<p>Cool. I originally posted this on each schools' individual forums, but this seems like its more neutral territory. Okay, i was accepted to both, and cant seem to decide between the two. I'm a premed major, very into the whole tech scene, not REALLY a big fan of rural areas, obsessed with prestige (yes i'm one of those people), idolize robert frost, enjoy writing poetry, not really into sports, really concerned about getting a roommate who i can get along with, require a somewhat luxurious dorm room/library/cafeteria, prefer warm weather, want stuff to do on campus, concerned about the quality of food on campus, as many classes taught by professors are possible, and i need a school that offers good research opportunities.</p>
<p>Dartmouth = Ivy, so there's your prestige if that's one of your most important factors (it does have Robert Frost & poetry too, of course). Plus, being in the Ivy League means you're not gonna have to worry about the sports scene as much, so that's another plus on your list.</p>
<p>Duke, however... warm weather (obviously), great food from what I hear, and second (I believe?) in the country for BME. Plus, it's got that new grant program for research during the summer which is (in my opinion) unparalleled, and I've heard more good things about the Duke dorms than the Dartmouth ones.</p>
<p>I think you really just need to prioritize and figure out what is the most important to you... judging by what you've said, I'd say you'd be better off with Dartmouth if prestige (though, a good argument could be put forth for Duke having more prestige than Dartmouth as well) and the non-athletic, poetic, etc. parts are most important, and Duke if you want the strength in BME, warm weather & research.</p>
<p>But, of course, there are so many arguments that could be made for both schools in all these aspects (except for the weather one, possibly, lol). Have you visited both? That's the best way to get a feel for the school and form any sort of firm opinion on each.</p>
<p>nope i cant visit either. I live in pakistan.</p>
<p>Eep, tricky. Perhaps you could find some way to get in touch with a current student at each--they'd probably be best able to answer any questions or doubts you have about each school. Did you get the email from Duke concerning the alum they paired you with (on that online messageboard thing)? That's been helpful for me, at least. And if you haven't been able to speak with a Dartmouth student at all, you could try finding one on here, or perhaps calling admissions and seeing if they can help you out.</p>
<p>Prestige at both are equal...I would actually argue that Duke has greater "prestige" than Dartmouth. </p>
<p>Lets dissect your list: </p>
<p>premed major - both are good for med school although Duke gets the edge for BME. </p>
<p>very into the whole tech scene - can't comment on this. Neither is MIT. </p>
<p>not REALLY a big fan of rural areas - Duke by a mile</p>
<p>obsessed with prestige (yes i'm one of those people) - Duke has the edge IMO. Its not great enough to be the decisive factor however. </p>
<p>idolize robert frost, enjoy writing poetry, not really into sports - Dartmouth for Robert Frost. You can write poetry in Durham or Hanover as long as you have your hands and paper. </p>
<p>really concerned about getting a roommate who i can get along with - Duke...the majority of people who want singles get them. Someone familiar with Dart may want to comment though.</p>
<p>require a somewhat luxurious dorm room/library/cafeteria - Both are rather nice. Duke has a beautiful campus with both Georgian and gothic styles. Dartmouth is very nice as well. Check out the videos on theu.com</p>
<p>prefer warm weather - Duke by a mile</p>
<p>want stuff to do on campus - both are good, Duke miight have more things to do simply because there are a lot more people</p>
<p>concerned about the quality of food on campus - Duke food was good (for campus food). Have never eaten at Dart. </p>
<p>as many classes taught by professors are possible- I believe both are equal in this regard </p>
<p>i need a school that offers good research opportunities - Duke. For bio research, its difficult to beat the research triangle. You will have tons of opportunities to do great research.</p>
<p>from what i've gathered, Duke is more prestigous than Dartmouth.</p>
<p>I'd actually agree with that, oracle & mahras, but from what I've gathered, most people haven't agreed with me.</p>
<p>If you're equating prestige from the viewpoint of the ordinary guy on the street Duke is more known courtesy of the Duke Blue Devils basketball team. For the elite class of the US, Dartmouth holds more water.</p>
<p>SimpleTruth</p>
<p>I'm not talking about who has the more well-known sports team. </p>
<p>You said "For the elite class of the US, Dartmouth holds more water." but then why has Dartmouth not once beat Duke in the yearly rankings? (USNWR available data since 1991)</p>
<p>I am no "elite" class myself but when I talk to the "elite" class here in NYC, Duke generates as much if not more recognition than Dartmouth.</p>
<p>"You said "For the elite class of the US, Dartmouth holds more water." but then why has Dartmouth not once beat Duke in the yearly rankings? (USNWR available data since 1991)" </p>
<p>Maybe, that's because USNWR is not the end-all, be-all or the elite class of the U.S. How else can explain Penn consistently in the top 5 and WUSTL in the top 10?</p>
<p>Duke and Dartmouth are equals. Both have access to top recruiters, are very prestigious, and place graduates into the top grad schools at shockingly similar rates.</p>
<p>DARTMOUTH - best undergrafd attention</p>
<p>A Pakistani in Hanover, NH? Hmmm ...</p>
<p>This one's not even close. You want to be happy for 4 years and I'm not just talking about not walking across the tundra on February mornings? Duke, Duke, Duke. There's more diversity on the Duke campus than in all of the State of New Hampshire. Hanover's a pretty town to visit but that's about it. Remember the NH state motto -- "Live Free or Die", baby.</p>
<p>hmm but isnt there stuff to do on the campus too? I'm really not an outdoorsy person, nor am i interested in the whole nature thing, and i really am a city person. I dont want to go to a school with few students not filling the rich white stereotype. On the other hand, i also dont want to go to a school which is supposedly 'diverse' but actually consists of a bunch of minority groups self segregating, and not talking to anyone outside their clique.</p>
<p>Incidentally, is there any other reason you cant see a pakistani going to darty?</p>
<p>"Remember the NH state motto -- "Live Free or Die", baby."</p>
<p>What does that have to do with anything? It commemorates that the people in New Hampshire don't pay taxes for certain things. </p>
<p>Yes, Hanover is isolated. However, the school is diverse enough that it would be possible for someone from the Middle East to fit in. I'm sure that there are plenty of events planned on campus to compensate for the location issues.</p>
<p>middle east?? pakistan is in south asia bigblue,, they're 2 different regions with very different cultures you see</p>
<p>lol its fine. Its easy to get confused.</p>