<p>What's the overall reputation for Duke and Dartmouth?</p>
<p>Fluffycakes xox</p>
<p>My brother is a senior at Duke, so I will tell you about that.</p>
<p>For the most part (outside of athletic rivalry, stupid tarheels) Duke carries a great reputation for undergrad and most of its grad programs. </p>
<p>Duke is a top 10 school, although rankings aren't everything it definately carries with it a great reputation. When people ask my brother where he goes to college, and he replies Duke, educated people (a small percent in the South where we live) realize it's a great school.</p>
<p>I don't know anything about Dartmouth though, sorry.</p>
<p>*Note, nothing against Southerners, I am one too, we just for the most part aren't the brightest bunch.</p>
<p>I am always amazed to find that so many students I know applied to both schools. They are very different even if both very good schools in their way. </p>
<p>Duke is a university. Dartmouth is a university, more or less, in name only; that is why Dartmouth is officially called Dartmouth College, not Dartmouth University. It has a small med school and a small but very prestigious ‘B’ school. Otherwise, all Dartmouth’s focus and resources are devoted to undergrads.</p>
<p>To me, though smaller--as universities go, Duke is more of a mid-size school on steroids. With grad schools that, to a degree, overshadow the undergrads. In many respects it is far more comparable to Cornell, Umich, Berkeley, Penn inasmuch as it is in fact a research university far more than a ‘college’; big time athletics with buckets full of athletic scholarships…as well as academic scholarships. Dartmouth offers neither.</p>
<p>Dartmouth, otoh, is more comparable to Princeton, Brown, Williams & Amherst, amongst other notable undergrad focused schools.</p>
<p>Duke offers more of the big university experience; Dartmouth, more of a LAC experience. Both are known to be ‘fun’ or chill schools.</p>
<p>Both prestigious…both top 10 undergrad…both "elite".</p>
<p>
[quote]
To me, though smaller--as universities go, Duke is more of a mid-size school on steroids. With grad schools that, to a degree, overshadow the undergrads. In many respects it is far more comparable to Cornell, Umich, Berkeley, Penn inasmuch as it is in fact a research university far more than a ‘college’...
[/quote]
Um...no. Duke's undergrad and grad populations are 12,000 students- considerably smaller than Cornell's undergrad population and literally half of Berkeley's undergrad. Arts & Sciences only has ~4500 students. </p>
<p>Duke's focus is very much on undergrads. I knew no fewer than 7 department heads by the end of my first semester, I was doing independent research in my specific area of interest by the end of the year thanks to a grant designated for freshmen and sophomores, I frequently ate dinner with some of my professors, virtually all of my classes have had fewer than 15 students...I could go on. Duke compares very favorably to LAC-like universities. </p>
<p>I'd say more people have heard of Duke due to athletics, but the people who have heard of Dartmouth (most of the people you want to work with or for) know it's equally good. Personally, I didn't apply to any colleges up North because there was a perfectly good college sitting in my backyard.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Duke's focus is very much on undergrads. I knew no fewer than 7 department heads by the end of my first semester, I was doing independent research in my specific area of interest by the end of the year, I frequently ate dinner with some of my professors, and virtually all of my classes have had fewer than 15 students.
[/quote]
How very wonderful for you. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Um...no. Duke's undergrad and grad populations are 12,000 students- considerably smaller than Cornell's undergrad population and literally half of Berkeley's undergrad.
[/quote]
Which is exactly why I noted that:
[quote]
as universities go, Duke is more of a mid-size school on steroids. With grad schools that, to a degree, overshadow the undergrads.
