I suggest OP should assume that any school with capable students trying for top subsequent destinations will be competitive, to a certain extent.
I, for one, have no basis to presume one will be moreso than another.
YMMV.
Suggest OP pick the one he thinks he might like it at best.
I agree with @ihopeigetin1152. The alumni network of ND “strong it is.”
Academically, I think Cornell and Duke are probably equals at the undergrad level. ND doesn’t have quiiiiite the number of top-ranked programs as C and D but nothing at ND will suck – they’ll all be at least decent – so if you are drawn to Notre Dame, don’t worry about rep.
One thing to consider is this: how easy is it to get into a major and to change majors at each school? Most kids (they say…) change majors. So ease of entry and exit/transfer is something to think about.
Academically they’re all obviously quality institutions. But they have wildly different environments and somewhat different academic vibes, social/sports/Greek vibes, etc. Do look for academic fit first – it’s (along with cost) the most important variable, I think. But also consider that the happier you are in your surroundings and with your experience, the better your education will be. So also think about environment and the various vibes.
I’m surprised that the majority are suggesting Cornell over Duke. I got into both, so I’m not biased, but I couldn’t imagine picking Cornell over Duke. Neither would any friends that are making the same decision, but I realize a small sample size isn’t indicative of much. @kencc83 @sushiritto @ColgateMathCS @MCarltx Could you elaborate on how Cornell is better (for business career or in general)?
@Ruby789 Could you elaborate on how cornell would provide a better undergrad experience?
Don’t mean to hijack OP’s thread, but would appreciate some more info since I’m making a similar decision, and am also considering a career in finance.
@ambition Isn’t this thread laughable? The OP shouldn’t be taking advice from people who use the word “whatchagonna.”
The fact is that Duke places students significantly better than Cornell into finance and consulting positions. You’d be foolish to pass up a top 10 school, amazing recruiting, and great southern weather for miserable and cold Ithaca (although Cornell’s academics are solid).
Duke. The northeast and upstate/western NY are economically dead. The future is in the south. The weather in Ithica at Cornell is hellish. Now if you wanted to go to school for Ag & Life Sciences I’d say Cornell. But for you…Duke. ND…eh…only if you have some affection for the legacy which some do.
@ambitionsquared: I am happy to tell you my opinion, but remember it is just that, an opinion. I’ll give you some things to chew on. As I said before, neither of my kids applied to either school, so I have no bone to pick with them. I visited both. I was very impressed with the academic opportunities with both.
What I especially liked about Cornell - I have to say that the setting in Ithaca is wonderful. People love to say the winters are harsh, but school is longer than just winter. The outdoor opportunities are fabulous there, and winter sports are so fun too. I also think Ithaca is a cute town, and there are lots of restaurants and things to do in town. It is close and walkable. I love the Cornell campus on a hill with the views. Gorgeous! As far as other undergraduate experiences, I have heard that Cornell’s food in the dining hall is among the best. I also like that Cornell’s undergraduate population size is so big, and I like the state school aspects. I think this provides a lot of social opportunities. I have cousins’ kids who have attended Cornell, and some were in the Greek system, and some were not. I think you don’t have to have Greek to have a good social life at Cornell.
I only visited Duke for a few hours, and I only went to the Information Session, and my K2 went alone on the Campus Tour. We were there the day after Duke beat Wisconsin for the Basketball Championship, so spirit on campus was high. Despite that, the feeling my K2 got was not a positive one. She didn’t like the set up for Freshman dorms, and didn’t get a good vibe about the social life there. One of my K1’s friend’s brother went to Duke, and the friend says he loved it, but she thought that was because he was Greek, and she thought being Greek was pretty necessary at Duke. That is something that I keep hearing, but, since I don’t have any really knowledge about that, maybe you should ask about. I didn’t think some of the local off campus opportunities were too good, but I didn’t get a good sense of the area from our short visit. I don’t know if there’s skiing or good hiking or outdoor things to do either. I do think that Duke has a better sports fan base than Cornell, so if you enjoy that, that would add to the experience.
If it were me deciding between Cornell and Duke, I would choose Cornell. But I’m not the one deciding. I think there is some worry about the social climate at Duke enough that you might want to ask about it. Things change, so a reputation made a few years ago might not be true any more.
I don’t think you will go wrong at any of the 3. All are great schools. (Congrats.)
Yes, visit and see where you feel most at home and where you will be most excited about attending. All 3 have very different feels to them, so hopefully physically being there will give you more clarity.
Also, I assume that cost will be somewhat similar or not an issue? If not, I would factor this in as well.
OP here, it turns out Duke decided to give me a full ride via the Washington Duke Scholars Progam. Soooo… Thoughts?
What’s your COA at ND or Cornell? If significant, then it’s hard to justify paying much more for either of those two than Duke, unless money is of no concern.
