I am an international student blessed to have been admitted to Amherst and Duke. Now, the difficult thing is choosing between the two.
Cost doesn’t matter since I have been given an almost identical financial aid package at both of them.
I want to pursue a double major in economics and mathematics and work at wall street. I am not sure yet, but might go on pursuing a masters degree. Which university is the best choice? Where do companies recruit the most? Job prospects at each uni? Academic environment?
Thank you!
Duke is a big target for Wall Street. I’m sure Amherst also does well but Duke (partially by virtue of its size) has a stronger presence.
1). Average salaries:
Duke - $76,700
Amherst - $56,800
A $20,000 difference is not insignificant. This is data from the US government (based on tax returns). It’s not a survey.
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?198419-Duke-University
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?164465-Amherst-College
2). Linkedin Rankings (based on career outcomes):
For Investment Banking:
Duke - 4th
Amherst - 12th
https://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/edu/rankings/us/undergraduate-investment-banking?trk=edu-rankings-flt-ctg-dd
For finance:
Duke - 7th
Amherst - 15th
https://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/edu/rankings/us/undergraduate-finance?trk=edu-rankings-ctg-card
3). New York Times CEO survey:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/10/20/education/20iht-SReducEmploy20-graphic.html
Duke - 13th (globally)
Amherst - unranked
Are you interested in eventually going to B-school?
It’s definitely an option, but not completely sure.
Congratulations on 2 outstanding acceptances! You really can’t go wrong, but they are very different environments:
- Leading research university v. leading liberal arts college (6,500 undergrads v. 2,000)
- Rural New England v. mid-size city in North Carolina
- Cold raw New England winters v. more mild Southern weather
- Beautiful campuses, but with very different architectural feels
- Top D1 sports with strong school spirit in ACC (a top sports conference) versus D3 sports in NESCAC which is a top small college conference but very small time compared to Duke
Both will provide excellent access to top graduate schools and job opportunities on Wall Street. At Amherst you are likely to work harder to get into some of the firms as fewer are likely to recruit on campus.
To be honest, it is a matter of fit. If you are not sure, Duke is a less risky choice as it will provide access to a broader array of academic, social, and job opportunities.
Although Amherst is closer geographically to Wall Street Duke would be a better choice. Amherst is a fairly small school, located on a big hill. The town of Amherst is quite charming but located way out in Western Massachusetts. Once you leave the town there isn’t much to do.
As nerdychica points out Duke has a better record with Wall Street jobs. Honestly though both schools are great.
@kalango - Where you leaning towards … keep us posted … Good Luck!
Amherst is a top-two LAC and Duke is probably the top university in the South – both are very good. But they are different.
A lot of Duke kids go to Wall Street, and those jobs pay a lot – probably one of the main reasons why Duke grads make more money to start. But obviously, Wall Street isn’t for everyone. Relatively more Amherst graduates – about 85% of them – go on to grad school, and people in grad school tend to not be earning much of a paycheck. (This is a lesson in never taking stats at face value. Twain was right when he made his famous quip about statistics and lies. Make sure you are comparing apples to other apples.)
The schools are very different. In terms of academic quality, both have top-notch professors. There are likely more research opportunities at Duke, while the classes are smaller at Amherst.
You should visit both because the differences really are stark. Either way, if you show up and work hard, you’ll get a great education.
Thank you everyone for the replies. I just accepted my spot at Duke University Class of 2020!
@kalango - Congrats! Could you share with us what made tilt towards Duke over Amherst?
@kalango Congratulations on your decision! I’m sure you will love Duke.