[/quote]
That is to say, it may be of a smaller stature than its peers, but it is all bulked up and pumped nonetheless.</p>
<p>I debated between these two and ultimately choose Dartmouth. Prestige wise, I don;t see any difference. </p>
<p>But in terms of "college experience" I think Dartmouth has some real differences over almost any school. Its a tight-knit campus with a "warm and fuzzy" feeling. With a big weekend every quarter (think bonfires in the fall, ice sculptures in the winter, "fieldstock" in the summer, bands in the spring), amazing study abroad (Dartmouth only programs), sophomore summer (where you really get to know your entire class), etc its like no other school I know. Duke has its own distinguishing factors (Cameron Crazies) but the "LACishness" distinction of Dartmouth felt very real to me.</p>
<p>Dathmouth is exponentially better than Duke</p>
<p>Not at all. As Dorothy said they're very different.</p>
<p>I would like Dartmouth way more than Duke, but could understand why others would think differently.</p>
<p>Both are elite schools, both have huge party scenes relative to student body size</p>
<p>The main differences are Duke has larger grad programs and warmer weather than Dartmouth, from what I see. And also its not on a trimester schedule. But they share many applicants who are interested in both an elite school academically and a fun social scene.</p>
<p>Yeah, i notice you are from australia and have made few posts, so maybe people overestimate how much you know about these schools. If you are lucky enough to get into either or both, then they are practically equal in terms of "prestige"/quality/name-recognition no matter how much people bicker about which is better. Nobody would ever say "what?? you chose DUKE over DARTMOUTH!!??" or vice versa. Personnally, I like both and I'm not sure which I would pick. Probably Duke. You'd have to visit and decide which you prefer based on location, size, student body (which doesn't differ much), etc.</p>
<p>"Dathmouth is exponentially better than Duke"</p>
<p>lol 'exponentially' better? Perhaps you meant 'substantially,' in which case I would refute your claim. =)</p>
<p>Choose duke, if you want to go med, duke's med acceptance quality is comparable w/ jhu, plus duke also places highly in law (i think it was law...)O.o...i don;t think darthmouth's grad placement qualities in med or law are as good as duke's</p>
<p>Duke has more name recognition and perhaps with H,Y,P and Notre Dame, one of the more national student bodies. Dartmouth is a fine school but remote and the climate is very cold. Along with Stanford, Duke offers a great combination of academics and social/athletic. Dartmouth is more like LAC-Middlebury or Williams.</p>
<p>I know both Dartmouth and Duke very well and agree that the schools are comparable in academics and prestige. IMO, however, they have distinct personalities and the four-year undergrad experience at each will be quite different. </p>
<p>Perhaps due to its remote location, small town, small school size, and pretty tough winters, Dartmouth attracts students who are very independent thinkers and who enjoy the outdoors. Dartmouth may be the smallest school in the Ivy League, but it probably creates the greatest bond between and among its students. The esprit de corps of the Dartmouth undergrad classes and the loyalty that it engenders to the school is probably the greatest of any school that I have ever encountered (and the 50% alumni giving rate is testament to this). The academic quarter system is unique and the requirement that students spend a summer in Hanover also makes for a unique and bonding experience. It is the rare student who goes to Dartmouth who does not find him or herself academically challenged, surrounded by highly intelligent, interesting, outgoing peers, constantly engaged in a variety of activities…and who doesn’t love nearly every minute of it. </p>
<p>Duke is also an exceptional school and you will definitely be stimulated by the very high quality of your classmates. As mentioned by other posters, the graduate schools can overshadow parts of the undergrad world (unlike Dartmouth), but the undergrad student loyalty to Duke is also amazing (as they give at a 44% rate). Being located in Durham and also in close proximity to UNC (8 miles away), the undergrad social life at Duke is much more diversified than at Dartmouth, but some might claim that the on campus social life is less vibrant than at Dartmouth. For example, it is quite common for undergrads to make the drive over to Chapel Hill for a dinner or a party at their rival school. But academically, Duke is a powerhouse and clearly the top school in the South. Some would claim that Duke is a northern school located in the South and perhaps this is partly true as there is a large NY-NJ-PA group there. Duke does have a requirement that 13% of its students hail from North Carolina, but they attract the cream of the crop from the state and also from all over the country. And while basketball gets most of the headlines, Duke’s athletic programs are deep and broad and they consistently rank very highly in the national Directors Cup standings. </p>
<p>The academic environments, the types of students, the weather, the athletic programs, the architectural surroundings-these are all great at both schools, but they are also quite different. As close as Dartmouth and Duke are to one another in academics and prestige, I believe that determining the right school and the right fit will be possible only if you visit (and hopefully you won't have to come all the way from Australia to make that visit :) ).</p>
<p>dajada07 thankyou for telling me regarding the 13% rule...i only knew that it was easier for students to get in instate but thank you for clarifying that up a bit more =D</p>
<p>Darkhope, saying Duke is better at med and law placement is completely inaccurate. Every data set points to both being about equal. This is a lifestyle, not a prestige-based or academic, decision.</p>
<p>O.o i'm sorry i wasn;t sure for law placement but I am sure that duke's placement into med schools is better and I am sorry that I was not aware that this was a lifestyle preference, i thought it was mainly academic but ok lol =D
edit: i'm sorry i don;t know very much regarding darthmouth's placement into med schools but if i'm right i think darthmouth does better in law or was it buisness either one of them and med school placement is a bit weaker so it really depends what profession the op wanted to pursue
edit: yesss, it was LAW lol =D i'm pretty sure now</p>
<p>As for people saying that Dartmouth is like Princeton....no. My brother attends Dartmouth and I attend Princeton, and we think they are not similar at all. Maybe they are similar in that the focus on undergrads at both is very strong, but you have to understand that the cultures of the schools are wildly different, and Princeton, despite having a tiny grad school, still has lots of high powered professors running around. What I'm trying to say is that Princeton is not a big LAC, but Dartmouth is for the most part. </p>
<p>As for Dartmouth and Duke...totally different apples and oranges. A well-focused college list would not have these two together.</p>
<p>^ Then why are there so many more Princeton rejects at Dartmouth than from any other school?</p>