<p>I have been put on Duke's waiting list. I really want to go there. What can I do to incease my chances of getting an eventual acceptance? Wonder if International students are considered as 'lower priority' on the waiting list? I am accepted by Chicago and Cambridge. I know some people may thinkthis is a no brainer but I really don't know where to go to. I have the impression that the education system in US is more flexible, the academics are more exciting and the quality of education is somewhat superior to many UK schools. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>well.. . i wud suggest read the other few threads that have recently gone down on the princeton vs. oxford ... comparison to knw mass opnion abt the UK vs. US educational Scene...</p>
<p>as of your case i wud suggest :: DUke 1st .. then Cambridge and then Chicago ..unless ofcourse ur major is such that chicago takes the leap..</p>
<p>Waitlists are usually used to plug 'holes' in different departments. For example, last year Duke did not accept anyone in their Engineering department.</p>
<p>If something significant has happened in the last few months, write them about it. Let them know that if admitted you will definitely go there. It can't hurt.</p>
<p>cambridge might give some ppl the 'wow' factor (though increasingly less so, since cambridge is getting easier and easier to get in for internationals. for a start, i don't know of anyone from my sch in my batch who applied got rejected...) and might open up many doors for u in future. but apparently, college isn't juz about prestige which i am sure u understand, if not u wldn't be so undecided there. i'll say, go with ur heart, dat means duke. obviously, u shd stay on the waiting list but accept cambridge first. however, chances are, u won't get off duke's waiting list. so the question is, should u accept chicago as well? if money is not a problem, go ahead and pay the 200+150 deposit at Chicago first and stall for more time and mull over it. if not, think hard over it now. Chicago might not exactly have the kind of flexibility that u are hoping for (no doubt more than Cambridge), since they got this core curriculum which some find a pain in the ass - nevertheless i think it's really a good chance to expose yourself the areas of knowledge covered in the core curriculum... they sound really cool, and make u feel really intellectual lol. and the quality of education at Chicago is unlikely to be any weaker than at Duke or Cambridge, in fact I think Chicago is stronger. I mean, it has the reputation of an academic powerhouse so... </p>
<p>as for getting off the waitlist, i guess what u can do is to send in any updates on grades/awards, write a sincere letter telling them that duke is your first choice (and possibly casually drop the fact that u got into cambridge but u still rather go duke...), and maybe get an additional rec (preferably not from your teacher but from someone who can offer a different perspective of u).</p>
<p>I'm going to defend my future school here, because I'm probably picking Cambridge over Duke and Chicago. =p It's probably easier to get into UK universities now, but well people who get rejected won't publicise the fact (I didn't) - so there certainly isn't blanket acceptance! The funny thing is that this year, many who got Oxbridge somehow didn't get top US schools and vice versa. I know someone who got Oxford but couldn't get some US schools, and she truly deserved to get in, much more so than those who actually got in. I know some other people who got rejected from Cambridge but are going to Stanford. Oxbridge still has the 'wow' factor in Singapore, and the undergraduate education is still excellent (although their postgrad leaves much to be desired), so that really isn't quite the trashy "backup" you've got there. =)</p>
<p>Accept Cambridge first, because you only have to place the deposit by 1st September, which will give you plenty of time to get a reply from Duke. But to be very honest, I would pick Chicago over Duke if you are looking for a true academic experience; that is, since you are looking for undergraduate quality. In terms of "prestige" in Singapore, I dare say Chicago is better than Duke for those in the know, especially if you intend to major in Economics, Physics or Math. I mean, who isn't "seduced" by that Chicago thick envelope? It looks amazing.</p>
<p>PS: Before you pick, ask yourself if you need the flexibility. Do you like being taught? What kind of exciting academics are you looking for? Depth or breadth? Are you going to take a subject where research opportunities are of paramount importance? Those were the questions I asked myself; hope it helps.</p>
<p>The problem I'm facing is choosing between three schools and two countries. UK and US education systems have their respective merits. So, what i really want to find out is what you guys think about studying in these two countries with particular reference to Uchicago, Duke and Cambridge? Who feels that Cambridge beats Uchicago hands down?</p>
<p>yea, looking forward to hearing great advice from you guys again......</p>
<p>Haha, I never claim there's a blanket acceptance at Cambridge, and by no means am I trying to discredit those people who got into Oxbridge. It's still a remarkable achievement, but fact remains that it is no longer as hard to get into Oxbridge as before. And if selectivity is any gauge for prestige, getting into Oxbridge might no longer be as prestigious a thing as before. </p>
<p>But heck prestige. Go somewhere you really want to go. Yeah Lafirespirit, ask yourself those questions jeremymjr mentioned. You need to know what kind of college experience you want before you make the decision. Oh, and what's your prospective major anw?</p>
<p>Oh and I, for one, wouldn't think Cambridge beats Uchicago hands down. In fact, I am more inclined towards Uchicago, which is not suprising considering the fact that I always preferred the US and in fact I applied UChicago last year! (Got in but didn't have the money to go... So yeah.)</p>