<p>My daughter has been accepted into Duke and Rice and is at a crossroads on her decision. As parents, our preference is Duke, however after her recent visit to Rice, she is leaning towards Rice. It's a difficult choice especially given that she has not decided on a major. Possible majors could be pre-med or bioengineering. Minor will be in international studies. </p>
<p>We would appreciate your comments on the pros & cons of both schools. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>that just is not enough infor about your daughter and her own pros and cons about Duke and Rice. We have a Duke senior. Second son was admitted to Rice and preferred Rice to Duke, and we greatly respect Rice although he has chosen to enroll at Vandy. Son number two felt completely happy with the concept of the Residential College at Rice. Duke has a very good first year experience at East Campus for freshmen, but housing becomes more complex after that. Sports are much more huge at Duke re interest level and attendance. There are many parents around this board who have had children at both Rice and Duke. I will tell you that the undergrad experiences at the two colleges are very different socially, but that the academics are similar. My son has received a fantastic education at Duke, with some large classes but many many opportunities for intimate relationships with professors. The Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke is remarkable and Duke has a very international outlook and student body if IR is important to her. I think you should be weighing the social fit and the finanical fit. I would not consider distance from home so much. Rice is hugely respected anywhere in the USA for grad school so I would let her choose her own adventure if money is not an issue.</p>
<p>Unless you are looking for a big athletic and fraternity scene, I believe Rice offers just about a perfect college experience. Duke is a wonderful school, too, of course, but if your daughter really liked Rice, go for it! I can’t say enough good things about my daughter’s Rice experience.</p>
<p>Could you tell us why your preference is Duke? Rice is an amazing school, and is on par with Duke in terms of program reputation. It’s a little smaller and a little less well-known, but it’s VERY well-respected… and if your daughter is in love with it, she’ll positively thrive there!</p>
<p>Rice did some very wonderful things for my educational growth and my growth as a human being, and I’m very grateful for my time there.</p>
<p>Through your responses we’re finding out that either school would be a good choice and to settle on Duke based on ranking may be a common mistake. My daughter did mention that her day at Rice was much better organized and more impressive than Duke’s chaotic Blue Devil days. She really likes the residential college program. </p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your comments!</p>
<p>I strongly believe you should completely allow her to pick her social/emotional fit, not Duke’s bigger name brand, and this is from a Mom who will be spending three days at Duke graduation shortly. My son attends a LOT of sporting events, would not have liked Rice re sports (but who can trump Duke there?), is proud of his Duke degree which does bring with it alum groups in many corners of the USA and has benefited from Duke’s very global outreach in service and student body, so I understand the best of Duke…he is also big in liberal arts things at Duke. </p>
<p>Durham is a problem. He has a good life there, and he likes Durham fine, OK? But the crime issue is a constant parental concern steps off campus for students who are not vigilant and for some who are just unlucky. Sorry, had to say it. I don’t think Duke is proactive enough in security…as Johns Hopkins is now for instance. Yes, common sense will likely protect you completely…but still, Rice Village trumps Durham completely and totally for freedom for student hangouts day and night. </p>
<p>Housing in my view is problematic…but then I am sort of from the 60s. I don’t like the way male Greeks get “territory” in dorms and female Greeks don’t at Duke and at many other colleges…this is the “way it is.” My son loves being Greek, so again…this is my opinion, not his. I don’t think independents get the level of access to housing after the wonderful year on East that they deserve sometimes and the recession has eliminated Duke’s ability to rebuild Central Campus for a while longer…which is not a place I would want my son to live ever, especially at full price expense. The plans to rebuild Central will completely fix this concern and I am all for it when the money is there. But it is put off now.</p>
<p>If she is not gung ho on sports, if she would prefer a school with zero Greeks and a very democratic, welcoming social structure…Rice Residential Colleges trump everything in my book. Duke is very close to our home…only three hours… and Houston was a miserable distance away, but if we really loved Rice’s social community and incredible access to a gazillion hospitals and some great art and museums. Rice may not have the national ring that Duke does for Joe Public but where it matters, Rice is completely known and respected…at grad school and at the door of employers. In fact, I noticed that the Rice students who were seniors we met already had jobs. A Rice education, like a Duke education, tends to have good hook ups with the job market in my opinion and students are connected to the world of work in both colleges.</p>
<p>Lastly, this youtube MTV video just cracks me up…and shows you more of the kind of nerdy fun of the Rice student body…very suitable for my second son…not a fit for first-born…you should in my view let your charming daughter, who has such great options…go for her emotional fit…which is in the end a gut instinct and hard to explain.<br>
<a href=“MTV | Homepage - Shows & Schedules”>MTV | Homepage - Shows & Schedules;
<p>I also like to watch the hilarious Frosh Movies on the Duke website annually–Duke freshmen in each East Campus dorm make a movie and they have a film night and vote for the winners…</p>
<p>her choices are an embarrassment of riches…so let us know where she goes! Congrats!</p>
<p>After a lot of agonizing back and forth, my D finally made a decision - it’s going to be Duke. Some of her reasons:</p>
<ul>
<li>With no major in mind yet, she felt Duke offered more first year choices like the Focus and Duke Engage programs.</li>
<li>it’s much easier to figure out a class schedule in the Duke system when you’re considering Focus and Pre-med track.<br></li>
<li>she felt Duke had a more national/global reach than Rice and with that a much larger diversified alumni. Maybe more bang for the buck! (which of course remains to be seen)</li>
<li>she already has 3 friends enrolled at Duke who could be of great help to her. </li>
<li>Rice offered no financial aid even after an appeal request with documented budget. Not even loans, hard to believe. Duke was much more accommodating. </li>
</ul>
<p>The only regret is that Rice has a residential college system and Duke doesn’t.
We’re happy with her decision since the drive to Durham is much closer than Houston and the climate is much better. </p>
<p>Onward ho’</p>
<p>Congratulations! You must be very proud.</p>
<p>Welcome to the Blue Devils…PM if you have any questions…my son graduates soon at Duke…he has been gloriously happy since his first day there…East Campus Freshman year is a highlight plus he was a HUGE Focus fan…one of the top five things he did there along with a semester in an absolutely incredible program abroad. Duke hired the best faculty ever even in Europe for our students.</p>
<p>This Maryland Grad says Friends Don’t Let Friends Go To Duke!</p>
<p>D is definitely interested in the Focus and Study Abroad programs and we’ll be checking out the Focus clusters shortly. Her real challenge is deciding on a major. We’re encouraging her to take the pre-med courses in case she chooses medicine later. The Interdisciplinary Studies program is also of great interest to her as a minor. </p>
<p>Thanks a lot for all of your comments and suggestions. We’re certainly proud of her accomplishments and judgment so far!</p>
<p>Any suggestions for summer preparation for college entrance in August?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Moderator’s Note: We’ve moved this thread from Parents Cafe into Parents Forum, which is dedicated to parents’ discussions of college matters.</p>
<p>Welcome, Tiger09!</p>