<p>I've just narrowed down my list of acceptances to Duke University and Columbia College and I just can't decide!
I'm aiming for a profession in medicine and Duke seems to be extremely well-known in that field (the graduate school at least).
The problem is, Duke is 600 miles away from where I live (NYC) whereas Columbia is practically right next door. Plus, it's in some suburban city I've never been in before and it'll take my family a whopping 10 hours just to visit me.
I absolutely love Columbia but I'm not too familiar with its focus on medicine and it is at a much lower rank than Duke (which was at one point ranked third, right behind Harvard and Princeton). But, for chrissakes! Columbia's an Ivy!</p>
<p>AHHGG! I was hoping you guys could help me out a bit. Disregarding the financial aid factor (my family is dirt poor so I'm sure I'll get a good amount for each school), which university is more suited for me in terms of academic experience and prestige?
Yeah, I hate the 'prestige' factor but my parents want me to go to a name-brand school so they can brag and whatnot. =(</p>
<p>And...what pros and cons of each school should I consider?
Thank you all so very much and I wish you the best of luck!</p>
<p>I'd say Columbia edges out Duke in prestige, but that's my bias.</p>
<p>Try posting on the Columbia board about this to see what responses you get. I'm sure Columbia is also extremely well suited for pre-med students, I see a lot of information even in the course catalog pertaining to pre-med concentrations and advising, etc.</p>
<p>Things I would consider:
* Location! The most important. I remember reading somewhere that the basic question you need to ask yourself about Columbia is "Do I want to be in NYC?" It sounds to me like in your deliberations Columbia has already edged out Duke in this sense.
*Fraternity/sorority life: Duke is big on it, while it isn't much of a factor at all at Columbia. I think it has a lot to do with the options available at NYC.
*Sports: same, not to say that Columbians lack school spirit but it just isn't the same
*Core Curriculum: a defining aspect of the Columbia education and what separates it academically from like schools</p>
<p>Like I stated earlier, try posting this on the Columbia board to see what response you get.</p>
<p>"I absolutely love Columbia but I'm not too familiar with its focus on medicine and it is at a much lower rank than Duke (which was at one point ranked third, right behind Harvard and Princeton)."</p>
<p>Duke rose in rank (USNWR) the same way Penn rose from the depths. I suggest you research on it before you get clouded with that ordinal number. Decide what is best for you based on your planned major, not on US News ranking.</p>
<p>Visit each school. Pick based on fit. Either school will get you into a top medical school assuming you have a 3.5+ GPA and high MCAT scores + interview well.</p>
I don't care for rankings, but that's false information. Duke has been in the top 10 (usually top 5-7) ever since USNWR adopted the current criteria 17 or so years ago.</p>
<p>"I don't care for rankings, but that's false information. Duke has been in the top 10 (usually top 5-7) ever since USNWR adopted the current criteria 17 or so years ago."</p>
<p>That does not mean they did not use the same formula used by Penn, they just did it early.</p>
<p>Um...Columbia is considered a second tier Ivy. Duke is considered THE school of the south. Even in the northeast, Columbia and Duke are about the same. In the rest of the country, Duke wins, at least in my experience (I live in Boston, my mom lives in Palm Beach, my dad lives in Arizona.) But prestige is stupid anyway.</p>
<p>Oh ps it's actually cheaper to fly Jetblue from JFK to Durham than to drive (if it's just one or two people.) It's like 150 bucks round trip if you book early, sometimes lower. </p>
<p>Questions to consider:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>What kind of social life do you want? Columbia's is centered off campus and has all the resources of NYC, which you live in and know well. Duke's is almost entirely on campus. There are a lot of parties, but also a lot of arts and cultural events (more than Columbia from what I've researched, and all the region's culture is centered at Duke.)</p></li>
<li><p>Do you like the Columbia Core Curriculum? Duke has no core.</p></li>
<li><p>Do you need school spirit? Duke has it. Columbia really doesn't. </p></li>
<li><p>Are you Athens or are you Sparta? Columbia is Athens. Duke is mostly Sparta.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Either college will serve you well in terms of positioning you for admissions to a top medical school, provided you achieve decent MCAT results and fit the other requisite criteria. To echo the sentiments above, it really is a matter of personal choice, as both are top notch schools.</p>
<p>Personally, I'd be more disposed towards Duke, due to the lack of a core curriculum and the apparent focus on a program that is more in line with what you desire as med school prep. Not to mention that, in the event such things are a consideration for you, Duke is ranked slightly higher.</p>