<p>I like both places. I currently like Duke better since I've done more research about it.</p>
<p>If I want to major in Econ/Social psych/sociology, which university is better? Of course, both are outstanding, but I just wanted to hear from CCer's take of which is better in my case.</p>
<p>(Obviously, presuming that I get in)</p>
<p>*Posted in both Duke & Yale threads</p>
<p>I'd highly recommend choosing Yale over Duke unless Duke gives you a merit scholarship.</p>
<p>^At least Mondo is being honest in his/her opinion :)</p>
<p>Duke and Yale are very different schools, so it depends what you are looking for. I think pretty much everybody would agree that Yale is more prestigious so that might open a few more doors down the road, but Duke is still an elite institution, so it's not like you are comparing Harvard to SW Mississippi St. But prestige and funds (Yale's endowment is nearly four times that of Duke's) can make a difference and may be important to you. You said earlier that you'd require significant financial aid, so it'll be easier to decide when you get your financial aid packages. </p>
<p>Durham and New Haven are both fairly poor and dangerous, to be perfectly honest, but there are great cities nearby both. Yale has the residential college thing going on, while Duke does not. Yale is in New England, Duke is in North Carolina (but most students are from the North, so it doesn't seem Southern). Duke and Yale both have amazing econ departments - Yale is probably slightly more prestigious once again. I don't know anything about Yale's social psych/sociology, but I'm sure it's strong, as is the department at Duke. </p>
<p>Duke is a big-time athletic school competing for NCAA championships in many sports with national media exposure. Yale doesn't give athletic scholarships, and thus fields relatively poor teams; students do not go to games in droves like they do at Duke (except for the Harvard-Yale football game). I know this might not seem like a big deal, but men's basketball really unites the student body at Duke and is a LOT of fun. It also gives you a connection to the school for the rest of your life because you constantly see them on ESPN and you connect up with other alumni to watch games, etc. It also helps morale of the student body and gives people excuses for study breaks at certain times. Honestly, Duke b-ball is probably the major reason I chose Duke over Columbia and UPenn. I wanted to feel great pride and connection to my school while I attended and for the rest of my life. But I'm also really into basketball, so this may not be as big of a deal for you. And I'm sure alumni at Yale feel very connected to the school. I'm just saying that the student body at Duke really gets united and it gets exciting. Although, admittedly, Yale has a slightly higher prestige level than UPenn and Columbia. Also, I major in biomedical engineering so it's a different situation. Duke had the first accredited program in the nation and is usually ranked #2. So, for econ, it might be different. I think if I was going to major in econ, social psych, got into both Yale and Duke, and the financial aid packages were identical, I would probably choose Yale, although Duke basketball would make that decision difficult. Also, Duke girls are hotter than Yallies.... ;) Although I am not 100% sure that you are male...Anyways, good luck!</p>
<p>Yale.</p>
<p>Sorry, I like Duke a lot but Yale is just awesome.</p>
<p>Duke of course! You don't have to mess around with that terrible snow and whatnot. North Carolina has a great climate. Duke has a great basketball team. If you take away the academics of the schools and just look at student life, Duke is the obvious choice. Then think about academics. Both of them are prestigious institutions but You'll have more fun at Duke. </p>
<p>The the poster above who said that Durham is a poor and dangerous city, it is in parts but it is a very big city. The reputation of Durham is not very great but there is more to the bull city than what you hear. Duke is located in a nice part of Durham. So safety is nothing to worry about.</p>
<p>The academics of Duke and Yale are pretty comparable. Yale just has more prestige. That says nothing about the academic programs. I suggest that you look at which one you like better, for the campus, the student life and other things rather than the name. Both schools will put you along in life, I suggest that you attend the one that calls to you more.</p>
<p>THnx bluedog for the helpful comment! (ps: I'm a dude)</p>
<p>My values:
- I dislike cheaters
- I dislike people who stop at nothing for glory&fame
- I love soccer
- I consider myself putting ethics above ambition
- I want to stay sane. I like academics, but not to the point where I go crazy from competition</p>
<p>My questions:
1- Is the student body at either of these universities worse than the other in terms of over-ambitiousness?
