At this point my decision making skills are useless. Help me decide between Duke and Northwestern.

<p>I am a senior in HS with the early decision deadline up in 4 days or so. I want to major in philosophy and public policy but I cant decide if I should apply ED to Northwestern or Duke. Northwestern has a better debate program, quarter academics and is slightly less competitive from my HS. Duke has a higher name brand value from where Im from and is the school my parents are leaning towards. For the most part academics, social life, vibe etc are all the same and I cant really decide what to do. This is a big decision in my life and I want to go where I would be happy but I feel both would suffice. Anyone have any tips to help me decide besides flipping a coin?</p>

<p>Also financial costs are moot, I live on long island, I am a highly competitive applicant in terms of grades, scores, EC's etc. </p>

<p>Monkison - Tough choices indeed. I don’t know much about Duke, - heard they might be a little bit good at basketball - but I can tell you one of my son’s best friends at NU is from Long Island. You could follow the trend set by Duke Alum Chris Collins, and go to NU. Especially if you are @ 6’ 11" and are a true power forward. </p>

<p>And of course if you want to be the mayor of a large city, the star of a Late Night TV show, or a Presidential Speech Writer, you should go to NU. But srsly - you can’t really make a wrong choice - so that’s a good thing. I like to tell people to use the old Ben Franklin system for making choices. Get 8 x 11 paper, write Duke on one side of the paper, NU on the other, and start listing what you like and don’t like about each, add up pluses and minuses - & there you go!</p>

<p>You can PM me if you have specific questions. Good luck</p>

<p>Or if you want to be the President yourself, you could go to Duke…</p>

<p>On a more serious note, nugraddad is absolutely correct. Just make a list of pros and cons. </p>

<p>Its Duke University unless you dislike its southern rural location in North Carolina. More racists maybe? (Not sure if you are affected), the name brand should assist in career path and you would make your parents happier as well. Win win situation with no regrets :)</p>

<p>Duke is not in rural NC. Durham is quickly emerging as one of the most vibrant cities in America. The research triangle park region has the highest concentration of MD and PhD degree holders in the country. Durham and Raleigh are consistently ranked among the best cities in the nation.</p>

<p>I know you mean well, but please avoid spreading misinformation. Thanks! </p>

<p><a href=“#14 Durham, N.C.”>http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45ihgm/14-durham-n-c/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“Raleigh Leads The Best Places For Business And Careers 2014”>http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2014/07/23/raleigh-leads-the-best-places-for-business-and-careers-2014/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“#10 Durham, N.C.”>http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mli45eegfe/10-durham-n-c/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/news-citiesforcollegegrads/11/”>http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/news-citiesforcollegegrads/11/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I don’t think there’s a difference in brand or opportunities. Go with feel and fit.</p>

<p>Northwestern is colder. But, it’s possible to be rejected at Duke even if you’re totally qualified.</p>

<p>Both are excellent schools but if you’re more competitive you might be happier at Duke because NU is not a competitive environment generally speaking. You should also look carefully at the two majors you are interested in and what is expected for each. NU is a quarter system which means things move more quickly but allows for double majors or a major and double minor more easily. My daughter graduated from NU and is now at Columbia U and finds the semester system incredibly slow and boring - too much wasted time in her opinion, but she’s always been a quick learner. Oh and I don’t think Duke has a higher name brand in our area except for it’s negative publicity in 2006.</p>

<p>Two great choices, I agree, make a list but instead of just pluses and minuses, put a value on each item. Obviously it’s a personal quantitative but your concern for Greek life might be a 3 (1-5) whereas quarter vs semester might be a four vs two, parental thoughts might be a one or five, who knows! Good luck!</p>

<p>ED is a binding decision. If you have not picked a school to apply to 3 days before deadline, then don’t apply to either.</p>

<p>

A student’s preference for an academic calendar has as much to do with attention span, or lack thereof, as his or her speed of learning.</p>

<p>Semester systems allow students to take a more in-depth look at a subject. Quarter systems allow students to flit between classes more easily. Year-long sequences will be the same in both systems. </p>

<p>

Duke has the academic edge in both philosophy and public policy and has a wider array of courses available due to its consortium with UNC Chapel Hill, which is also extremely good for philosophy and public policy. Its public policy major is an undergraduate component of the public policy institute, which has its own faculty, courses, and resources. (Public policy majors at many other colleges are simply a mish-mash of econ and poli sci courses.) </p>

<p>Northwestern seems to lack a public policy major, but it does offer political science. </p>

<p>Both are excellent schools but obviously vary in size, location, and atmosphere. As others have said, a checklist of such factors may help you decide. Northwestern’s numerous undergraduate schools (journalism, music, communication, etc.) result in a rather more eclectic mix of students than at Duke, which focuses on the arts & sciences and a handful of engineering fields. </p>

<p>After decades of making decisions, I’m convinced that logic (e.g., pro-con lists) are fine for narrowing the field, but if the final choice involves roughly equal options, then let emotion (your heart) make the choice. No imbalance on a pro-con sheet can trump an irrational emotional preference. </p>

<p>That said, be wary of tie-breakers that sound better on paper than they typically are in real life. These include things like being able to take classes at another college (like UNC)…colleges always brag about such arrangements, but few actually participate. Or how close-knit the alumni are for hiring purposes. Or slight ranking differences, either the college or specific depts. How far from home the school is (yeah, it might be a pain a few days per year, but, so what)</p>

<p>Tie breakers that I’ve found really ARE significant: Climate (the school year involves the coldest months and lots of walking, so if you hate the cold, it can be a problem). Also, how compact a campus is, and how close are stores/restaurants…some campuses are huge and spread out, and involve a lot waiting for a bus…while others are cozy,compact, and convenient; some campuses are adjacent to the business district, while others are a mile or 2 away…these differences will affect you almost every day.</p>

<p>Quarter vs. semester? Look at when and how long the breaks are.</p>

<p>Tons of snow at NU. Almost none at Duke. That should be enough to differentiate.
Equal reputation-wise in my mind, both great schools.</p>

<p>@Trisherella‌: “it’s possible to be rejected by Duke even if you’re totally qualified” (verbatim quotation from your post #6).</p>

<p>That’s simply silly. While that’s certainly accurate, it’s also correct for Northwestern and for every other highly competitive undergraduate school . . . not to mention the very most competitive ones (including Duke, Northwestern, Chicago, the Ivies, Stanford, MIT, Notre Dame, Hopkins, Rice, and their remming peer institutions).</p>