<p>So i got into both (College of Arts and Sciences for both) and i will get half tution at USC and no finaid from Duke besides loans. For a long time i wanted to go to USC, but now that ive been looking at Duke, ive become conflicted. Idk what i want to study (prob something creative, classes in film, art, and literature and writing, but also maybe political science or businessy classes) and i felt like Duke would allow me to explore my interests more freely while at USC there are so many different individualized colleges and idk how much i would be allowed to take at each one. plus duke is a higher rated school, but USC has the half tuition and LA...</p>
<p>I’m from socal and always contended that if i got the half scholarship to USC I would take it in a minute. Turns out I didn’t get it and was still choosing between Duke and USC at the same price. I liked USC a little bit more but i said to hell with it and tried something new with Duke.
Not getting that scholarship was the best thing that could have happened to me. Tlaking to friends at usc and ucla, I am certain I made the right choice to come to Duke. Haven’t regretted it a day I’ve been here</p>
<p>It depends on your family’s wealth. If college is a stretch for them, then I’d go to USC. It is a very good school and everyone there seems happy, happy, happy. Do you plan to go to grad school? If so, the money will come in handy for that, and employers will look at where you went to grad school over undergrad.</p>
<p>If you truly love Duke better, then talk to your parents and go if it is no hardship.</p>
<p>I am going to Duke. I applied early - no financial aid - and since then my parents’ have lost so much of their retirement money and our house is not worth what it was before. I know now I’ll have to pay myself for grad school, and work some years before grad school. I didn’t think this would be the case when I applied.</p>
<p>If a good school offered me half tuition, I’d take it, due to the uncertainty of the economy, even though Duke, obviously, is and was my first choice.</p>
<p>I had the exact same choice two years ago, with the 1/2 tuition Presidential Scholarship (although I have a little bit of aid from Duke). I am so glad that I chose Duke. I really liked USC and was impressed with their scholarship weekend, but my visit to Duke was even better. </p>
<p>One thing to take into account is what kind of career choices you are interested in. If you are looking in any way at banking or consulting (I want to do consulting now, but didn’t know that going in to Duke), Duke is far and away the better choice. All of the top banks and consulting firms recruit heavily at Duke and lightly (if at all) at USC. Similarly, if you want to work in DC after graduation, Duke’s public policy department has great contacts there. </p>
<p>However, if you know you want to stay on the West Coast (I’m not sure where you’re from), then USC might have a few more opportunities. Being from Washington State, I’ve noticed that as a problem. Most of Duke’s on-campus recruiting is focused on the East Coast (of course, you are entirely able to search for your own internship/job while still taking advantage of the Duke name on your resume, which is what I did).</p>
<p>I did really like USC, but I thought the combination of Duke’s prestige, smaller size, and my general feeling outweighed the 1/2 tuition from USC. But both are great choices.</p>