<p>Wow… lots of replies while I was gone.</p>
<p>I actually just got back from Duke and had a great time, but I’m still undecided. I had a nice time at Georgetown last weekend as well, so I’ve got a lot of thinking to do between now and May 1st.</p>
<p>With the exception of some of the not-so-nice posts, I have appreciated all of the helpful advice. :)</p>
<p>Duke has better name prestige, research opportunies, fantastic school spirit, and a campus which is among the best in the country. Georgetown is a good Jesuit school but does not the financial resources of Duke.</p>
<p>Par, you forgot to insult Boston College.</p>
<p>I think the Duke folks here are overestimating their school’s reputation.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>One person’s “fantastic school spirit” is another person’s “oh, they’re so full of themselves.” I fail to be impressed by the “fantastic school spirit” of Duke. I’m sure the kids going there love their school – just like most people at great schools love their schools. There’s nothing “fantastic” about the arrogance and hubris that is regularly displayed by Duke boosters on CC, who often debate and try to differentiate between schools that are just a few ranking points apart as if a few ranking points means anything.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is a HUGE point.</p>
<p>As a political science major I can honestly say that I wish I had your predicament! Both are great schools with pro’s and con’s, especially for political science. I think that it should really come down to which makes more financial sense and which you “feel” better about.
I’ll leave you with this quote:</p>
<p>“When you have to make a hard decision, flip a coin. Why? Because when that coin is in the air, you suddenly know which you’re hoping for.”</p>
<p>If I had this choice, Georgetown FTW.</p>
<p>
I don’t think any Duke booster has used the USNWR Undergraduate Rankings as a talking point to convince the OP that Duke is a better school than Georgetown so what in the world are you talking about? We have simply stated that Duke has a much stronger department with more accomplished faculty for both of the OP’s intended majors (Political Science and English), a slightly stronger student body, more financial resources, smaller average class sizes, better advising, a more proven track record of sending students to the top graduate schools/professional schools/Wall Street firms.</p>
<p>If the OP hates the idea of spending 4 years in beautiful North Carolina and would much rather be in a midst of a fast-paced city like DC for his undergraduate years, then by all means I encourage him/her to go to Georgetown. Otherwise, its tough to argue against Duke here. If this was Stanford vs. Duke, then I would strongly recommend the OP to go to Stanford unless he/she had a compelling personal fit reason to attend Duke.</p>
<p>Your banter simply detracts from the purpose of the thread as it has no bearing on the OP’s college decision. How about you leave this thread and go to another where you can bother the fervent Berkeley and Michigan folks who are more deserving of your criticism?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Of what relevance is placement at Wall Street firms relevant to THIS poster here and his career interests?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>100% true, not just in this thread, but so many other threads (sometimes where Duke isn’t even mentioned!)</p>
<p>^Do you not think that Stanford is a better school than Duke? Duke and Stanford are a lot closer in almost every objective measure than Georgetown is to Duke.</p>
<p>If you think that, that’s fine. I think otherwise.</p>
<p>Can’t weigh in on other factors here, but I’d like to weigh in on the “prestige” factor:</p>
<p>Abroad (in Asian countries, specifically in China and S. Korea), the reputations are about the same. Duke is ranked higher and Asians are slightly obsessed with rankings, but Georgetown has “international” prestige because of its famous alumna.</p>
<p>In Seattle (NW, and removed from both schools), where I lived, the prestige is the same.</p>
<p>In the Northeast, where I went to high school, the reputation of both schools is also basically the same. At my school Georgetown was higher in desirability, but that’s probably just because my school had a lot of poli sci/IR nerds (a good thing!).</p>
<p>Honestly, I think people are overreacting about the prestige thing, because in most people’s eyes neither school matches the reputation of Stanford, HYP, etc.</p>
<p>Oh, and having gone to one of the Exeter/Andover/Deerfield’s, I can state with some amount of certainty that BOTH schools are viewed as backups for those who get rejected from HYP, Stanford, and MIT : )</p>
<p>“Abroad (in Asian countries, specifically in China and S. Korea), the reputations are about the same. Duke is ranked higher and Asians are slightly obsessed with rankings, but Georgetown has “international” prestige because of its famous alumna.”</p>
<p>Where are you getting your info? Be specific - not speculation.</p>
<p>I love how it’s so predictable that people will always wade in with how the decision will play on Wall Street or in Asia, even if the OP mentions nothing about either.</p>
<p>Exactly. Like we’re all supposed to care. As if placement on Wall Street is relevant to anyone other than potential Wall-Streeters, and as if anyone who isn’t planning on moving back to Asia should care about what they think in Asia - especially when their opinions aren’t based on actually knowing any of the colleges in question, but just hearsay that this college is better than that one.</p>
<p>Men touring colleges in shorts, driving a used Mercedes, Midwestern personalities…I feel good that I finally agree with Pizzagirl.</p>