I’m considering applying to Duke, but there are two main things deterring me from doing so.
First: How is the political climate at Duke? I would place myself on the far left of the political spectrum, but I am concerned that I wouldn’t fit in at Duke due to its location in North Carolina.
Second: To what extent is the social scene dominated by Greek life? I don’t want to have to join a fraternity in order to have a social life on campus.
Can any current students/recent alumni speak to my concerns?
Duke is as liberal as any of its peers and NC is definitely not the deep south. The area surrounding Duke is home to the highest concentration of MDs and PhDs in the country. NC went for President Obama in 2008 and is closer to Virginia politically than it is to SC. Having said that, I am confident that engaging with people who disagree with you politically (whether at Duke or elsewhere) will prove to be extremely beneficial. Don’t cloister yourself. The whole point of college is to broaden your horizons.
Also, you can have a great time without joining a fraternity. Just be open to new experiences. Everything else will fall in place.
I am a registered Republican, identifying as a moderate conservative. While I will say that the political climate is indeed left-leaning and liberal on most (definitely) social issues, it is not difficult to find centrists on campus.
As long as you don’t disparage your fellow classmates’ views openly (on a personal level), you should be fine. As a matter of fact, some of my closest friends I made this year are hardcore BernieBros.
Tl;dr: Don’t put politics over friendship and be smart when to share your views and opinions.
A lot of your first-semester friend group will break up due to rushing. However, don’t let that determine your next 4 years at Duke. I rushed, but dropped out since I felt it was not as genuine as I thought it would be. No big deal. Most of my closest friend group did not end up rushing.
If you have any additional questions, feel free to message me.