<p>Hey I have the fortunate chance to make a decision between these two schools and I am struggling.</p>
<p>I put this up on the Columbia board too and got a lot of pro-Columbia sentiment so I am putting it up on here as well.</p>
<p>I am looking to major in either biophysics (premed) or economics/finance</p>
<p>Also comment on social scenes, quality of females, etc.</p>
<p>columbia - hands down - amazing campus!!!!!! great school!</p>
<p>Dude, the girls at Duke are so much hotter than the girls at Columbia. The social scene at Columbia consists of going out to explore NYC all the time and there is no real on-campus scene. Duke, on the other hand, offers a on-campus social life where all the fun is literally minutes away from your dorm. Greek life is huge but you don't have to be part of it to party. Duke also has fantastic acapella/improv/music performances on campus on a regular basis. There is virtually no athletics scene at Columbia while Duke fields a top 10 Mens Basketball team every year and excels at many sports including soccer, lax, tennis, etc. so there's always a game you can catch.</p>
<p>As for premed, I would say Duke is stronger than Columbia because it has a cohesive hospital system minutes away from campus which is great for internship opportunities and advising is better as well. Duke is also much less cutthroat and more laid back than Columbia. As for economics/finance, I would say both these schools are on an equal footing as both have strong econ programs and equally fantastic representation on Wall Street.</p>
<p>You obviously can't go wrong with this decision but it seems that Duke is a slightly better fit for you.</p>
<p>This was my major decision too and it really came down to weather and liking the people I met more at Duke. Visit both schools and get a feel for them and go with your gut--they are both extraordinarily strong academically and will open many doors for you. That said, I would make sure you're really into Columbia's core curriculum before committing to it. Also, I really believe that the undergraduate experience at Duke is better than at Columbia, where I felt that students didn't feel they were truly part of a community in the same way it is here. However, this decision really comes down to you and your personality.</p>
<p>I also chose Duke over Columbia. I was seeking more of a "college experience" and a community feel to the university. Columbia, no doubt, is a fantastic school. But the student body comes off as much less united than Duke's and everybody seems much more independent and just doing their own thing. Columbia is a NYC experience, which may or may not be what you are looking for. I, personally, was not, and felt like I would potentially be lost at Columbia, not finding my place.</p>
<p>hehe either way that helps me on the waitlsit at both school ;-)</p>
<p>lol but seriously, thatis a tough choice. both are about the same academically. I'd say duke is better for sciences while columbia is more humanities based. You probably also know whether you're a city person or would rather live in a quieter area. Weather is nicer in Durham but columbia has NYC! College experience with partying and sports is def better at Duke. It's your choice, if you havent already visit both. You have 2 great schools to choose from.</p>
<p>.... obviously a lot of bias here. I hope you posted in the Columbia forum too. Just take the two and compare then.</p>
<p>I live a couple minutes outside the city... And other people from my school have loved Columbia and others have hated it. But Columbia can also feel overwhelming to a person who isn't used to living in a city. The upsides to the city: Amazing! and I mean amazing discounts on everything NYC. Opera tickets, broadway, concerts, museum entry. The core curriculum is very demanding and I felt my interests in many places combined w/ the core would not allow me to take all the classes I wanted.</p>
<p>Now I know all that stuff about NYC sounds fine and dandy and all that... but Duke has them too. Everyone stresses "Durham". But that is an amazing area! Many popular concerts in the area. There's a very hip/artsy crowd in Durham that is very prevalent. East campus is located much closer to "Durham" but rather the area around east is nice. AWesome ethnic restuarants and diners. Being a duke student the buses are practically free meaning you can go really anywhere in the research triangle area. (Including some AMAZING malls right around the corner)(don't blame me for my mall-addiction, I'm from New Jersey ;)<br>
WEst campus s in the middle of the duke forest! Total campus acreage (including forest and gardens) is over 8,000 acres! There are so many resources it is astounding! The lemur center is a must see if you go visit too...</p>
<p>If financial considerations need to minded- then duke is the better option(imo) - You will spend WAY MORE $ at Columbia. </p>
<p>p.s. sorry for the long long post</p>
<p>^^ in addition last time I heard, The research triangle (chapel hill, Durham, and Raleigh) has the highest "density" of PhD's in the entire country. </p>
<p>in all The area is just as good a place as NYC, to go to college.</p>
<p>good luck w/ your decision!!!</p>
<p>Because of what Columbia did to me last year, I am now here to say GO TO DUKE!!!! Girls are so much hotter here, weather is hotter here! There is nothing hot about Columbia!</p>
<p>Go to Duke. You will go broke living in the city. Columbia's campus is small and the politics are way too liberal. You have to do everything off Campus at Columbia and that is where it adds up.</p>