Duke vs. Emory (full-ride)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>I’m having the hardest time of my life choosing between these two schools. My parents don’t qualify for financial aid, so the difference in price is $35K/year – 44K for Duke vs. 9K for Emory (I have 20K in outside scholarships). For the past year or so I’ve been thinking about pre-med, and if I do become a doctor I would definitely pursue a specialty like immunology or endocrinology, which means I would need to get into a good med school…and pay for it. So if I went to Duke, I could make it through undergrad without loans, but there would be $0 left for medical school.</p>

<p>BUT then again, I’m not completely set on med school, so I feel that it’s important I go to the best school that would prepare me for whatever path I choose. Duke’s departmental rankings are definitely better than Emory’s, and I feel like there’s also a big difference in the overall quality of the student body. I REALLY like being around smart people, and throughout my life I’ve always identified with and become best friends with the smartest people at my private school. I was looking forward to being stretched and engaged by my peers in college, and I really don’t want to be at the very top of the class.</p>

<p>Other than academics, I guess I’m most concerned with the social life. I’m not a big partier and don’t drink, although I might want to go to a party every once in a while. I’m kind of a serious, sometimes introverted person, and it usually takes me longer to make friends. I REALLY like to have fun though, but my idea of fun is usually just hanging out with a really close, small group of friends.</p>

<p>I LOVE the school spirit at Duke (live in Raleigh and been a Blue Devils fan all my life) and feel that I would be really proud to say that I go to Duke. However, I’m not sure I can say the same of Emory. Duke really has that prestige, name-factor thing going on, and I guess that’s really important to me. I know people say not to pay attention to rankings, but there’s something very alluring to me about going to one of the best universities world-wide. If the schools were the same price, I would choose Duke.</p>

<p>I have visited both: I went for the Emory Scholars weekend and also for a scholarship weekend at Duke. I was SO close to getting a full-ride at Duke, and I’m still very disappointed I didn’t get it. A few small differences I noted were that the dorms at Emory are much nicer, and I would also have the perks of the Emory scholars program including first choice in classes and housing.</p>

<p>Sorry this was so long, I’m just very confused. Help anyone? (BTW, I also got into Penn and JHU and waitlist at Harvard, Yale, and Brown)</p>

2

<p>You seem to really like Duke, I'd go for it!</p>

3

<p>Nobody can tell you that Duke or Emory is clearly better for you in your situation. It's obvious that you prefer Duke, but it's not like Emory is chopped liver either. Is the $140k difference for Duke worth it? I have no idea. You need to talk to your parents about it and come up with a financial plan. Your pre-med interests might change in college as well. This is the classic college dilemma, and a full-ride to Emory is a pretty great deal. You just have to ask yourself if you'd constantly regret your decision to attend Emory; I'd imagine, once you are there, you wouldn't. But only you can really sense how you feel about the universities. Balance those feelings with your parent's financial situation and choose a college without looking back. And enjoy it when you're there. You really can't go wrong with either choice. It seems like deep down you want to go to Duke, but can't justify the additional cost. There's nobody that can provide a logical well-thought out argument as to why Duke is worth $140k more than Emory (the graduate incomes are not that different, I imagine), but if it will make your college experience more enjoyable and you feel like you would be happier at Duke, perhaps it is worth it. But only you can make that assessment. Where you go to college can definitely have a significant impact on the rest of your life. But also having an additional $140k for education without taking out loans can have a significant impact as well. Good luck!</p>

4

<p>The money will work itself out somehow. Duke is much better across the board than Emory in nearly every academic discipline and definitely has smarter kids. I really get the vibe that you will be wondering "what if" for the rest of your life if you don't go to Duke and if that's the case, then choose Duke hands down.</p>

5

<p>EAD is right, and pretty much everyone will tell you that Duke is a better school than Emory. However, I personally would pick Emory, because I don't think the difference between a Duke and Emory pre-med education is worth 140k. However, you should choose on where YOU think you can thrive academically and socially, and if it's duke, then go duke.</p>

6

<p>Yeah man choose Duke if your family is not too financially strapped, your alma mater is something that you will have for a life time, not to mention a Duke degree...if you're a school spirit person you probably would hate Emory's overall lack of campus cohesion, and if you're a Blue Devils fan there's no doubt you'll love Duke. </p>

<p>That being said, if your family needs the money then I'm sorry thats a really tough situation...if thats the case, no matter what advice we give you its up to what your parents are willing and capable of doing.</p>

7

<p>dna3, how did you almost get a full ride to Duke? Which scholarship was this</p>

8

<p>it was the BN Duke...</p>

9

<p>I'd go with Emory if I was in your situation; not that I'd get to even pick if I had a full ride from a school like Emory anyway haha. I had a full ride from TCU but that was enough of a step down to pass up.</p>

10

<p>wow, u make me feel dumb for considering a full ride at Clemson over Duke... in BME/premed...</p>

11

<p>Go with the full ride from Emory; seriously, money is money</p>

12

<p>I would take the full ride. I don't think Duke is worth the premium unlike some other schools. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>