Duke v. UNC

<p>Which would you recommend for someone who:
1) is not into partying or drinking AT ALL
2) is a "joiner" and loves being involved in clubs/activites--mostly publications
3) wants at least a little intellectual conversation outside of class
4) is ultimately a city person (mostly b/c of number 1--I want more options outside of just staying on campus and drinking)
5) wants an medium college, not so big that it's impersonal like some state schools are but not so small that I know everyone
6) thinks diversity is one of the most important factors in choosing a college--not only racial but also cultural, socioeconomic, geographic, etc
7) isn't that concerned with prestige
8) would probably consider fit more important than academic experience</p>

<p>Duke, but neither really fit you.</p>

<p>^ agreed. both are largely social drinking campuses, with nothing much to offer in the city at large.</p>

<p>You seem much better suited for the University of Chicago or Columbia.</p>

<p>I agree...but right now I have to choose schools based on money and I'm going for some merit scholarships there. (I'm also applying to Chicago though just in case.)
If I HAD to choose one, which would be best? I'm good at adapting, I think, and I'm pretty extroverted--I like to think of myself as a people person. I just don't drink/party.</p>

<p>I would say Duke, if you had to choose</p>

<p>Dook if you are from New Jersey, UNC if you are from anywhere else.</p>

<p>I'm going to send you a message about this</p>

<p>Are you from North Carolina? A student I know well from Chicago found UNC a hard place socially, at least for the first two years or so. North Carolina high school cohorts tended to move in packs and kept within their high school knowns.
On the other hand, the Duke students are richer and tend to come from the elites.
Pick your poison. I'm not sure why either school is on your list.</p>

<p>UNC is probably better cause there's something for everyone. They're both drinking-oriented but Chapel Hill definitely is the better college town, and UNC seems to attract more diverse types than Duke. It's also supposed to feel pretty small for a big school. Of course, I'm a biased Carolina fan...</p>

<p>Neither.
10 char</p>

<p>Why exactly do you have to choose between these two? You don't seem like a match for either Duke or UNC-Chapel Hill!</p>

<p>I said it in post 5. I'm applying to both for merit scholarships and I'm hoping I eventually won't have to pick between/amongst the two but if I do, I need to see which I would be least unhappy at. :(
@ danas: I'm not from North Carolina and I am a bit turned off by the amount of students at UNC who come from North Carolina so lack of geographic diversity. But Duke has a lack of social diversity in that all everyone does is go to frat parties but at UNC there's probably more to do. (As charlotte09 said.)
@pierre: Thanks for the PMs! Based off of those, I'd think UNC was a better choice for me.
Thanks to everyone so far!
Any more opinions?</p>