Duke students taking questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>Congratulations admits! Threads like this one are normally a staple on CC after decisions come out (and it was particularly helpful for me after I got accepted and had about a million different questions), so I decided to start one for you all! So...ask away!</p>

<p>Just for a reference point, I am a rising junior Economics major and English minor. I am involved in Greek life and several tutoring organizations, and I was a First-Year Advisory Counselor (FAC) last year. </p>

<p>P.S. These next few weeks before LDOC are a little crazy for me, so I may not get back to you right away, but hopefully other current Duke students will jump in.</p>

2

<p>I personally do not drink and I am not entirely comfortable about being on a co-ed floor for housing. I was reading about the wellness dorms and I am considering applying for housing there since I heard there were mostly girls. </p>

<p>I don’t have anything against alcohol use, but I hate to run the risk that I might have a roommate that I have to clean up after or is obnoxious and loud because they are drunk or high all of the time. On the other hand, I don’t want to live in the wellness dorms if it is looked down upon by a majority of students.</p>

<p>So essentially, I would like to know if being in a wellness dorm will hurt my social life or if my knowledge of what I assume the wellness dorms is incorrect. Thank you!</p>

3

<p>Did you do a pre orientation program? Do you reccomend one?</p>

<p>Do you know anyone who studied at the marine lab? and what they thought of it?</p>

<p>How often do you go into durham? What do you do there?</p>

<p>Are there services in the chapel on sundays?/ Is there one general one or different services for different religions?</p>

<p>Did you get a random roommate and do you think the random roommates for the most part worked out well?</p>

4

<p>I am currently interested in BME as well as premed. Is it possible to do that and still have some semblance of a social life? And do the students in Pratt and Trinity mix well? </p>

<p>Also, I’m sure you get this question every year, but could you explain the freshmen meal plan?</p>

5

<p>As a quick introduction for myself, I am a Duke Alum, T’ 10 that can help answer some of these questions as well…</p>

<p>To biologeek regarding Wellness:</p>

<p>The first thing that you need to know about Duke is that all dorms are co-ed and are not separated by floor (like nearby NC State University, for example). Unfortunately, I can’t help you out with that comfort level.</p>

<p>In regards to the Wellness Community, I was a member for my sophomore through senior year and absolutely loved it. I would say about 75% or so of the members my years were female.</p>

<p>In terms of social life, it doesn’t hurt you so long as you are socially active outside of the Wellness Community. In short, because it’s a Selective Living Group (SLG), you run your social life in multiple outlets. For instance, I made many friends in the Wellness Community and went to events that were for members only. This would be similar to the Greek system or other SLGs which have member-only events and where one builds their social circle around this group. However, I made many friends outside of Wellness as well, including friends in PRISM, Brownstone, Round Table, Greek, etc. The friends I made respected my decision to be in Wellness: I like being able to sleep at a reasonable hour on Thursdays, the quiet hours, the lack of alcohol/vomit penetrating the floor, and prime on-campus real estate (close to pretty much everything).</p>

<p>Ultimately, I’d say that as long as you are comfortable and outgoing enough to make friends outside of your hall (where ever that may be), then you shouldn’t have an issue. If you only seclude yourself to hall activities, though, then of course you’ll social life will be hurt. Being in Wellness isn’t a huge social standing hit; honestly most people don’t care. The ones that do aren’t worth the time :slight_smile: Be confident and happy in your decisions and enjoy the college life!</p>

<p>To ash411 regarding general questions:</p>

<p>I did not do a pre-frosh program. I recommend P-wild if you want to visit the Marine Lab. From other freshman that participated in them, they had a blast. Plus, having some Duke friends before you even enter the university always helps as well.</p>

<p>I studied Summer 2009 at the Duke Marine Laboratory. What did I think of it? I was a pre-medical student intent and starting applications to medical school entering the Marine Lab, and next year I’m attending either San Diego, Miami, or Wilmington for a Marine Graduate Program. I hope that answers your question :)</p>

<p>Into Durham? Depends really. As a freshman, you’ll probably visit Shooters II at some point. Brightleaf Square is nice as well (pizza, restaurants, and the like). Anytime you go to a baseball game, the Tobacco district is excellent (especially during the summer months!). However, personally, I stayed more towards 9th Street or Duke campus. If I really went out, it was to Chapel Hill, Raleigh, or Southpoint area.</p>

<p>For the Chapel, there’s a non-denominational service on Sunday. There are also multiple groups on campus for various religions that have services as well. Plus there are many churches off-campus that welcome Duke students and some will even provide transportation. </p>

