<p>My stats are slightly below average at both schools. I don't think I could get into either RD, but have a chance at both ED</p>
<p>If I applied to WashU ED, I'd be reaching and hoping for the best
WashU is my top school
HOWEVER</p>
<p>I am a double, multigenerational legacy at Duke.
Therefore, my chances would be much higher getting in Early Decision there</p>
<p>Should I take a chance on WashU or think more strategically and apply to Duke?
Any advice is so so helpful!</p>
<p>As others will mention, if you ED Duke and get in you’ll forever wonder if you could have gotten into WUSTL. ED at WUSTL.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice!
But…
what if I apply ED to WUSTL and don’t get in, and then don’t get into Duke RD</p>
<p>which decision will I regret more?</p>
<p>You may be overestimating the weight of your legacy at Duke. It definitely is a tip factor, but given that WUSTL is generally considered slightly easier to get into in the first place and given that they have a reputation for valuing the commitment you’re showing by applying ED, I would guess you might end up with pretty similar chances at each (albeit maybe not good, especially w/ subpar stats). Duke, I believe, will still look at your legacy in the RD round, although it will definitely carry less weight.</p>
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<p>I’d disagree with that, actually. WashU is a school that considers interest to a huge degree, and ED is definitely a factor for them. A lot of students who have excellent stats at WashU are waitlisted (moreso, it seems, than at comparable institutions).</p>
<p>The legacy bump at Duke is probably not as strong as the ED bump. From Duke Alumni Association:
[Admissions</a> for alumni families | Duke Alumni Association](<a href=“Duke”>Duke)</p>
<p>Apply to your first-choice, whatever that may be, and let some of it go; Duke and WashU are both fantastic opportunities and institutions. I was able to pick between WashU and Duke last year during the RD round, and this is where I’ve ended up. Good luck.</p>
<p>Use ED to apply to your first choice, wahtever that</p>
<p>the real question is why you like WashU better than Duke</p>
<p>feel free to try to convince me into duke instead of washu! (not sarcasm) I love both but for some reason I just can’t get over WashU</p>
<p>I visited both, and the choice was actualy uber difficult for me. I loved WashU socially-- they have a very intellectual vibe about them, and I loved campus/people/life. (And of course, this was based off of limited campus contact, so I could be way off-base.)</p>
<p>I’ve told this story, I think. When I visited Duke, for the first day as a part of the admitted students event, I hated it, and I was ready to get out. Duke is very much a school with a “Work hard, play hard” ethos, which is perfect for some students. I’m typically pretty quiet/don’t drink/don’t party, and I didnt feel comfortable there at all. That night, however, there was a humanities reception that was a lot more low-key, and I was able to meet with a lot of Duke students who were interested in what I was interested in-- dance, literature, etc., and speaking with them, I fell very much in love with the programs at Duke.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I chose Duke because of the strength of their programs and what I feel is a more liberal arts based program (I am, at current, a Stats/Lit/education minor). WashU has a very strong pre-med/professional bent, I think, and I was much more interested with the way the liberal arts are approached at Duke. I’m in a first-year FOCUS cluster, I love the thematic Writing 101 courses, and the dance department here is far stronger than at WashU. Of course, WashU does these to an extent as well (in that they also have a first-year writing requirement), but the way it’s structured is a little different in their approach (and is it comprehensively thematic, though certain sections are).</p>
<p>Ultimately, while WashU had strong programs in my current field of interest (Urban Policy), I didn’t get the sense, at all, that the humanities/liberal arts were a focus at WashU, and while Urban Studies was certainly interesting, there’s not necessarily a sense of department cohesion in that field, as the major is entirely interdisciplinary,.</p>
<p>What else? Duke’s FA policy, if that’s something your’e itnerested in, is a little better if you’re planning on studying abroad, which I would like to do. WashU’s yearly cost was lower, but they would not increase FA for study abroad sessions. At Duke, your aid will increase with the cost of a DukeIn program, which was nice, and will also help fund, in addition to school year programs, summer sessions/study abroad.</p>
<p>But Duke/WashU are both fantastic schools; you can’t go wrong with either.</p>
<p>thank you, that was so helpful! I liked your comment about how Duke has a strong liberal arts foundation, rather than a pre-professional based education. I am interested in majoring in business/economics/finance (Duke has a financial economics major) and like that WashU has an undergrad business school, however I might prefer to take advantage of a broader undergraduate education and then focus solely on business after college when I plan to go to graduate school to get an MBA.</p>
<p>The business school aspect doesn’t really matter. Duke has an Economics major along with finance and then your typical business degree with Markets and Management Studies (MMS) certificate. It’s great in the sense where you can take Trinity classes of all different interests very easily and explore your options. As far as grad school and job placement- duke is great, and with an Econ major you’ll be more than prepared. </p>
<p>If you have any questions about Econ let me know- Ill be able to help.</p>
<p>Re Legacy admissions at Duke:</p>
<p>The following is based upon decades of Duke volunteer leadership experiences, including serving as a Vice President of the Alumni Association, as an undergraduate applicant interviewer, and as a Chair of a major metropolitan alumni club.</p>
<p>All “legacies” (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.) receive at least two Admissions Officer reviews, which can be helpful due to advocacy when the selection decisions are discussed and made. Further, as the University’s annual acceptance statistics document, ED applicants have separate advantages, due to their unambiguous commitment to Duke.</p>
<p>However, it is VERY important to understand that not all legacy candidates enjoy equal undergraduate admissions advantages. The child of an alum who graduates and thereafter has little to do with Duke (small, if any, donations; no meaningful contributions of time, talent and expertise; no involvement in University governance, teaching and/or research) will – at most – have a marginal advantage, whereas the child of a graduate who continuously and substantially supports Duke (time, talent, and treasury) is likely to obtain a far more significant benefit.</p>
<p>Therefore, Acer 18, a candid evaluation of your family’s “legacy stature” may be helpful.</p>
<p>apply where you like better. though personally, I think duke is a lot better than washu academically, and a closer knit community. </p>
<p>It all depends on you though; if washu is your dream, go for it.</p>