<p>There may be even many differences between top schools, and even then, unless differences are glaring, I don’t think an applicant should feel restricted to a certain type of school. Many students could flourish at both Harvard and Stanford because human beings tend to adapt to the environment around them. There are exceptions, of course; I don’t think the average Brown student would enjoy MIT, for example. But this is hardly the case with the OP. The only noticeable inconsistency with the OP’s list is Wharton, if anything.</p>
<p>Alright so here’s a list I tried putting together. These are some things which matter a good deal.</p>
<ul>
<li>Definitely an IB target school</li>
<li>Amazing economics</li>
<li>Excellent placement into Law/Business school. (assuming work experience)</li>
<li>Size = not much bigger than 10,000, at the undergraduate level. Not much smaller than 2,000. (Amherst is fine)</li>
<li>If bigger, school potentially breaking down into smaller sections. (Frats, residential colleges, etc) This is highly preferable but not required</li>
<li>If smaller, other aspects that make up for it.</li>
<li>Nice looking campus, though I don’t care if it’s Colonial or Gothic or whatever.</li>
<li>Pre-professional > hippie (although don’t get me wrong, hippies can be awesome)</li>
<li>Liberal arts foundation heavily emphasized</li>
<li>Liberal > conservative</li>
<li>While liberal, protest-culture kept at a reasonable level</li>
<li>Alcohol > weed. Don’t like weed</li>
<li>Preferably northeast (above Virginia, and closer to the shore than not). Stanford is the only exception (Dad went there, the area is nice, and it has Silicon Valley).</li>
<li>No extreme weather. Dartmouth and Stanford are at the two limits of the temperature spectrum.</li>
<li>Athletic atmosphere, but not too big on the sports scene. I’d prefer school spirit is not just based on the sports teams.</li>
<li>Frats are fine, just no extremes.</li>
<li>Financially - no-loans if we make 20K/year. Need-blind for admissions.</li>
<li>Low self-segregation, diversity heavily preferred over homogeneity, work hard / play hard etc. And that most people love the school.</li>
<li>Amazing people who want to change the world :)</li>
<li>I don’t care if it’s Urban or rural.</li>
</ul>
<p>modestmelody, that’s really tempting. Brown has some aspects which don’t necessarily fit, but COE might outweigh them… I’m going to think about it and probably apply. However, it doesn’t help my case with people telling me I’m chasing prestige lol =P</p>
<p>Almost everything on your list (except pre-professionalism) pretty much fits Brown.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Do your research. The whole “conservative” thing is incorrect by a long-shot.</p>
<p>Let me go down your list:
- Definitely an IB target school
Duke is higher than most of your other schools as a target school (it’s just as much as Columbia and Dartmouth)</p>
<p>- Amazing economics
Uhm, definitely. Most students who major in econ are extremely successful and able to get into some of the best professional/graduate schools. Duke sends more students to such schools than another other school other than HYPS.</p>
<p>- Excellent placement into Law/Business school. (assuming work experience)
Again: <a href=“WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights”>http://wsjclassroom.com/pdfs/wsj_college_092503.pdf</a></p>
<p>- Size = not much bigger than 10,000, at the undergraduate level. Not much smaller than 2,000. (Amherst is fine)
Duke has 6,000 undergraduates.</p>
<p>- If bigger, school potentially breaking down into smaller sections. (Frats, residential colleges, etc) This is highly preferable but not required
My freshman classes = one class with 75 students. My others = 12 and 20. And even THEN, there were discussions with 7 students.</p>
<p>- If smaller, other aspects that make up for it.
N/A 'cause it’s not smaller.</p>
<p>- Nice looking campus, though I don’t care if it’s Colonial or Gothic or whatever.
