<p>Exactly what the title implies. I was accepted by all three and am rather torn, especially between Dartmouth and Duke.</p>
<p>Tough choice. Both great schools and I’d say fairly similar from a social perspective (ample parties, Greek systems relatively prevalent). I think the deciding factors should be 1.) location/weather, 2.) type, and 3.) sports/school spirit. The prestige and academic quality between is basically a wash between Dartmouth and Duke with some exceptions for particular majors. I would say Dartmouth is a bit more conservative than Duke, but political leanings of the student body shouldn’t really be a determining factor, IMO.</p>
<p>First, consider location. Dartmouth is located in the Northeast in nowhere NH, which can get pretty damn cold and snowy in the winter - and can feel isolated at times. If you love the Northeast, like the beautiful autumns, enjoy skiing nearby, and don’t mind living in the middle of nowhere, then perhaps Dartmouth is a better fit. Duke, in the south, obviously has a lot nicer weather and has a much more urban feel to it with many cities nearby (i’d say Duke is between Urban/Suburban. Duke, though, still isn’t really “southern” since the majority of the student body isn’t from the south. But if you have a great affinity to the NE or the South (or rural vs. urban), then that could be a deciding factor.</p>
<p>Next, consider type. I’d classify Dartmouth as closer to Middlebury actually - that is, it has more or a liberal arts-type school feel. Dartmouth has a TOTAL of 5848 students (undergrad and grad), while Duke is more than twice the size at over 12,000. If you like the feel of a small, intimate campus, Dartmouth might be the better choice. If you want a larger university with more research going on, etc. (just based on numbers), then perhaps Duke is a better choice.</p>
<p>Lastly, consider school spirit/sports. I’d say Dartmouth students are quite proud of their university and there is some school spirit as they do have good sports teams in hockey, lacrosse (any others?). It certainly isn’t Columbia (i.e. no sports or school spirit). However, Duke is just on another completely different level. I find the student body to be much more united than the majority of schools, mostly due to the high interest and high profile of basketball.</p>
<p>In the end, can’t go wrong with your choice. I think you should decide based on location (rural vs. urban, NE vs. south), type (smaller research university that almost feels like a liberal arts college vs. larger research university, but still not that large), and sports (decent school spirit, hockey, lacrosse popular but certainly not on a major nation stage vs. premier basketball team in the nation), as the academics and social aspects of the two schools are fairly similar.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I agree with Bluedog. Ultimately, it boils down to Dartmouth or Duke. Great choices!</p>
<p>probono–i’m curious why you have a gripe about Middlebury. Half of your 14 posts are anti-Midd. Where do you go to school?</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. So far I’m leaning towards Dartmouth and Duke, though I’m definitely still considering Midd. </p>
<p>What do you think really sets Duke apart from Dartmouth and Midd? (Besides basketball that is. I’m a varsity athlete, and would definitely compete for Duke if I go there, but basketball really doesn’t mean that much to me).</p>
<p>I’m planning to be a history major, by the way.</p>
<p>“Duke, in the south, obviously has a lot nicer weather and has a much more urban feel to it with many cities nearby (i’d say Duke is between Urban/Suburban.”</p>
<p>many cities?</p>
<p>no.</p>
<p>durham is not a city. its a small ghetto, albeit a lovable ghetto that actually has more to do in it than i thought.</p>
<p>chapel hill is pretty awesome, but thats not a city either.</p>
<p>raleigh is far away</p>
<p>sorry, i have nothing substantive to contribute, I just wanted to make sure the OP didn’t get the wrong idea about duke.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Population of Hanover, NH: 10,850
Largest city near Dartmouth: Manchester, NH (108,874); 1 hr, 15 min away (75 miles)
Population of Durham: 217,847
Population of Research Triangle Park (including Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh): 1,314,589 (all within a 20 or so minute drive, how is that far away?)</p>
<p>So, yes, compared to Hanover, Duke is located in and near a LOT more larger cities. The population of Durham is TWENTY times that of Hanover, and RTP area is 120 times the population of a similar area around Hanover. In fact, Grafton County in NH (1750 square miles!) has a population of just 81,700. </p>
<p>Obviously, Durham is not much of a city compared to NYC, Philly, Chicago, LA, etc., so I’d agree with you about that. But it’s reasonable to say it’s near a lot more things to do/people/and more urban than Dartmouth, which is located in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>KarlXII,
Just out of curiosity, what sport will you be playing at Duke? Shouldn’t you have already signed commitment papers if you were a recruited athlete? Just wondering why this isn’t playing a part in your decision making process?</p>
<p>Hey 3-2go, </p>
<p>I applied to Duke as a regular applicant, without contacting the coach there, so I didn’t have to promise/sign anything. </p>
<p>The sport is playing a part in my decision, as Duke has a varsity team while both Dartmouth and Midd do not. I am weighing other things however, like study abroad opportunities, foreign languages, the respective history departments, etc.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on how the three schools compare?</p>