Cost aside, you really can’t go wrong with either of these three, so much comes down to personal preference as you can see by the variety of responses. For business my pref would be ND, because of Mendoza and ND’s excellent alumni network. Duke vs Cornell would be a toss-up, but I’d probably pick Duke.
I would lean toward Cornell because you are in Dyson. Otherwise, I would choose Duke. I would view ND as a notch lower.
I would choose ND, Duke, Cornell in that order. Mendoza is second to none and the commaradarie at Notre Dame is literally epic. The network of alumni is strong nationwide and they are like a band of brothers. Congratulations on your acceptances. You really can’t make a bad choice here. Where are you from? Travel home costs would be one consideration as well because as much as you think you might want to be far away, after the coolness of being far away wears off (quickly) you will just be far and lonely. Let us know what you decide.
Navy mom,please. Cornell (Dyson) is a phenomenal school with an incredible alumni network all over the world. 7% accepatance rate/Ivy League and hugh connections in NYC, the financial capital of the world. Very well worth the money! Id say Cornell, Duke and then ND. Hate to put ND last, the nuns from my hiogh school woulkd have killed me
I’m still going with ND, Cornell and Duke. I’m a Cornellian. Only school I don’t like is Duke.
All three will give you good chance. Foremost, choose the one that you like the most. If there is no particular preference, I would say Duke > Cornell > ND for wall street finance.
ND is a great school, but its location is less ideal for on-campus recruiting; it takes longer time to travel from Manhattan to ND. I know there are big banks recruiting it there, but the lineup is shorter (but still long given the quality of ND) than the other two.
Duke and Cornell would have a similar lineup of big banks; after all, both are very high quality schools and well represented on wall street. But I will give Duke a bit of edge because the size of undergraduate population at Cornell is much larger than most of its peers. The competition within Cornell is higher, and big banks like to have some diversification across schools as well. This puts Cornell at a tiny disadvantage. But if you want to work at an international location, being a member of Ivy League, Cornell will give you a stronger recognition though.
Congratulations! You have 3 good choices. So long as you do well at the school that you choose and work on networking diligently, you will make it.
@ambitionsquared: You asked why I prefer Cornell over Duke. First, I think all 3 of these are phenomenal schools, and I think Duke may be just a bit harder to get into than Cornell or ND. However, I prefer Cornell, and I personally picked it over Duke (being accepted to both) many years ago mainly because I thought the students were friendlier, and more diverse (Agriculture, Human Ecology, Architecture, etc). Based on recent campus visits, I still feel that way. Also, I think Ithaca is a great college town, and Cornell is one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve visited. Granted, the weather there is awful in the winter, and it is in the middle of nowhere, so those are the downsides.
I haven’t visited ND, but the alumni network is strong based on friends of mine who are ND grads, so I have a positive impression of the school but no direct experience there. Now, I’ve had 3 recent visits to Duke with my 2 daughters, and on each visit the admissions info sessions seemed a bit too arrogant, and the students on campus seemed harder to engage, and less helpful to visitors than most other schools. I also don’t like the more remote freshman dorms and bus situation. Now, I might have just hit the campus on bad days, that happens.
Cornell has always sent off positive vibes when I’ve been there, and the students there seem easy to engage and generally very friendly. My older daughter just graduated from Cornell Engineering CS (tough program), and while it is a competitive environment, I didn’t hear any stories of “cutthroat”. In fact, she had a great social life there.
Now, all three schools are phenomenal, and I think the OP can’t go wrong with any of these choices.
Ken
Duke has great weather and while you would study Econ, check out their “Certificates” which are in addition to majors and minors and many are specifically related to business. Social life at Duke is great and school spirit is special. Getting tickets to basketball games is not automatic for students. (think tenting). ND is a special place and the alumni network along with the Center of Social Concerns provides many summer service opportunities with housing provided by the alumni. All students can get into every football game. Their basketball arena is huge compared to Cameron, so ND students can go to many games. Cornell’s Dyson is heavily recruited by companies similar to the other schools. Cornell has the Campus to Campus bus to NYC. Hockey games are big at Cornell. In general, students live on campus for 3 years at Duke and Notre Dame (even same dorm) and then move off because they want to which creates a lot of community. Cornell has guaranteed housing for 2 years, but students don’t mind living in College Town which has great energy. Greek Life is a factor at Duke and Cornell, not at ND. While it is cold at Cornell and ND, you are walking up a lot of hills at Cornell, so you certainly will get exercise there. Duke has 3 campuses (West, East & Central), so if you are living on East or Central, you are taking the bus to classes. The students don’t mind.
Go for fit. All three are awesome. Personally, I would recommend Cornell, but that’s because I am an alum! 