<p>What are the advantages of Duke over Brown? Anyone have friends at Brown and know any important differences?</p>
<p>Important Difference--Brown's open curriculum (no requirements, pass/fail grading) vs. Duke's traditional core curriculum. Brown's OC is great if you're a self-starter with pretty clear academic goals, but you can also flounder there more easily. I chose Duke over Brown because I didn't think the open curriculum would benefit me. </p>
<p>Duke advantages according to friend from Brown I've hosted: Warm weather, the Gardens. (she LOVES the Gardens.)</p>
<p>I chose Duke over Brown back in the day.</p>
<p>A lot of professionals tend to prefer a Duke degree over a Brown degree solely on the basis of our more traditional "core" curriculum. It's very easy for a student to flounder at Brown (and while they claim that they'll only accept students who will dabble in everything, I got accepted and I would have avoided sciences and maths like the plague and just take classes in my discipline of choice) and it's also easy for someone to lack a clear academic focus. </p>
<p>I adore Brown to pieces and sometimes really can see myself there as opposed to here (mainly when I'm cursing wildly for taking a math final) but ultimately, Duke was the right choice for me.</p>
<p>I also chose Duke over Brown last year when I was deciding - Duke seems to be geared more towards the pre-professional/pre-graduate school venue whereas at Brown, its more liberal studies. I think one of the major turn-offs about Brown was the lack of science resources IMO. Duke has a stronger science/research focus which was what I was looking for. I think in the viewbook they sent me, only 300 or so in the graduating class at Brown were pursuing B.S. degrees. I didn't know whether that reflected the student body being more open to exploration, as a lack of a core curriculum would suggest, or whether the science departments were smaller and didn't have as many resources.</p>
<p>You can always get the both of best worlds - Live in Brown while attending Duke :D</p>
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Brown's open curriculum (no requirements, pass/fail grading) vs. Duke's traditional core curriculum.
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<p>Quick semantic correction - Duke has distribution requirements, not a core curriculum. And yes, there is a significant difference. :)</p>
<p>Good catch. Yeah, I was just going for symmetry (open vs. ___) and I had a qualifier in there that I mistakenly edited out before I posted.</p>