Duke or Penn..please!

<p>i have posted this so much with no response! Which one should i go for. I like both, however i am an internationa Engineering major who will probably end up working in the business sector on the east or west coast. Which one has the prestige and the name that allures employers! Please Help!!!</p>

<p>I think Duke's engineering is better than that of Penn. In my mind no one school is clearly better than the other. But your location suggests Penn's where you really want to go. I'd say listen to your heart and go to Penn. You can't go wrong either way.</p>

<p>Good Luck. :)</p>

<p>Two great choices. They are top tier elite schools with a peer group that in my view includes Cornell and Columbia. HSYPM are a cut above; CalTech isnt a comp and Chicago and JHU are for monastic scholars LOL.</p>

<p>Among the elite schools I just mentioned, these two seem to have the most momentum (increasing selectivity - for what that's worth, high quality faculty and impressive new hires, top notch endowment growth, increasing research awards and discoveries). Similar sized libraries, </p>

<p>But they are very different institutions. I - for full disclosure - am a very loyal Penn alum. That said, I'll give you my relative pluses:</p>

<p>Penn
+ better name in the business world (plus you can take courses at Wharton)
+ in fact, you can take classes anywhere at Penn grad or undergrad because of the One University policy
+ more international student body, faculty and more study abroad programs
+ greater financial resources - endowment, research funding, annual giving
+ better in academics in general (but both schools are stellar)
+ much stronger professional schools (health sciences, business, law, communications, architecture)
+ beautiful campus
+ urban location in a very diverse city with big city resources (museums, restaurants, clubs)</p>

<p>Duke
+ extraordinary campus (perhaps the top 4-5 I've ever seen)
+ suburban setting, with easy access to rural area for outdoors activities
+ location in the research triangle is great for tech internships
+ great balance between academics and athletics
+ nice museums and art facilities on campus</p>

<p>In engineering, the schools are different:
Penn -
- 1,545 undergrads and 1,059 graduates
- more majors (bioeng, chem, EE and systems, materials, digital design, comps sci, mech e, etc.) + dual degrees are easy
- larger research budget</p>

<p>Duke
- 1,110 undergraduates and 449 graduate students</p>

<p>Neither school is a giant in engineering, but both are well respected names (esp in bioengineering where they're both top 10). Penn will give you more academic flexibility, and provide an Ivy pedigree for what that's worth.</p>

<p>Final recommendation - visit both places before you decide. See where you think you'll fit (school's size, advising capabilities, clubs + events + intellectual growth opportunities). Then choose</p>

<p>Great post red&blue.</p>

<p>I think red&blue knows more about penn ;). Seriously though while Penn might slighty edge Duke in some categories, considering rate of improvement Duke has come out of now where in the past few years to one of the best. Duke has some great new facilites and their entry level Engineering programs have been amazing (i'm still a freshman at Pratt). Dr. G. is a fantastic professor (if you go you will know him instantly) and has done TONS for the program. My advice, visit each school, go to a Blue Devil Days and do the Pratt tours with Dr. G. Ivy league pedigree isn't what you think when you consider last year Penn was # 7 and Duke #8 (and the year before I believe duke was ranked higher) I wouldnt say Penn is "much stronger" in grad schools considering Duke Medicine, Law and Business were all ranked in the top 12, where there isnt too much room for improvement (6,11,11 repectively). Don't let the ivy league trap you, it gets too many students, visit the schools and pick where you feel most at home (Harvard trapped my girlfriend :*( but now shes apply to Duke transfer!)</p>

<p>I would like to know what other schools are in your top 4-5 nicest campuses, cause this last year has without a doubt been the most beautiful living experience I have ever had (from the east coast of Florida). Go to the Duke gardens too, it'll knock your socks off (and make your nose run if you have allergies)</p>

<p>I do know much more about Penn, but I am quite familiar with Duke. As my post states, I think those two schools have incredible momentum; howwever, i think that Penn is currently higher placed and provides a broader platform for intellectual and personal growth. That claim is based on all the items I listed before.</p>

<p>Re grad schools:</p>

<p>Penn Med - #3 consistently, Duke - #4 - #6 over the past few years
Penn Law - #6 now, usually #7 or 8; Duke - #8 to #11 over the past years
Penn Business - always in the Top 3; Duke always 7 to 12 </p>

<p>Other Penn schools:</p>

<p>Architecture (Top 5)
Annenberg (Communications) - Top 2
Nursing - #3
Veterinary - #3 or #4
Dental - viewed as Top 5 with Harvard, Michigan, Columbia, UCSF (no real ranking is available though)
Social Policy - #13
Education - #11</p>

<p>Check the National Research Council ranking of grad programs (moderately applicable to undergrads) and the Center for ranking universities for relative strengths of each school. Penn is ranked higher than Duke in both assessments by a big margin. I know enough of Duke to know they don't post those kind of rankings.</p>

<p>Much more important though is the One University policy at Penn means that an undergrad can make use/access the resources and professors of any of these schools. The post is NOT AT ALL meant to minimize what Duke has accomplished, it's to point out to the OP that Penn's academic flexibility + the strength of a wide number of it's programs provides a very strong platform for his/her education.</p>

<p>Re the best campuses I've seen (in no certain ranking):</p>

<p>Stunning
- Stanford
- Duke
- Princeton</p>

<p>Extremely Nice/Unique
- Columbia
- UVa
- UChicago</p>

<p>Urban (crowded) but Pretty
- Penn
- Yale</p>

<p>R&B: I'm curious to hear your thoughts on business prospects for non-Wharton kids. Do other Penn kids find that Wharton kids "suck" up all the best business jobs?</p>

<p>Duke doesn't have a business major, so I've never experienced this one way or the other.</p>

<p>I have several friends who are non Wharton who got jobs early in Manhattan, with recognized companies and are making in two instances more than WhartHogs. I think that "regulars" can and do get business jobs all the time. Actually one is going to Stamford CT to a hedge fund.</p>

<p>Go to Penn, since you want to end up in Business. And it's on the wast coast.</p>

<p>Penn's not on the west coast.</p>

<p>^^ Lololololol</p>

<p>I was talking about the University of Pennsylvania and not Wharton West.</p>