Duke has one of the nicest colleges campuses in the US. Want pictures? Duke also has one of the best libraries… brand new, remodeled buildings. Sound-proof group study rooms. </p>
<p>- Pre-professional > hippie (although don’t get me wrong, hippies can be awesome)
Again: <a href=“WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights”>WSJ in Higher Education | Trusted News & Real-World Insights; Duke has some of the best advising in the country, and coupled with it’s students overall drive/motivation and pre-professional slant (think: Penn), this works for you.</p>
<p>- Liberal arts foundation heavily emphasized
Basically the definition of Duke. Through FOCUS and related programs, Duke emphasizes a well-rounded education that is not only interdisciplinary, but applicable. <a href=“http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/pope_articles/pope_focus&gerst.pdf[/url]”>http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/pope_articles/pope_focus&gerst.pdf</a></p>
<p>- Liberal > conservative
Here is where you are letting the “southern” stereotype mess with you. Ask anyone - Duke is not conservative. The areas about 30 miles away may be, but the students are not categorically right-winged and the immediate area is not filled with rampant conservatives.</p>
<p>- While liberal, protest-culture kept at a reasonable level
What? looool.</p>
<p>- Alcohol > weed. Don’t like weed
I can’t believe this is a requirement lol, but weed is mainly in CA schools. Duke students party with the drinks.</p>
<p>- Preferably northeast (above Virginia, and closer to the shore than not). Stanford is the only exception (Dad went there, the area is nice, and it has Silicon Valley).
Meh, okay, it’s in the south.</p>
<p>- No extreme weather. Dartmouth and Stanford are at the two limits of the temperature spectrum.
Great, great weather.</p>
<p>- Athletic atmosphere, but not too big on the sports scene. I’d prefer school spirit is not just based on the sports teams.
Duke is athletic, and yeah, basketball means a lot. But never does it override a Dukie’s pride in the school ITSELF, which is what is important.</p>
<p>- Frats are fine, just no extremes.
Only 20% of guys are in a frat. No extreme hazing.</p>
<p>- Financially - no-loans if we make 20K/year. Need-blind for admissions.
If you make 20K/year, you’ll be going for free.</p>
<p>- Low self-segregation, diversity heavily preferred over homogeneity, work hard / play hard etc. And that most people love the school.
Duke is NOT more segregated than it’s peer schools - I don’t get where this ridiculous rumor came from. It’s actually quite annoying and disappointing. 
Oh, and are you kidding me? Duke kids love their school more than my friends show their pride for their schools. We aren’t afraid to say it - we love the place. &Duke/Stanford are pretty much the biggest work hard/play hard schools out there.</p>
<p>- Amazing people who want to change the world
That’s vague - but you’ll find plenty of those people at Duke and it’s peer schools.</p>
<p>- I don’t care if it’s Urban or rural.
Answered for you in itself.</p>
<p>So basically, do your research before you fall into traps. Duke actually fits you extremely well. Just some food for thought.</p>
<p>Well at least you’re one of the people applying to Wharton because it matches their interests and aspirations…props for that!</p>
<p>flyingllama – It sounds to me like you haven’t visited any of these schools. The people on this forum can only help you to a point. We’ve never met you and college preferences are very individual. We can take an educated guess but like with a favorite movie or a favorite book, the school that really grabs you might be a surprise to everyone.</p>
<p>I know your income is limited but find a way. I think it is a mistake not to visit a school before you go anyway, although I know that in some cases finances make visiting impossible. I have so many stories of students who thought they wanted to go to a school and when they visited they hated it. I also have a story of a student who went to a school without visiting and hated it. Maybe if she had visited she would have realized it wasn’t the school for her. These schools feel very different from one another and you’ll come away with some you don’t care for, some you’re so-so on and some you love.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the replies. It seems the schools I tried to cut off my list have only made their way back… I feel like I’m going in circles lol</p>
<p>modestmelody: I’m reconsidering Brown completely</p>
<p>eatsalot: Thanks, I’m also heavily reconsidering Duke</p>
<p>ilovebagels: Wait was that sarcastic? It’s hard to tell over plain text lol sorry</p>
<p>Pea: I would looove to visit colleges, it would make everything so much easier! I totally agree with what you said, and will try to work something out. It might not happen though. Also, I’m applying for Amherst’s diversity weekend, where they would pay for an overnight stay… that might help.</p>
<p>Right now I’m thinking of cutting Columbia from my list. It’s distinctly more urban than any of the other schools, and people complain it has absolutely no community (people run off in different directions etc), plus I have my whole life to live in NYC. No?</p>
