<p>After both being accepted by and visiting both of these colleges, I still remain undecided. I am interested in pursuing BME but am not so sure on the engineering aspect. If not bioengineering, then I'd probably want to switch into just biology with eventual pre-med.</p>
<p>So far, my reasons for each college:
Duke (more objective, academic reasons):
-Better BME
-More medical students
-Higher ranking
-Slightly cheaper with loans
-Better athletics (though I'm not that into basketball)</p>
<p>Cornell (more subjective, campus life reasons):
-Better psychology program
-I loved the campus/food
-NY Weather (snow!)
-Closer to relatives
-More Asians
-Better Job Placements
-Ivy League</p>
<p>So, I guess my overall question is what is more important? Feeling at home or getting a better education? Also, in the event that I do want to switch out of engineering (I'm in both universities' schools of engineering), which is easier to switch out of?</p>
<p>Both schools BME and overall rankings aren’t that different. Basketball is obviously huge at Duke, but Cornell also has a big scene (Hockey is a religion). Cornell engineering is better than Duke’s but it matters what you’re switching in to. Cornell is more diverse, if that is what you are looking for and it seems that you like Cornell’s location and environment more. The whole Ivy League status goes to Cornell (but Duke’s giving you more money), but there job placements are probably about the same as both are incredibly prestigious. Cornell wins the battle of cross admits between the two schoolss, but not overwhelmingly so. You want my opinion? CORNELL 2013!</p>
<p>bjomountsi don’t you get tired of your cornell posts? btw, how do you know cornell wins the battle of cross admits? I am a little doubtful about that.</p>
<p>I would personally recommend you go to Duke, especially if you are considering BME. Duke’s BME is the best in the country right next to JHU. I could care less about the Ivy League status, and I don’t think it should affect your decision either. Duke is just as good, if not better, than middle-tier Ivy schools. Duke has the weather, the social scene, sports, and academics. Overall a great balance. Although I am a little biased towards Duke as it is one of the two top choices left for me right now (along with Penn), I would choose Duke over Cornell ANY DAY.</p>
<p>Honestly though, I think both of these schools would work out great for you, so it just comes down to which one fits you better. Good luck.</p>
<p>Duke actually has more Asians according to CollegeBoard.com with 22% versus 18%. I have no idea why this would even matter to you, though. It might say something about diversity but not much. I don’t know if the job placement is better at Cornell either. In most fields, you will probably essentially have the same opportunities, and this probably shouldn’t be in your criteria since the differences are minuscule. I’d suspect for a field like BME that Duke placement is better given its rank, though. The rest of Cornell Engineering probably beats out Duke. </p>
<p>At Duke, it’s very easy to switch out of engineering. If you’re from Washington like your tag says, Duke is only a 4 hour drive away, which really isn’t that far. I know people that live in Chapel Hill (only 20 minutes away) and they never go home except for breaks. To me, this wouldn’t matter, but it depends on the person. Most students quickly grow to call Duke their home. Therefore, to answer your question:</p>
<p>“So, I guess my overall question is what is more important? Feeling at home or getting a better education?” </p>
<p>You should probably go to the one that you would feel offers you a better education. You don’t go to college to stay in your comfort zone, or at least, I didn’t. Things like food are nice, but it’s not like the food at Duke is inedible. It’s a pretty fine point.</p>
<p>Anyway, you can’t really go wrong here. They are both great schools. Best of luck with your decision!</p>
<p>the weather at Duke will be a lot better than at Cornell. It’s fun to see snow but to be in Ithaca’s kind of weather for months at a time can be harsh.</p>
<p>Duke expects 23,240.00 total family contribution plus 4000 of financial aid.
Cornell is 24,965.00 total faimly contribution without any loans, just grants and scholarships.</p>
<p>And not Washington DC - I live in Washington state. Which, is a long drive to either school. xD</p>
<p>Does anyone happen to know if med schools prefer either school? Or if one school has a higher med school acceptance rate over the other?</p>
<p>And is it easy to switch out of Cornell Engineering? Which school has a better just biology program?</p>
<p>I don’t think anybody at either Cornell or Duke would tell you that one school over the other would provide you with a better education. They are equal, for all intents and purposes.</p>
<p>It sounds like you should go with fit. And I also suspect that Cornell’s financial aid office will match Duke’s offer.</p>
<p>For graduating seniors, the rate is about 85%. They also break it down by individual medical school, and you can see that Duke students matriculate at many top medical schools. I don’t have data on Cornell, but I suspect that Cornell fares pretty well, too.</p>
<p>Both schools have great Biology programs. There’s not enough of a difference really that it should even factor into your decision.</p>
<p>How exactly does Cornell feel more like home to you again? Sorry for asking but some of your points don’t make any sense. Duke is actually slightly more diverse than Cornell. I think Duke is more prestigious than Cornell nationally but Cornell is far more recognized internationally.</p>
<p>Actually Cayuga, I would say Duke offers a slightly better undergraduate education than Cornell because of smaller classes, better S/F ratio, better study abroad programs, more undergrad resources, etc. It’s kind of a fine point but much less so than food.</p>
<p>I lived in Rochester, NY for nine years before moving to Washington state so Cornell weather is definitely no stranger. Plus, though both schools have amazing campuses, Cornell’s is more rural/suburbs while Duke’s seemed to be more city-like. When I visited, I had a hard time getting used to the fact that I’d have to ride a bus everywhere in Duke just to get from my dorm to where most of my classes would be. Getting totally lost at 11 PM in the Duke campus also left behind bad memories. Any other points need clarification?</p>
<p>Does Cornell have a good med advising program too? Or do they just give you that flowchart and have you figure it out yourself?</p>
<p>Also, ring<em>of</em>fire, when I was researching to schools online, I got that Cornell had a better S/F ratio. Princeton Review was wrong?</p>
<p>But thanks for that “Duke is more prestigious than Cornell nationally but Cornell is far more recognized internationally”. That actually makes a ton of sense.</p>
<p>oh please. “ivy leage” is actually a reason? comparing Duke to any ivy other than Harvard, Yale, or Princeton would be a comparison of roughly equals. The same goes for schools like Northwestern, Stanford (include HYP here), MIT (include HYP here), Johns Hopkins, and University of Chicago</p>
<p>I’m not saying that “Ivy league” is that big of a reason but still, it is there. Besides, my parents are big on the “reputation” aspect and so far, Ivy League is one of the only reasons they’re willing to listen to. </p>
<p>sportychicsam14 - any particular reason why? </p>
<p>and does it even really matter which I go to? I mean, Duke may have better rankings for premed and for bme but if I’m willing to work hard, aren’t my chances just as good at Cornell?</p>
<p>It sounds like you have a favorite already. Go with your gut. If you prefer Cornell, then go there. You will never succeed in a place where you aren’t happy.</p>
<p>Ithaca is actually one of the best college towns in the United states…while Durham is not exactly wonderful or anywhere near wonderful…
Chapel Hill, 30 min away from Duke, however is.</p>
<p>Zouwie, from you have told us, I think you would honestly enjoy Cornell more.</p>
btw, how do you know cornell wins the battle of cross admits? I am a little doubtful about that.</p>