU isn’t “good enough” or anything like that.

But these are tough times in academia. WVU has already been having budget struggles and significant cuts to programs and faculty, and more difficult times are coming. The financial buffer that Duke has is in a different universe from WVU. That alone makes me feel like Duke is potentially worth the incremental investment for you.

If you feel sure about going premed, WVU could be a smoother path to the high GPA you’ll need for med school admissions. OTOH, the overall rigor of Duke might give you a little better preparation for the MCAT and for the rigor of med school.

I don’t think there’s a wrong choice here… but I would think pretty hard about passing up Duke for only 37% more money per year, given that it sounds like your family can handle the incremental cost. Also, if you were to change your mind about med school (as many - dare I say most - students who start out premed do), Duke could open a lot of alternative paths that could be steeper coming from WVU.

If you decide on WVU for positive reasons, go for it; but don’t stick with WVU just because it feels more familiar and comfortable. College is a time for challenge and growth.

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I know that it shouldn’t be a big consideration, however about a 1/4 of my HS will be attending WVU.

If you try Duke for a year and it doesn’t work out, I would think you could transfer to WVU, yes? But not the other way around.

Just so you know, everyone is scared. Everyone doubts themselves. Do it anyway. I think you’ll regret not giving Duke a try.

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I think another concern that also comes up when I think about why this is even a consideration is that I have a lot of groups and communities that I lead and run here in WV. It’s not like these people won’t have support or that the projects will end, but I know they won’t be as well off without me. I would still try to be involved as much as possible, but I still kind of get that abandonment feeling.

I had kind of been planning on WVU for the last few months, so with the Duke acceptance, it kind of feels like my world has been turned upside down—not in a bad way, but, for lack of a better word, in a scary way.

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Reason not to go. College is about growth and challenge.

How many of them would choose WVU if they got the Duke opportunity at a similar and affordable price ?

But don’t pick a school because of fear. It’s ok to be challenged. You’ll make new, accomplished friends and you have FaceTime to call home !!!

Duke thinks you’re gonna fit in. What an honor !!

Best of luck no matter where you pick !!

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Don’t know anyone who wouldn’t pick Duke if they were in this situation.

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While the main two schools I’m debating between are WVU and Duke, I was also accepted into these school with similar net costs (20-30k range):
Pitt
University of Michigan
Case Western
WashU

I was also WL from JHU and Vanderbilt.
I believe Duke is the top choice out of them, but is there anything I may be missing?

You DO NOT want to graduate in 3 years if you’re planning to go to med school. In fact, nowadays most graduate college and take 1-3 “glide years” to present the best possible application with lots of experience.
Most importantly, most would-be premeds never make it to med school - they find more interesting fields or don’t make it through the premed pre-reqs - so you need a Plan B, and Duke will have dozens of excellent Plan Bs at your fingertips. If Duke selected you, it means they know you can succeed. They have too many top applicants to pick “duds”, so be sure they chose you knowing you’d be successful there.
Since Duke is affordable - and at that cost, a bargain that will deliver SO MUCH more than WVU, so Duke’s ROI is much larger… To me it’d be a no-brainer for Duke.

You may want to consider WashU too, just to compare, since they’re the same cost.
Have you visited either or both? If not, do they offer fly ins for admitted students?

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We are from KY, so I understand your strong connection with your community- very similar culture here. When I took my son to visit Duke, I was blown away- it was hands down the best college tour I’ve ever been on. And between my 2 kids, we’ve toured many colleges. I would urge you to step outside your comfort zone and give Duke a try. Their resources and opportunities are phenomenal, especially with state schools’ budgets being so unpredictable in our current political landscape. You will still be home for breaks and summers, and honestly the semesters will fly by. You can always transfer to UWV if it doesn’t feel like a good fit after a year, but I do think you’ll regret not giving it a shot.

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I’ve visited WashU, but I haven’t visited Duke’s campus yet—I’m going on the 17th. My main reason for leaning toward Duke over WashU is the distance. Duke is approximately 5 hours away, while WashU is over 12, so I’d pretty much have to fly in and out. WashU is also the most expensive—around $5k more than Duke. I liked WashU a lot, but it didn’t blow me away. I’m also much more familiar with the Raleigh-Durham area, since I have family there, unlike St. Louis.

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I think you will have a better sense of things after your visit to Duke.

If you have a second, please come back to CC and let us know your decision.

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Duke is the nicest mid size school in the country. That’s subjective of course. I think you do have to shuttle to the dorm but it’s quick.

WUSTL is also very nice. But different architecture. And doesn’t have the Cameron Crazies if that’s of interest !! Both cities have lots of medical - Duke has both Duke and UNC. And if you pivot, lots of medical product companies there too Not sure about St Louis. Having relatives is good too - for comfort just in case.

Cheaper. Better name. All bonuses. You did well.

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I actually know someone who turned down Duke in order to stay close to home. She has regretted it her entire life.

Go to Duke. Life is short, have adventures, do scary stuff. :heart:

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First off - you’re clearly an accomplished student who has worked hard - don’t forget that in this process! I know some students who had no interest in going away to university - reasons varied, but most had a pretty low stress process as they knew they wanted to stay local and they would be admitted. I have no judgement for how students want to tackle the new stage.

HOWEVER, you put the considerable effort into applying to multiple out of state options. I know how much work it requires to complete those private apps with enough quality to see admission! What’s changed? I agree with a previous poster that this post is reading a bit of imposter syndrome and fear of the unknown. Visit Duke with an open mind. I can assure you, they have zero doubt you can succeed there and have the resources to support you in the transition. If you visit and it’s not a good fit - move on. But don’t let fear keep you from spreading your wings. Best of luck to you.

My daughter was 2024 graduate, if you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me.

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Honestly, I submitted those applications assuming I wouldn’t be offered admission, which I thought would make it easier to confidently choose WVU—even with the negatives—since it would be my only option. But now that I do have options, it’s brought back both the concerns I originally had with WVU and the ambition I felt when I first decided to apply to the others.

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This is admirable, but it’s also a trap. It’s important to take the long view. You’re obviously committed to your community. An investment in you will benefit them in the long run. Other people can step up in the short term - maybe even other young people coming up behind you are ready for the leadership baton to be passed. In order to be healthy, organizations and movements need to avoid becoming too dependent on specific individuals.

Also, world-class universities like Duke are places where young people from communities and cultures all over the country and the world come together and learn from one another. Who will represent your community, in that intellectual incubator, if you don’t?

Don’t worry about not knowing anybody; the beauty of colleges at Duke’s level is that this is the norm. It’s not like other people know one another and you’re the “new kid” - everybody is starting fresh and building a new community with the peer group that has been hand-picked for that purpose.

And I agree with the “you can always transfer” rationale. You aren’t in the situation we sometimes see, where the local, “safe” option has made a “golden handcuffs” merit offer that wouldn’t be available to a transfer. $24K/year for WVU, for a student of your caliber, is far from an offer you can’t refuse.

Joining the entering undergraduate class at Duke is a once in a lifetime opportunity. West Virginia, and WVU, are not going anywhere. You’re not abandoning anyone; you’re growing into the person they will need in the future.

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It is rare on CC that there is 100% agreement about which school a poster should choose. When it happens I think you can be confident there really is one best answer.

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