<p>For roommates…I had a single my freshman year (bad idea) and senior year (excellent idea). Sophomore and junior year was random. Soph. year was okay, kinda quiet. Junior year was excellent; we’re still good friends!</p>

<p>To 4everyoung:</p>

<p>BME and Pre-med is possible, because there is overlap. Also, remember that there’s no official “pre-med” program or title at Duke, just a list of recommended classes that Med schools like to see and that will help you prepare for your MCAT. Will you have a social life? Yes and no…you’re a Pratt Star, but you’ll be busy. It shouldn’t prevent you from having one, you just need to know how to manage your time. Trinity/Pratt students mix well despite the jokes you might hear. The larger issue typically is that when it comes to major classes, you don’t mix that often. Plus, different parts of campus make it more difficult (Pratt concentrate near LSRC while Trinity is East/Academic Quad/Sci Drive)</p>

<p>Freshman Meal Plan:</p>

<p>You get 12 total meals within a week (five for breakfast; seven for dinner or brunch). These do not carry over to the next week: use it or lose it. You can only use these in the Dining Hall on East Campus known as the Marketplace. You will learn that as the year progresses you’ll hate the Marketplace, but by the time Senior Year comes, you keep visiting because it’s so delicious :)</p>

<p>You also choose food points. This can be used ANYWHERE on campus that serves food: dining, restaurants, grocery store. Just like cash: 1 point is 1 dollar. Swipe your card and go. You can also use food points for Merchant on Points, which is restaurants off campus that deliver to Duke and allow you to charge bill on food points (some even tip) rather than cash/credit/debit/charge card. </p>

<p>Finally, from Duke Dining’s website (great info on restaurants by the way): If you miss breakfast, served Monday through Friday in the Marketplace, you may apply the meal equivalency (valued at $4) on the same day one of two ways: toward a made-to-order breakfast in the Great Hall on West Campus or toward an a la carte lunch selection in the Marketplace on East.</p>

<p>Note: lunch you use food points; you cannot use meal plans for lunch.</p>

<p>Hope this helps and I hope the OP doesn’t mind me jumping in!</p>

6

<p>I was accepted into Trinity for Bio but i really want to switch to Pratt for BME. How hard is that to do?</p>

7

<p>To introduce myself, I’m a senior double major in ME/BME.</p>

<p>Transferring from Trinity to Pratt:
Freshman year you’ll still be able to take nearly all the classes new Pratt students will take: EGR 53, math, chemistry, and physics. Maybe a bio class since you’re thinking of doing BME. At the end of your freshman year you can apply to transfer to Pratt. As long as you do well in these math and science classes (A’s and B’s, I’d say) they shouldn’t reject you transfer. You should make sure that you’re taking the same math/chemistry/physics that Pratt students would take, not the less math intensive ones for other majors.</p>

8

<p>To biologeek:</p>

<p>There are certain freshmen dorms (Southgate, I believe?) that have only single-gender floors. I think you can actually note on your housing application whether you would like a single-gender or co-ed floor (of course, there’s no guarantee you’ll get it but I think they still ask). </p>

<h2>As for the wellness dorm (always in Brown), I will say from the perspective of someone who didn’t live there that there is a certain stigma associated with Brown. If you just want to avoid a crazy partier roommate, you can always try to find someone on the Duke 2015 group or at Blue Devil Days and request to room together. I will add that East Campus is technically a “dry campus” so you shouldn’t be hearing too many raging parties in ANY dorm that you live in.</h2>

<p>To ash411:</p>

<p>

I did not, and it was one of my biggest regrets at Duke. If you have the time/money, DO ONE! You meet so many people and have so many friends before you even start Orientation week. I have several friends who did PBUILD and they loved it. </p>

<p>

I think soccernamlak got that one for you</p>

<p>

I typically go into Durham a couple times a week. There are several bars/clubs not far from East Campus, as well as Brightleaf Square and 9th Street (restaurants, shops, etc.). Honestly it’s not too necessary to go into Durham but if you want to eat off-campus occasionally there are some great options. </p>

<p>

soccernamlak got that one too.</p>

<p>

</p>

<h2>I did random roommate and I LOVED my freshman roommate. We got along really, really well together and remain good friends. Most people I know who did random also had great roommates…I know very few people who had issues, and even if you do it’s not too hard to switch rooms. </h2>

<p>To 4everyoung:</p>

<p>I have a friend who is BME/pre-med, and she is able to maintain a social life. Obviously, she’s not going out 3 nights a week or anything crazy like that, but she’s involved in Greek life and several other organizations. It’s definitely doable!</p>