2- If I'm an int'l student in need of at least a half-ride, would it be easier to get into Duke (non-need blind) or Yale (need-blind, but terribly hard to get into the first place)
3- Which institution would you (CCers) say that cares more for diversity?</p>
<p>I sincerely thank you if you take the time and patience to answer even one of my questions!</p>
<p>While name wise Yale may have a little more going for it, comparing their reputations is like comparing a Lexus to a BMW, as in they both carry a lot of weight.</p>
<p>I can't speak for Yale personally but one of my best friends is there right now and he hates the student life. He came down here for a visit and absolutely loved it. Ironically he didn't get into Duke, which was his first choice . . .</p>
<p>The social scene here is simply magnificent. Work hard Play hard definitely applies. You will definitely be having fun.</p>
<p>In the top 10 schools, Duke is definitely one of the chillest when it comes to inter-student competition for grades etc. While the odd one out will still be the ambitious stoop-to-any-level jerk, that type is surprisingly limited here. While the pre-med's are a somewhat different story even they aren't as bad as they are most places.</p>
<p>All in all, when combining a social life with great academic opportunities, as cliche as it sounds, there is no place better than Duke.</p>
<p>^agree with illumin4tus about social life/academic balance at Duke</p>
<p>Really, there aren't many better places for the social life/academic balance than Duke. People at Duke for the most part are not cutthroat at all and are very down to earth. Sure, there are some arrogant individuals, but I expect it's not at the same level as Princeton, for example. For the most part, Duke students are pretty chill and everybody wants to help each other. The vast majority of the student body loves Duke (as evidenced by the low transfer rate; I think Duke has a 97% retention rate) and that can be attributed to the people, the social scene, and academics. I only have one friend who goes to Yale, so I don't know too much about it, but I got the feeling it is slightly more cut-throat competition academically. Although it's not on the level of UChicago or anything. Now, to attempt to answer your questions.</p>
<p>1- Is the student body at either of these universities worse than the other in terms of over-ambitiousness?</p>
<p>I don't know for sure as both have individuals that are super ambitious, but I think you'd find there are a greater number of jock-types at Duke who are definitely not overly-ambitious. Not many people who just like to chill would choose to go to Yale, but there are some at Duke - and most of them are still smart! So, I'd expect there is a slightly higher percentage of "overly-ambitious" students at Yale, because, I mean, it is Yale after all.</p>
<p>2- If I'm an int'l student in need of at least a half-ride, would it be easier to get into Duke (non-need blind) or Yale (need-blind, but terribly hard to get into the first place)</p>
<p>No idea. I guess you'll just have to wait for the admissions committee to decide that for you. At least if you get into Duke, they do guarantee to meet 100% of your demonstrated need, just like Yale.</p>
<p>3- Which institution would you (CCers) say that cares more for diversity?</p>
<p>Don't really know, but Duke has a much larger Asian population than Yale for some reason. I think the numbers for African American and Hispanic students are about equal. Duke is sometimes said to have little race/class interaction, but I haven't found that to be completely true. I have more asian friends than white ones (i'm white), although I'm an engineer. There are many cultural groups, though, so maybe certain individuals hang out with people they meet from those. Also, the greek system is largely separated by race as there are strictly African American frats/sororities, and the other frats/sororities are primarily white (although there is a bit of diversity, but not a lot) - so that separates it a bit. Yale has the residential college, so I bet there's slightly more class/race interaction. I don't think there's a huge difference, but I might give Yale the edge.</p>
<p>Thnx illumin4tus and bluedog!</p>
<p>I think I've made my decision :p. I'm ambitious, but I don't want to live in a cut-throat crazy environment. I love sports (though not necessarily that good at it), especially soccer. </p>
<p>Duke '13! :p :p (just praying to heaven I get in and join you guys :p)</p>
<p>good choice :)</p>
<p>If prestige and "a pat on the back" when people find out where you go is more important to you, then Yale.</p>
<p>no thnx. prestige is important, but a great education + social scene is more important :p</p>
<p>Applying for FA from a need-aware school can impact your chance significantly. You may have a harder time to get into Duke than Yale because of this. It's interesting how many people don't realize or believe it.</p>
<p>Sam, so you think that for an int'l needing FA, Yale would be actually easier to get in than Duke? You sure? (just making sure. Too much misinformaiton in CC)</p>
<p>This is from Northwestern's website:</p>
<p>
[quote]
The usual selective admission criteria, as well as the amount of financial aid needed by an applicant, will be factors in the admission committee's decision. As a result, Northwestern will not offer admission to some candidates who are otherwise well-qualified. For these reasons, the admission rate for international applicants requesting aid is substantially lower than for those not requesting aid.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I can't say how similar the situation at Duke is but the policy at Duke is the same. You are essentially applying for merit-based aid and you will be in a different pool from those that don't need FA. You need more than what it takes normally to get in.</p>
<p>Duke's version, from their Cost</a> and Financial Aid section, is:
[quote=]
We admit U.S. citizens and permanent residents without regard to their financial circumstances or aid eligibility, and we meet 100 percent of demonstrated need for these students throughout their undergraduate enrollment. We also meet the full demonstrated financial need for a limited number of foreign citizens, but applying for financial aid does affect the admissions decision for these students because financial resources available to foreign citizens are limited.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yale's, from their International</a> Applications - Financial Aid section is:
[quote]
Yale is fully committed to equality of opportunity. Its need-blind admissions policy extends to international students and ensures that a Yale education will be accessible to all candidates from any part of the world who show great academic and personal promise. An application for financial aid will have no bearing on the Admissions Committee's decisions, and Yale will meet in full the demonstrated need of any candidate admitted.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So there's certainly a difference there.</p>
<p>Arg.... I understand that Duke has limited space for int'l FA and the competition is much worse. But my question is - Would Duke be harder for an int'l FA to get in than Yale? I mean, Duke is hard to get in, but Yale is harder.</p>
<p>I guess its pretty impossible to measure, but suggestions are welcome</p>
<p>I think the only thing I can say with certainty is that, for Duke, it is harder to get in as an international student seeking aid than as the exact same student without seeking aid. Everything else is conjecture... Don't let perceived "difficulty" of entrance dissuade you from closely looking at both schools nor from applying to both</p>
<p>The social scene at Duke isn't all rosy.
Duke is extremely cliquish.
If you find a clique, you will have a fabulous social life.
If you don't, then getting a social life will be a little harder but definitely possible.</p>
<p>The impression I get is that Duke is more cliquish than many of its peer schools (with the probable exceptions of Penn and Cornell).</p>
<p>So DukeEgr93, would you conclude that for an int'l FA, Yale is easier to get in? (for a psych major)</p>