Cornell vs. Brown vs. Duke

College Search & Selection
1

Hi guys,

I’ve been fortunate enough to have been accepted to Cornell, Duke, and Brown, among other schools. I’m also fortunate that cost is an absolute non-factor amongst these schools.

Anyway, a quick background on me: I’d love to double major in CS and Applied Math with maybe an Econ minor, but the humanities are still very important to me; I’d want a school where top tech companies regularly recruit for internships; I love watching sports and playing them in informal settings; and I’d like a vibrant social atmosphere, but not one dominated by frats.

I guess I’ll assess each school individually now so you can get a sense of my pros and cons for each:

Cornell:
Pros [ul]
[] Great CS program, pretty good at applied math and econ
[] As a Tanner Dean’s Scholar, I have guaranteed funding for research
[/ul]
Cons [ul]
[] The weather, which is an especially salient factor since I’ve got asthma and get sick a lot
[] A bit too big for my tastes
[li] Intense, cutthroat atmosphere in Engineering with everyone fighting to be above the curve (according to a grad who worked for my dad)[/li][/ul]

Duke:
Pros [ul]
[] Probably the best econ program of the 3
[] Like I said, I looooovvve watching sports. So Duke basketball, obviously (as a side note, they’ve locked up 3 of the top 4 HS recruits so they might win the title next year). And Duke football was toying with the top 25 until they crashed and burned in the second half of the season.
[] Weather
[] Easy to double major
[] Especially strong alum network
[/ul]
Cons [ul]
[li] Preponderance of rich, stuck-up fratboys [/li][] Doesn’t seem to have amazing departments in CS and applied math
[/ul]

Brown:
Pros [ul]
[] Probably the best all around academic experience. They’re great at CS, Applied Math, and alright at Econ. Because of the Open Curriculum, I’ll be able to concoct a customized academic path that’s got a healthy mix of the humanities and STEM courses. Lower competition and pressure b/c of Pass/Fail. I can drop/swap courses if I hate the profs/material because of their shopping period.
[] Providence is the chillest college town of the bunch
[] Great social scene for an Ivy. I know I’m likely to have the most fun here.
[/ul]
Cons [ul]
[li] Brown’s image, especially in the Finance world. I want to explore the intersection of tech and finance for as long as I can, but eventually I’ll need to pick one. My dad works in finance, and he (and most of his co-workers) roll their eyes at mention of Brown. They think they’re lightweights. Maybe they’re not that well-respected in the tech circles, either?[/li][] The rampant liberalism. As a moderate, I wouldn’t want to be verbally attacked at every turn just because I don’t like Bernie Sanders, who in my book doesn’t understand basic economic principles (alright, I’ll stop politicizing things…but seriously, all these presidential candidates suck). I don’t like the image of batsht crazy chicks with like purple hair and dreamcatcher earrings screaming at me for being a bigot or chauvinist just because I didn’t express my thoughts in the most PC manner. I really hope I’m wrong, because if I am then I DEFINITELY go to Brown. If I’m right, I’ll probably pick Duke.
[] Weather
[/ul]

Any input or additional information would be great, guys. Which best fits my academic needs? My desired social atmosphere?

Thanks in advance. Your thoughts, along with my final visits to these places, will be very influential in my ultimate choice.

2

Sounds like it’s Duke vs. Brown, and your visits will clarify things. With the Brown Open Curriculum, doing a double major will be easier. I went to Brown and loved it, but really a tough call here. Not sure the “Preponderance of rich, stuck-up fratboys” con for Duke is accurate or any different than Brown in that regard.

3

If you have job placement concerns, Brown is an open book - not sure about the others.

https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/support/careerlab/post_grad_data/concentration/ECON
https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/support/careerlab/post_grad_data/concentration/APME

Best of luck!

4

@arwarw Thanks for those links – I’ve already seen them, luckily, and they’re part of the reason why I’m slightly favoring Brown right now.

@Sunny66 Yeah, you’re probably right that it’s mostly Brown vs. Duke. The double major is very doable at both places, though, so I wouldn’t really score that in Brown’s favor (something like 45% of Duke grads get it). I’m not too sure about that fratboy comment, either, but frats definitely seem like they have a big presence at Duke. Also, since you went to Brown, could you comment on the student body/social scene? Are they as out there as everyone seems to think?

5

@willay I am not a recent grad (80s), but I know some current students and recent grads, all of whom love Brown. I was not in a frat and there are not that many (even fewer sororities). There were a variety of parties on campus – Greek and non-Greek – and people generally were very friendly and interesting. If it were my son or daughter, it would be a very tough choice and would come down to fit/gut feeling, as opposed to this department at x school vs. another department at y school, or job placement stats. You will do best where you are happy. There may be more protests and activism at Brown, though I am not sure how much more. You probably will find the composition of the student body similar in terms of the issues about which you are concerned, though Brown will be more liberal. The campus and surrounding areas are great. Downtown Providence also is much nicer now, plus Boston and all of its colleges less than an hour away. As for the question, “Are they as out there as everyone seems to think,” no. Most of the people I knew were moderate politically, left leaning but not way left. And there are a decent number conservatives on campus. I think your preference will be more clear after you visit both. Can’t go wrong with either one.

6

I have two former students, both internationals and both “moderates” (socially conservative, even), and both applied math majors at Brown. They speak very highly of the department and are enjoying their undergrad experience.

7

@marvin100 @Sunny66 Thanks for the perspectives you offered. From what I’ve heard, people from Brown and Duke both collectively love their schools and it seems I can’t go wrong with my choice. I guess I’ll just be choosing whichever one feels more right. That said, the top-notch CS and Applied Math programs are swaying me to some extent…

8

Yes, totall–it’s a win-win any way you slice it. Best of luck with your decision!