9

<p>What are your thoughts on the Duke FOCUS program? I read the website but still don’t really get what it’s about. Do a lot of students do it? Is it helpful? How much extra work would it entail?</p>

10

<p>The FOCUS program is what you make of it. There are a LOT of conflicting opinions. I did one and I rather enjoyed it. The pros are: get to meet a group of people and become close with them (you live in the same dorm, have the same classes), have small class sizes and get to become close with professors (in case for recommendations), and get to take easy classes (atleast mine were which helped for my GPA). Cons: some people see the classes as a waste of time because they don’t progress you towards your major, some FOCUS professors can be rediculous. In general, most people don’t do FOCUS. But if you have the AP credits, and you have an interest in the topic, I say go for it.</p>

11

<p>Thank you soccernamlak and bluedevil13 for answering my questions!!</p>

12

<p>Hey, I am an International Applicant from Bangladesh and I have got into both Duke (Pratt) and Dartmouth this time (with my full need met) and these are my top 2 choices. However, I am having a REALLY hard time making up my mind. Still, I am pretty much inclined towards Duke upto this point. I have received comments from several threads, but unfortunately, I have become more unsure!</p>

<p>I am gonna do ECE major and above all, I am looking for a great engineering experience, with lots of opportunities and facilities for hands-on engineering, research, internships etc. A vibrant, proactive and highly-energetic community, that is also very friendly and close-knit, would fit me nicely. Specifically, I have the following queries:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>At Duke, is it quite difficult to access or link with the professors (not TAs)? How friendly/willing/encouraging are the professors to collaborate and engage with undergraduates?</p></li>
<li><p>At Duke, are most of the freshman classes taken by TAs? If yes, is it a serious disadvantage?</p></li>
<li><p>What is the average class size for Pratt ECE students?</p></li>
<li><p>For internship placements, job placements, recommendation letters, how good is Duke compared to Dartmouth?</p></li>
<li><p>Are the strength of Duke’s alumni network and activeness of campus recruitments, career fairs, comparable to those of Dartmouth’s?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Moreover, I would very much appreciate your additional insights on why I should choose Duke over Dartmouth for my undergraduate…</p>

<p>P.S.:
The “Ivy” brand,
the “strongest alumni network among all the ivies”,
“ranked by USNews as No.1 in Undergraduate Teaching among US National Universities”
the small-sized classes…
close-knit atmosphere and strong bonds with professors…</p>

<p>…all these are giving me a hard time while choosing Duke over Dartmouth…</p>

<p>PLSSSS HELP…!!</p>

<p>Anxiously awaiting…</p>

13

<p>I have a question about the tuition. What is that cost based on? Is it a flat rate for the university or is it by the number of classes you take?</p>

14

<p>@WannabePrince: I see that bluedog was answering your questions on another thread, so I’ll let him do that since I have little knowledge of being a Pratt student.</p>

<p>@dragoneye776: Tuition is a flat rate, although the price is not locked it so it will vary (read: increase) each year you are here.</p>

15

<p>Where can I find the acceptance rate of undergraduates to medical school ?</p>

16

<p>@WannabePrince – While I am a current Trinity freshman and therefore have only a little knowledge about Pratt, I can still answer a few of your questions, I hope.</p>

<p>1) Professors at Duke are (to my immense relief when I started here) extremely open to student interaction. While some are more busy than others, they <em>want</em> you to succeed, and therefore have office hours where you can go to them and discuss whatever it is you need. Generally, I have found that most professors are willing to meet outside of their normal office hours as well, although that might be a bit more tricky due to schedule conflicts. But bottom line-- if you go to them before or after class, or even shoot them a polite email, they will be more than willing to help you out in any way they can. Remember, professors have office hours for a reason: they want to help you!</p>

<p>Some professors are more aloof than others, but it has been my experience that the majority are engaging, friendly, and open. Really, you get out of the student-professor relationship exactly what you put into it. If you show them that you are a proactive, eager student, they can work with you to get the most out of your education.</p>

<p>2) Whether or not your classes are taught by TAs really does depend on what level of class you’re taking, and what concentration. If, for instance, you’re taking a lower-level math course like I did, you’ll probably be taught by a T.A./grad student. However, I wouldn’t call this a disadvantage. Yes, grad students aren’t the same as professors, but it really just comes down to the quality of teaching of the individual. My calculus teacher from last semester taught me a heck of a lot better than my current professor. Again, I can’t speak for the Pratt engineering classes, which are undoubtedly more difficult material to be taught.</p>

