<p>Economics and Computer Science double major. Goal: finance job within a West Coast tech firm.</p>
<p>Hi House General,
I went to Duke. I have one son majoring in Econ at Duke and one who is a freshman at Dartmouth. I read your thread on the Duke site also. Both schools are great. They are similar in the spirit of the student bodies. Duke has more energy because it’s bigger and it has a more comprehensive graduate school etc. Dartmouth is more academically intimate-- great student/professor interactions etc. I can’t say one is better-- but one might be better for you. There’s a lot of Duke/Dartmouth crossover. We’ve come to know lots of families with a kid at each. Some might say that Dartmouth has a more intense Greek life, but our Duke son is more fraternity-centered than our Dartmouth son. Both are incredibly happy with their schools. To me, the difference comes to the environs. My Dartmouth son is very happy-- and he esp loves the outing club. He went to Canada, hiked, snow shoed. He camps and hikes with them. He LOVES the Dartmouth Symphony. It’s a great group. The cold is a real issue-- you might like the weather, but don’t underestimate its part of the adventure. Duke is springy. Kids are outside and engaged in so many things. It seems more outward focused in a way because it’s more accessible. Both are excellent with job opportunities. Both have great name recognition. At Duke, you have more organized research opportunities. It’s easier to get a grant to go anywhere and do anything. Dartmouth is so special though. The kids are so inclusive and seem to really work together. Both my boys would be happy at either school. If you need lots of different kinds of things to do…Duke. If you are happy diving into your academics in a peaceful setting and you enjoy the cold bucolic wonderland of New Hampshire…Dartmouth.</p>