I am required by my school to figure out my Early Decision choice by Monday Oct 28. I am currently stuck between Dartmouth and Duke.
I am looking to go into either business / finance or medicine.
Is there any difference in prestige or opportunities between the two?
From my school, it is easier to get into Dartmouth and I really loved it when I visited. I am a bit worried about how rural it is, however. While I am all for Greek Life, does fratting all day every day get boring after a while?
For Duke, it is close to home (which is good) and would really want to go. That being said, it is a very difficult to get in from my school. Overall, I would want to go to Duke slightly more than I would Dartmouth, but not significantly.
I feel like if I apply to Dartmouth or Duke and get in I will be super happy, but if I get rejected from Duke I will be really mad that I didn’t use ED on Dartmouth, which is a school I have a better chance of getting into. If I get rejected from Dartmouth ED, I won’t mind as much.
@Publisher My experience is that the feel of theses campuses and students are very different. Other than a strong Greek presence I don’t see much else in common other than they are both academic powerhouses.
But strong academics & Greek life are a very significant part of each campus & comprise a large part of each school’s campus culture.
There are differences. I just do not see them as very, very different schools. In that light, my impression is that most students at one school would be happy at the other.
P.S. I do understand that at Dartmouth College some frat activities are quite disgusting. So, in that respect, Duke is more civilized.
Additionally, the presence of grad students at Duke elevates the entire academic experience for all.
Chances are, you’ll get rejected by both schools. They’re both hyper-competitive with a less than 8% acceptance rate. It comes down to luck. EVERY student in the top 10% is applying to those schools and all of them are convinced they have a “hook.” Just keep a list of affordable target and safety schools.
There is at least one book detailing the practices at a few of the frats. These were confirmed by now graduated students. According to many, the practices are openly talked about on campus.
With that being said, I have never met a graduate of Dartmouth College I didn’t like.
Dartmouth College did not become co-ed until some time in the 1970s. Maybe that has something to do with these practices.
I do not know the name of the book about Dartmouth frats, but Animal House, the movie, was allegedly based on Dartmouth frats.
P.S. It really would be best to ask a recent Dartmouth graduate or a current student as my info. is almost a decade old–except for what another parent told me today (but that experience was probably a few years ago as well).
I’d recommend reading the Dartmouth student newspaper. Actually, it’s good practice to read the papers at all the schools on your list. You can learn a lot.
You can’t have your cake and eat it you. You have to make a choice and face consequences in a mature way because either you are already 18 or will be in few months. Welcome to adulthood. You’ll be fine at either college but keep your expectations in check, you may not get into either.
This. Also, keep in mind that Naviance statistics do not tell the whole story; the students admitted to Dartmouth from your school may have had a boost not revealed by GPA/SAT scores (e.g. legacy status or athletic recruiting).
There are plenty of excellent schools that share many similarities with Duke but are a bit less selective, such as Davidson and Rhodes, so start putting together a list of safeties and matches that you’d feel comfortable attending.
Consider applying to at least one rolling or EA school (Tulane? U Miami?) in addition to your ED school in case you get deferred/rejected.