<p>"Would it be unwise to talk about the community when many people consider it a low point of Duke?"</p>
<p>Just the opposite! Check out the Duke & Durham link on the Duke web page. The Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, the Community Service Center, etc...</p>
<p>I don't know if other colleges feature the same sort of thing as extensively. If not, then it seems like a great thing to fix on as to "Why Duke." </p>
<p>Relations are strained because nearby residents aren't down with loud, large off-campus parties and, more largely and generally, because of a socio-economic divide between school and community; this, of course, also presents opportunity for involvement and experience that you're not going to find so easily in Princeton or Palo Alto. </p>
<p>Anway, School'fool, I don't know you, so I don't want to push you in this direction unless it makes sense for you. In other words, don't b.s. on your essays--it's dangerous.</p>