<p>I'm looking to study either Economics or Public Policy at Duke or Northwestern. (AFAIK, Northwestern doesn't offer Public Policy at WCAS).</p>
<p>Factors important to me,</p>
<pre><code>Strength of the Economics program. (I am more keen on pursuing non-quantitative aspects of Economics.)
Career opportunities and job placement. As with everyone else, I am looking to enter the banking/finance/consultancy industry.
Academics. I'd prefer if the school did not practice grade deflation, where it is possible for most students to do well without spending all their time studying.
Students. I understand that competition exists in every school. However, I'd prefer collaborative, compete-with-myself competition rather than cutthroat competition. I'd also like to be around students who know how to play and enjoy themselves.
Mobility. I want to have the choice to work and be employed in different parts of the US.
</code></pre>
<p>I appreciate any advice you can offer.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Which one is cheaper for you? What type of environment do you like better? </p>
<p>Both are equally strong in all areas you mention. NU has the edge on economics reputation.</p>
<p>@UCBChemEGrad, </p>
<p>The cost of the two colleges is almost the same. You see, both schools have very different environments. Northwestern is in the midwest while Duke is in the south. Both are environments that I am unfamiliar with. I honestly have not clue how I'll warm up to both, which is why I'm here sourcing for opinions. </p>
<p>Yes, NU is indeed strong. Its students do very well in the College Fed Cup, even edging out UChicago on several occasions. But as I mentioned above, I'm basing my decision on a whole host of factors.</p>
<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</p>
<p>Can you visit both?</p>
<p>I'd go with Duke because with Northwestern there are so many schools in the Midwest that are arguably better whereas that's not really the case with Duke and the South.</p>
<p>"so many schools in the midwest that are arguably better"</p>
<p>actually, just one, U of C. and that argument is hardly settled.</p>
<p>lilybbloom, one could also argue Wah U is better, although that probably stands on even shakier ground</p>
<p>^^^^^
No one can argue that;
NU = Chicago > WashU</p>
<p>^What do you mean? WashU might manipulate the USNews like crazy but it is still definitely on par with NU.</p>
<p>Why did WUSTL even enter the picture? It is hard enough to compare two universities, why drag in a third, which is not even considered by the OP, into the debate?! </p>
<p>Antwerp, both Duke and NU are excellent. You really should visit those two schools and see which setting suits you better. They are very different for each other. So many different factors come into play:</p>
<p>1) Chicago vs Durham
2) Cold winters vs temperate climate
3) Quarter system vs semester system
4) Average athletic tradition vs Basketball crazy
5) Midwestern vs Southern</p>
<p>Don't worry too much about academic excellence and career prospects because both schools are awesome. Focus almost entirely on fit.</p>
<p>The choice at the undergrad level between NU and WUSTL is essentially one of FIT and where someone feels the most comfortable spending four years of their college life. They are both wonderful overall and have different areas of excellence. </p>
<p>For the OP, I would say just this: if you can't visit and see for yourself, then choose Northwestern. While the universities are similar in stature and quality academically, there's no comparison between spending four years in Durham, N.C. or four years on the outer edge of Chicago, one of America's greatest cities, which will be an education in itself.</p>
<p>@jazzymom and Alexandre, </p>
<p>How important would you say is the surrounding city? I notice proponents of colleges with great cities/towns tend to champion the merits and benefits of the college's respective city/town. On the other hand, proponents of colleges with less than stellar cities/towns often argue that one would already be pre-occupied with plenty of activities on campus and that students hardly have time to visit the surrounding city/town.</p>
<p>While I was not choosing for public policy, and not even between Northwestern and Duke, I did recently choose between UChicago and Duke for pre-med. </p>
<p>I think the choice really comes down to personal preference. If one school were obviously better, people here would tell you such. Since there really isn't a consensus, it has to be your choice. As Alexandre said, ask yourself those questions. Chicago vs. Durham? Quarter vs. Semester? We can't really tell you your preferences.</p>
<p>As for how important the surrounding city is, that also depends on the college. For the most part, however, I don't think it's too important. If you have enough extra time to spend going into the city all the time, you probably are doing something wrong. Cities are nice to have around, but I think being in a major city is more trouble than it's worth.</p>
<p>NW and Duke are really different schools, even down to the type of person that goes to each school. Seriously, your best bet is to visit both in person. I don't know about NW, but Duke has unbelievable Econ and PubPol departments--in a few years, the Sanford Institute of Public Policy will actually become its own school, kind of like Woodrow Wilson at Princeton. I'm sure you know this but a school is a lot more than its academics--it's a place that in large part shapes who you will become, and if a school is a good fit, friends from college often become friends for life, and networking is also a big draw. There's a large Duke network in NYC, Washington DC and Atlanta, whereas I think that Northwestern would be more based in Chicago, but I'm not totally sure. Schools with networks in a city you may want to settle in is also definitely something to consider--I knew I didn't want to go to Stanford, for example, because I had no interest in making ties in California. So choose wisely!</p>
<p>The surrounding city and the relationship between the university and the city is very important to some and not at all important to others. It really depends on the person. To me, the surrounding city is very important. I spend almost as much time on the streets of Ann Arbor as I did on the Michigan campus.</p>
<p>BlondeBludevil, both NU and Duke have nationwide reputations -- there are NU networks in all the cities you mentioned as well. </p>
<p>The student is an international. If you were an international student, what would be a more pleasant environment to spend 4 years in? Chicago, or Durham NC?</p>
<p>@BlondeBludevil,</p>
<p>How do Duke's and Northwestern's Economics departments stack up?</p>
<p>I am not BlondeBuedevil, but I am familiar with Econ departments. At the graduate level, NU is significantly better than Duke. At the undergraduate level, they are roughly equal with the edge going to NU. there really is no academic advantage to attending one of those schools over the other. Both are remarkable. You really need to figure this out on your own. There isn't a company or graduate school that is going to distinguish between those two universities and there is virtually no difference in quality between those two institutions.</p>