<p>4) I’m not sure how Duke compares against Dartmouth per se, but the support system for getting undergrads out into the real world, applying for jobs and internships, is incredible. Duke has something called the Career Center, which is essentially an entire advising program for entering the job market at your disposal: they help you build your resume, they conduct mock interviews, they set you up with applications and help you with your references. Plus, there are a lot of alumni connections (as with all schools like Duke) that offer internships as far as I know.</p>

<p>I can’t really tell you why to choose one over the other, as I have never gone to Dartmouth and only visited the school briefly the summer before my senior year of high school. However, as a plug for Duke, I’d really like to emphasize how much of a community feel this place has-- it was one of the deciding factors for me when I chose to come here. Duke’s student body is ridiculously tight- we’re like our own country, in a way. The strength in the community and the pride to be going to a school like Duke definitely shows in the way students consistently strive to be better, to do greater. Also, the student-faculty relations, I feel, are very strong at a school like Duke. There’s a support system in place that prevents you from slipping through the cracks, that keeps you on top of your courseload and actually helps you excel in adverse conditions. For instance, I’m taking an overload of classes this semester, something that could be potentially stressful. However, my professors are fabulous and have really helped me when I’ve struggled with material. I meet with them weekly and have never felt like I was slipping; plus, I feel really comfortable around them, not intimidated whatsoever.</p>

<p>If you’re looking at social scene as well, Duke has a vibrant one. Of course, there’s the basketball subculture that students live and breathe, but there’s also a healthy party scene that does not detract from the strength of academics. There’s a spot here for everyone-- you don’t need to go Greek to have fun. If I’m correct, isn’t Dartmouth 60% Greek? That’s over double that of Duke, yet Duke manages to work in great parties among all the rigorous studying. </p>

<p>Hope that helped… hopefully some Pratt students can fill you in/correct me in what I’ve missed.</p>

17

<p>This question is directed at the original poster.</p>

<p>I am interested in possibly majoring in economics. However, I’ve heard there is some grade deflation/it is quite difficult. What is your take on the difficulty of the major? How difficult would it be to keep around a 3.9 GPA? (I’m thinking of law school, so this is a main concern) I’m currently in an IB Economics course at my school and find it quite mangeable, but my teacher is not very good, so I don’t know if it would be a mistake to try to place out of intro to econ via AP/IB test scores. Also, how much mathematical skill do you need to do well in the economics major at duke? (I know some schools split econ into quantitative/qualitative. Does Duke do this?). </p>

<p>Thanks! I know this post probably makes it seem like I want to avoid challenges, but I don’t. I just want to know my realistic chances of doing well in a challenging major.</p>

18

<p>How far do AP credits take you at Duke? I have 5 exams this year that I feel very disinclined to study for. :confused: </p>

<p>Is there anything specific that I should check out during Blue Devil Day’s at Duke? I usually like to wander outside of the limited tours and see stuff for myself. </p>

<p>I got into Trinity but may be interested in switching to Pratt because I’m stronger in the sciences and math. Is this a hard transition?</p>

19

<p>

In terms of actual graduation credits, they don’t get you very far–you can only use 2 toward the 34 credits required to graduate in Trinity (I believe you can use as many as you want in Pratt?). But they can be VERY helpful for placing out of some of the intro-level classes. Probably some of the most helpful ones are Calc AB/BC, Econ, Chem, and Physics, although if you end up switching to Pratt some of the more humanities based AP tests will be helpful too.</p>

<p>

If it’s a nice day, you may want to just sit on the Plaza in front of the Bryan Center, grab something to eat, and watch/listen to the students. If you don’t think it’s too awkward, you could probably go up to almost any student sitting on the Plaza and ask them questions about Duke. We’re all really friendly, I swear!</p>

<p>You also may be able to sneak into Cameron during the week :)</p>

<p>

As far as I know, it’s not too difficult. You’ll have to take EGR53 and make sure you’re keeping up with the other Pratt requirements. Your advisor/dean will also make sure you’re doing well in these classes so they know you can handle the Pratt workload. Other than that, I think it’s just a bit of paperwork and you’re good!</p>

20

<p>AP credits: In Trinity, you can only use 2 of them for credit but you can use more for placement. This is helpful in that it lets you skip troublesome intro classes such as in bio, math, or chem.
In Pratt, you can only use 2 humanities credits but are allowed unlimited use of math/science credits (Calc AB/BC, Bio, Chem, and Physics C). This is great because it frees up space for you to take other classes such as electives, a minor, a second major, a certificate program, etc. Without these AP credits, doing just one engineering major basically determines your entire schedule for the four years.</p>