Cornell ILR vs. Duke

<p>Okay, so I know this time of year probably brings a ton of these threads, but I am genuinely curious to learn of the opinions of the community on CC.</p>

<p>I was accepted to 7 out of 10 schools I applied to, and have narrowed my choices down to Cornell University and Duke University. I was accepted to Cornell's School of Industrial & Labor Relations. Cornell was one of my dream schools, but as the decision date gets closer, I have begun to really question myself.</p>

<p>Let me give a breakdown of my situation/thought process:</p>

<p>I am the oldest of three kids, and I live in Georgia, US.</p>

<p>The Money Factor:</p>

<p>Cornell offered me about the same about of money as Duke. However, I was chosen to be a Meinig Family Cornell Scholar, which takes $4,000/year of loan money from the Perkins Loan and turns it into grant money. Basically, a $4,000 scholarship a year. Given my financial situation, I could make both schools work, but Duke would throw on another $16,000 of debt than Cornell due to this program.</p>

<p>I won't go into details, but I could theoretically graduate from Cornell in 4 years with <$25k of loans. Duke would be just under $40k. I have been told that both are not bad situation, considering many people go to subpar universities and graduate with $60k+ of debt. I am not worried, but obviously the Cornell finances are better.</p>

<p>The location factor:</p>

<p>I was born in Seattle, but I have lived in Georgia since 1996. I like it here, but I have always wanted to go away for college. However, in the past year or so, I have realized that I kind of want to stay close to my family, considering I have two little brothers, one half-brother, and one step-sister. Leaving is going to suck.</p>

<p>But more importantly, I would be more used to the climate in Durham, NC than I would Ithaca, NY. I like the cold, until it gets under 40 degrees. Then I hate it. I know I would adapt to Ithaca weathers, but I worry about the psychological effects that the weather could have on me. I would have lots of pressure being in the Meinig Program, plus adapting to a new climate. It would suck. Plus, my dream is to eventually be closer to my family on the west coast, so it isn't like I am planning on working in the North East. I would like to use the connections at either Duke or Cornell with the west coast to eventually get out there, if at all possible.</p>

<p>The Social Scene:</p>

<p>From what I have read, both Duke and Cornell have extremely favorable social situations. I am an extremely social person. I'm not the biggest partier on the block, but I love to be around people. However, the social scenes vary a little bit. I love sports. I was a spirit leader for my high school football games. I constantly follow the sports at my school; I am an avid Seattle sports fan. Basically, this points to a fun experience at Duke. I would enjoy the sports atmosphere there. BUT, I do know that I would get by at Cornell without the prominent sports scene, because they do have a great social atmosphere.</p>

<p>The prestige:</p>

<p>From my reading, I have gathered that both Cornell and Duke are phenomenal schools with outstanding reputations. Duke is harder to get into, but Cornell's Ivy stamp acts as a sort of equalizer when it comes down to it. I am convinced that I could graduate from either school and be successful in the long run.</p>

<p>However, as I mentioned earlier, I was chosen as a Meinig Family Cornell Scholar. I believe that being in this type of program (50 students/year from the university) enables me to be a part of a unique and helpful network. But, I am not sure how much it will actually benefit over being in the Duke student body/Cornell student body if I am proactive. </p>

<p>What I want to do:</p>

<p>Well, I know I want to eventually go into Entrepreneurship, but I want to work in the business world, and also want to keep myself open for Law. I know that isn't too helpful, but I don't expect myself to know what I want to do for the rest of my life right now.</p>

<p>Basically, I am at odds. I feel like my heart is with Duke, but the money and the program at Cornell make it really hard to justify going to Duke.</p>

<p>Attending college is a very important decision so I think the extra $16,000 you save by going to Cornell over Duke is trivial in the long run.</p>

<p>My assessment upon reading your post is that Duke is a better fit for you than Cornell given your predisposition to warm weather and sports which favors Duke. You mentioned that you would like to go into Business and if that’s the case, I think that Duke’s College of Arts & Sciences gives you a leg up over Cornell ILR which is focused on funneling graduates into Human Resources. All of the business recruiting with regards to Finance and Management Consulting that happens at Cornell targets Economics and AEM majors to the best of my knowledge.</p>

<p>My personal opinion is that Duke offers a superior undergraduate education since it has a slightly stronger student body, a more cohesive campus, more research funding/community service offerings geared towards undergraduates, etc. etc.</p>

<p>One thing to also consider regarding the finances is that it will be more expensive to commute to Ithaca, NY than it will be to go to Durham from Atlanta. You will have to fly to NYC and then take a bus to get to Ithaca whereas you can just go straight from Hartsfield International Airport to RDU to get to Duke.</p>

<p>Make sure to visit both schools if you get a chance.</p>

<p>The difference between $40k in debt and $25k in debt is not trivial. $25k is just under the federal loan limit. $40k is well over it, and your pals who are going $60k in the hole for a “subpar” degree have fools for parents. There I said it. But sorry, they do.</p>

<p>At [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) there are some handy debt repayment calculators. Run them and see how much you will need to be making right out of college to get these kinds of notes paid down.</p>

<p>If you are serious about law school, you need to keep your undergrad loan burden as low as possible - preferably none. Wait to take on debt in law school.</p>

<p>Both schools are great, but you are smart to consider the weather. If you can swing the additional $16K, go with Duke.</p>