<p>Not assuming that they are, I'm just curious. At many colleges, some incoming freshmen (and sometimes even upperclassmen) are still bitter about having been rejected by Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc, back then in high school, and having ended up at what they perceive as a lesser institution. Students at Tufts and UChicago are known for this feeling of bitterness. Can this be said about Dukies? </p>
<p>And besides those who got AB Scholarships and whatnot, are there people who choose Duke over the ivies for other reasons?</p>
<p>Why should these students fel bitter. I know duke isnt an ivy but arent its engineering and other scientific and technological fields just as good if not better that hyp? I dunno but I would go to duke over hyp to do engineering in a heartbeat. The only school I would go to over duke is stanford</p>
<p>Hello all, I'm a current Duke student, and I thought I'd respond to some posts. As far as being bitter towards HPY, I don't think very many Duke students are - I'm certainly not. When I first started out the college process, I was a hardcore fan of Harvard. But looking back now, if I had to do it again, I think Stanford and Duke would be my top choices because I think you end up with the best overall college experience from these two schools. Both have great academics, athletics, and social life. You really get the total college experience more so than I think you would at HPY. In the end, you need to choose the college where you think you will be happiest at - don't choose purely on rankings.</p>
<p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but Harvard has one of the lowest student happiness rates from a recent college survey. And I'm sure many Dukies have gotten into HYPS. Im in an incoming freshman, and I got into both Harvard and Yale, and I'm choosing Duke.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your choice - you're actually not alone in choosing Duke over HYP. I've met quite a few who turn down HYP for Duke - one guy in particular had perfect test scores (ACT and SAT) in addition to a bunch of other amazing accomplishments, and he turned the ivies and a full ride at some really great schools to come here.</p>
<p>yeah and if anyone here is another ab duke, they'll tell you that that alone is enough to kiss hyp goodbye.</p>
<p>Besides, Duke ranks fifth WITH athletes (as does stanford.) So just imagine how much better it'd be if you only took the boring, academic people like one might find in Cambridge.</p>
<p>I got rejected from Princeton and will be attending Duke. I was initially a little down about it, but Duke sounds like its going to be a kick ass 4 years so I'm psyched.</p>
<p>I was really sad that I didn't go to Yale. It was my dream school for as long as I could remember. I turned down other ivies to come to Duke though, and I know several students who DID turn down HYP (when cost wasn't an issue).</p>
<p>I was rejected from Yale and definitely hold no bitterness...I wasn't expecting to get in and Duke was actually my first choice school...so it's all good!</p>
<p>An interesting comment on the atmosphere at Yale...I was up at Berkeley and met a friend, who goes to Yale, also visiting some people. We both went to watch the Pac-10 Bball championships with UCLA and Cal....everyone was dressed up, packed into a living room, and screaming at the tv (a la Duke students). My friend from Yale was surprised. I then mentioned that I thought that Yale's residential college system sounds great, to which he responded that students have more allegiance to individual colleges than to the school as a whole. Save the Yale-Harvard game, he lamented that there is no sense of "spirit" at the school.</p>