<p>You guys are ridiculous. Princeton doesn’t carry the international prestige you guys think it does overseas. In fact, I think UCB and JHU are more prestigious than Princeton in India and China. For whatever reason, Princeton doesn’t have nearly the same cachet as Harvard, Yale, Stanford or MIT globally.</p>
<p>Princeton is definitely superior to Duke and that difference is exacerbated when it comes to Mechanical Engineering. However, the Roberton scholarship IS THE BEST DEAL IN ACADEMIA HANDS DOWN.</p>
<p>ROBERTSON: Full Ride at Duke + Housing + 2 summers doing overseas community service + 1 summer doing domestic community service + top-notch advising/mentorship + regular opportunities to have dinners with distinguished academics = UNBEATABLE!</p>
<p>It’s your choice: you can be an average student at Princeton or a God at Duke. I promise you that being a Robertson Scholar will better position you for acceptance to a top grad school than being a typical Princeton student simply because of the opportunities the program will afford you.</p>
<p>As a fellow Aussie, I think you will like Duke a lot more than Princeton as well. The weather’s warmer, the girls are more attractive and our athletic program is world-class(our basketball team just made the Final Four!!).</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with either choice but PM me if you want to know more about Duke.</p>
<p>So apparently the Robertson is a lifetime identity and set of connections as well, one that may be as recognized in Australia / NZ as Princeton is here. I may not have given it its full due.</p>
<p>I think you would enjoy both schools. However, Princeton is definitely stronger in engineering than Duke, which is something you might want to consider. In addition, Princeton offers a Bridge Year, which is a paid gap year, that you could consider if you’re interested in spending time in other countries. </p>
<p>Looking at the Robertson program, the major components are funded summers, a requirement to spend a semester at UNC-Chapel Hill, dinners and mentoring. All wonderful opportunities, but I believe that at Princeton, all students have the opportunity make amazing connections with incredible professors and meet fascinating alumni. I’m not trying to downgrade the Robertson experience, but what I am saying is that I believe that at Princeton, you will have one of the best undergraduate experiences in the world and you will not lack for mentors or opportunities.</p>
<p>Really?? I’ve known plenty of people from Ivies and peer institutions. It’s rarely the type of information I get when I first meet them. Maybe professionally this comes up more frequently, but the brand name of your college doesn’t define you.</p>
<p>I have a friend who was accepted to Yale and also offered the Robertson scholarship at Duke. She initially fell in love with Yale, but ended up choosing Duke. Honestly, the girl’s a genius and it seems like you must be incredibly smart as well. If you choose Duke, you can explore all the scholarship has to offer, get good grades, and then go to an Ivy for Graduate.</p>
<p>As an international student, I think many in this thread have overblown Princeton’s cachet outside of the United States. Besides which, the cachet or prestige of a university should really not be the most important thing about deciding whether to attend there. I really question the comment about being a ‘Princeton Man’ too - having your college experience become part of your identity is not something unique to Princeton and is the case for just about any higher institution.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the OP, they can’t just choose based on whichever school they like better or feel like they’d fit in at, since they’re in Australia and (I’m assuming) have not visited either. The large differences between the Australian and American tertiary education systems makes it even more difficult to judge.</p>
<p>So, my two cents: I think the importance of a scholarship program (particularly one as well funded and resourced as the Robertson) cannot be overstated. The opportunities and experiences that they offer compared to the ordinary undergraduate path are huge.</p>
<p>This is especially true in the case of the Robertson Program - others have brought it up, but it’s worth repeating. The summer experiences (basically after the first domestic summer they are whatever you want to make it), the semester switch, the unparalleled access to staff and faculty - there are very few programs like it. Additionally, academics are not the only things that define your college experience or future career - your extracurriculars and summer experiences are critical as well. Frankly, I feel as if the (academic) differences between Princeton and Duke are negligible anyway, they’re both top 10 schools.</p>
<p>So, my advice would be strongly in favor of the Robertson Program, it truly is a fantastic opportunity that you’ve been offered. Whatever you choose, however, I’m sure that you’ll be highly successful and I congratulate you.</p>
<p>^^All fine and dandy except for one small caveat, Princeton has a great engineering program and Duke does not. I also think you are overplaying Duke’s international appeal. In engineering circles, it is a non player with the exception of BM. Academically Princeton is a level up from Duke. Finally, Princeton has the WOW factor and Duke does not.</p>
<p>I didn’t actually mention Duke’s international appeal, in fact I said that the ‘prestige’ of a university shouldn’t be its main selling point. I don’t really know what a WOW factor is, but I would argue that that would be highly subjective.</p>
<p>Sure, Princeton may have a stronger engineering program (outside of BME), but my point was that the perceived strength of a program based on rankings shouldn’t be the only consideration. (Though of course it’s important). It’s a tough decision.</p>
<p>Just to assure you, most people at Princeton are not as toolish as this thread may indicate - they’re normal human beings rather than “Princeton men”</p>
<p>"So, my advice would be strongly in favor of the Robertson Program, it truly is a fantastic opportunity that you’ve been offered.</p>
<p>“Strongly in favor” is what made me make my comments in the first place. Other than a prestigious scholarship, Princeton wins this comparison hands down.</p>
<p>Just my take, not having been to either institution but having been a student at one of the HYPSM…</p>
<p>-High schoolers tend to overestimate the value of a HYPSM degree by a large measure
-Princeton is the least internationally recognized of the HYPSM colleges
-PERSONAL introductions and connections (Robertson) of faculty trump institutional prestige (Princeton)</p>
<p>Now, I’m still on the fence with you… if your intended major were not engineering, I might take my 2nd point above and argue for the Robertson program. However, will those personal introductions and unique opportunities mean more to you over time than a superior engineering training at Princeton? I am not an engineer so I don’t know, truly, whether the repeated statements that P Eng. is superior to D Eng. means a lot in life… that would be the question I would need to resolve.</p>
<p>rjkofnovi probably got rejected from Duke when he applied to college. Please excuse his bitterness and ignorance…</p>
<p>If the OP is financially well off and dead set on becoming an engineering professor in any discipline besides BME and really immersing himself deep into the field, then I wholeheartedly say that Princeton is the better choice. If he/she intends to get a job in engineering/finance after graduation, wants to save money for grad school in engineering and/or is unsure about what exactly he/she wants to do following graduation, then Duke is the best choice here.</p>
<p>^^^It changes things IF both programs are comparable. They are not. Now if the OP were looking to major in an area where Duke was fairly comparable to Princeton, then I would certainly see your point.</p>
<p>I am sorry, but what is it about this Robertson program that allows you to have greater access to Duke professors than a Princeton undergraduate would have to Princeton professors?</p>
<p>LOL. Are you qualified to talk about the Princeton networking? To say that Robertson’s is definitely better is to wander into highly subjective territory in which you are ultimately unable to prove anything. Many would take issue with your claim that Robertson/Duke provides better, or even equal, networking.</p>
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<p>But definitely not domestically. So Princeton undergrad, followed by IBanking/consulting, followed by HYS for grad school resolves this issue if the OP is very interested in working internationally. Furthermore, top international firms do know Princeton, so ultimately that too is irrelevant.</p>
<p>JohnAdams12 – think about it. There are 140 or so Robertson scholars, and 5,000 or so Princeton undergrads. You don’t see how that might create a superior access to faculty time and attention?</p>