<p>Oh I want to point out that everyone was criticizing me for chasing prestige, and yet the only suggestions so far are for highly prestigious universities… just know I’m still open to any tier, prestige isn’t one of the “factors” on my list</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>True, NYC does take away from it’s chance at a typical college community. Many urban schools are like this. A notable exception is Penn (well, maybe 'cause West Philly ain’t the nicest place lol, but that’s a different story).</p>
<p>^ Yep so right now I’m seriously considering removing Columbia</p>
<p>And that’s not a bad thing… I was not looking forward to filling out an entirely new application, plus more recommendations to ask teachers, JUST for Columbia. I feel good about cutting it from my list. Maybe I’ll save for law/business school haha</p>
<p>Okay, for a lot of the top LACs, you could also get your need aid met. Some also offer full ride scholarships (very competitive but you could still have a good shot if your stats are good) or partial merit scholarships AND need scholarships (Claremont McKenna comes to mind). Also, you might be able to get a full ride or half scholarship to USC as well. I’m not sure if these meet your requirements or not (i didn’t bother to go back and look at the list), I’m using these colleges to show that <em>IF</em> you look hard enough, you can find merit scholarships.I agree with the other people who have pointed out that your FA excuse is weak. The colleges on your list right now are NOT the only colleges that you can afford if you take the initiative to research merit scholarships from other schools. There’s a great thread i think in the Parent’s Forum about scholarships.</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with chasing prestige anywhere other than on CC. There are many, many good reasons to attend a prestigious school and this wacky notion that something is wrong with it would be interesting fodder for researchers.</p>
<p>^ thank you, reading that post was like breathing in fresh air</p>
<p>The greatest irony of CC is that it exists primarily for those who like the prestigious universities, but that it is also the place where many will attack you for “chasing” prestige. Having said that though, I think most of us are suggesting prestigious colleges because this is meant to be your reach list.</p>
<p>" prestige isn’t one of the “factors” on my list" to “thank you, reading that post was like breathing in fresh air”… </p>
<p>You change sides like a politician. In one post, you don’t care about prestige, but in the next post, you are happy that someone said it’s okay to chase prestige. I don’t care if you’re chasing prestige persay. It does annoy me that your denying you care mostly about prestige. Go for prestige if that’s what you want, but atleast have the guts to come out and say it.</p>
<p>idaho: Ok, prestigious schools tend to correlate with what I’m looking for, however I’m open to non-prestigious schools that might meet the same goal. Now let’s stop mentioning the P word, it’s losing it’s meaning.</p>
<p>The list right now:</p>
<p>MIT
Harvard
Yale
UPenn Wharton
Princeton
Stanford
Dartmouth
Amherst
USC
Brown ?
Duke ?</p>
<p>I am going to try to cut this down, any input still appreciated.</p>
<p>Here’s a couple of things regarding Duke in your areas of interest:</p>
<p>[Duke</a> in New York](<a href=“http://www.econ.duke.edu/DukeinNY/program.html]Duke”>http://www.econ.duke.edu/DukeinNY/program.html)
</p>
<hr>
<p>[I-Bank</a>, Therefore I Am - Towerview](<a href=“http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2005/12/07/Towerview/IBank.Therefore.I.Am-1476386.shtml]I-Bank”>http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2005/12/07/Towerview/IBank.Therefore.I.Am-1476386.shtml)
</p>
<hr>
<p>[Career</a> Center :: Grad Student Home :: Duke Career Fairs :: 2007 Career Fair Organizations](<a href=“Duke Student Affairs”>Duke Student Affairs)
<a href=“Duke Student Affairs”>Duke Student Affairs;
<a href=“http://career.studentaffairs.duke.edu/employer/recruit/stats/2008.html[/url]”>Duke Student Affairs;
<p>Duke is a MAJOR, top target school for IB firms.</p>
<p>Hope that helps. :)</p>
<p>I would consider Northwestern and maybe Georgetown.</p>
<p>eatsalot: thanks for that, great info.</p>
<p>So since I have 11 schools on the list I’m just looking to eliminate 1 or 2.
Here it is one more time</p>
<p>MIT
Harvard
Yale
UPenn Wharton
Princeton
Stanford
Dartmouth
Amherst
USC
Brown
Duke</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No llama, it was not. You actually have an interest in business. While I have no idea that you would still have a far more enjoyable time and get the same good jobs in Penn’s CAS, at least you have a clear interest in what Wharton has to offer. The resources that Penn offers undergraduates looking to get into business (available to all its undergraduates) are difficult to match this side of Harvard Yard.</p>
<p>Just a side note: Brown is not a target school for many firms.</p>