<p>i just enrolled at duke. i'm having second thoughts about it since northwestern is ranked higher in economics. however duke's overall ranking is higher. is there any way that i can cancel my deposit?? i seriously don't know what to do.</p>
<p>Sure, you can cancel and (probably) forfeit your deposit at D and then deposit at NU.</p>
<p>However, I hope you understand that all rankings are based on certain assumptions and are subjective, they are not some sort of absolute law of nature. To make a decision between these two schools based on rankings would be pretty short sided IMO.</p>
<p>If you want to go to PhD study in economics, look through the catalogs of each school for:
- Strong math and statistics offerings (e.g. real analysis, intermediate linear algebra, in depth probability and statistics)
- Intermediate micro/macro economics and econometrics courses with higher math prerequisites</p>
<p>thanks! 
of course i took many other factors into consideration prior to making the decision, but it seemed to me that the most relevant factor to consider was the ranking of the economics program. northwestern is ranked fairly high for its graduate economics department. does this have any correlation with its undergrad program?? (same question for duke)</p>
<p>ucbalumnus: I was actually looking for a solid preparation for business school, but thank you for the helpful info!</p>
<p>MBA programs prefer those with work experience, so your undergraduate major and school should be that which helps you get a jobs that are good work experience.</p>
<p>MFE programs are heavily mathematical, so preparation similar to that for an economics PhD program, plus some computer science and finance courses, is likely to help.</p>
<p>Business administration PhD programs recommend math and statistics preparation similar to that of economics PhD programs, in addition to some knowledge in the various areas of business administration.</p>
<p>Northwestern is #7 and Duke is #19…not that big of a difference to make this the deciding factor.</p>
<p>I definitely see myself fitting in at duke, but i can’t help think about how good northwestern’s economics is. I just don’t know exactly how they compare or if econ rankings matter at all for undergrad.</p>
<p>" I was actually looking for a solid preparation for business school, but thank you for the helpful info!"</p>
<p>Economics department rankings don’t mean much for MBA program admission.</p>
<p>How do you feel about the quarter system at NU?</p>
<p>I would echo the sentiments expressed above. The quality of the education you get at the undergraduate level will hinge on how good of a teacher your professors and the strength of your fellow peers. Northwestern and Duke compare very favorably in this regard.</p>
<p>I do not mind the quarter system at all. I have considered all other possible factors. the key factor for me at the moment is the undergrad econ program. Does NU have an edge for its MMSS?</p>
<p>Duke’s econ won’t hold you back.</p>
<p>NU’s MMSS requires a senior thesis. It’s probably good for people aiming for a Ph.D. program.</p>
<p>Where are you getting your economics ranking? USNWR? NRC? The ranking may be heavily based on dubious peer assessments, research productivity (e.g. number of journal publications/citations per faculty member), or some combination. Regardless, a high graduate program ranking won’t necessarily translate to high quality undergraduate teaching or a high level of faculty/student or student/student engagement (in classroom discussion, writing assignments, research projects etc.) In any given year, the major may attract more or fewer of the best students at either school (which may influence the quality of instruction.)</p>
<p>So it is hard to say which of the two undergraduate programs is objectively “better”. The effort you put into either program is likely to be the most important factor in what you get out of the experience.</p>
<p>from what i’ve read econ is a pretty popular major in both universities. it’s not the ranking that i am solely concerned with, it’s the overall experience and economics program for undergrad. and i completely agree, i don’t know whether one program is vastly superior than the other and that’s what makes it such a difficult choice. the academics at both schools are top-notch, so i might just decide according to fit. in that case, i’d choose duke.</p>
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<p>It depends on whether your post-graduation plan emphasizes strength of major versus strength of school, or neither if the major and/or school meets some minimum standard.</p>
<p>Darthvader1, I’m not sure I’d agree that Duke is any stronger in terms of overal reputation and overal academics.</p>
<p>Northwestern and Duke are two of the most comparable schools in the US, in terms of overal academics and overal reputation.</p>
<p>There almost always neck and neck on any and every rankings list.</p>
<p>USNWR:
Northwestern #12
Duke #8</p>
<p>ARWU:
Duke #36
Northwestern #30</p>
<p>Times Reputation Rankings:
Duke #31
Northwestern #37</p>
<p>Times World University Rankings:
Northwestern #19
Duke #23</p>
<p>Sum of Duke’s rankings from these 4 sources: 98
Sum of Northwestern’s rankings from these 4 sources: 98</p>