Duke vs Northwestern vs Wustl vs Vandy

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
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<p>Hi, I have unofficially committed to Duke, but I am having second thoughts. Duke offered $47000 with 5k in loans, Northwestern offered $51000 with no loans and Wash U offered $49000. My parents make $100,000 combined. Is it worth to go $20000 in debt for Duke? I got a pell grant from NU, which i am assuming is a mistake, given our income. Is it that much better to go to Duke over the rest for someone who wants to go into investment banking?</p>

<p>I like Duke and haven't visited NU or wustl but I'm fairly sure I will still like Duke's work hard, play hard mentality. </p>

<p>I've heard WashU is pretty boring and quite frankly has an unattractive student body as a whole. Obviously there will be hot girls and some people who throw down, but from a friend who is similar to me, it won't be a good fit. Any insight!</p>

<p>I've heard NU does fairly well in IB recruiting. Is it as good as Duke recruiting? I also heard they do throw down, but although they might be better than WashU, the social scene pales in comparison to Duke.</p>

<p>Lastly, Vandy throws down hard and everyone is beautiful, no joke. However, I heard their recruiting is bad compared to the rest. I did like it while I visited, but I want strong programs.
I haven't got my package yet, but I'm assuming it will be similar to Dukes aid, but in all grants.</p>

<p>I am looking for NYC recruiting (I live here). Also, ignore my location, haha.</p>

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<p>Duke definitely does better than NU with investment banks. 20k may seem like a lot, but it isn’t too much when you consider the amount of money you are likely to make after graduating. Take a look at the Duke vs Wharton thread to get a better idea of how well Duke grads are recruited by investment banks. You can also easily make 10k by working over the summers at Duke. That should help to alleviate some of your financial concerns.</p>

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<p>My daughter had similar colleges plus a few others to choose from. She choose Duke. The individual attention she has received from Duke is amazing. Her first semester freshman year her largest class had 23 students. This semester it is 28 students. In less than one year she has been involved in four clubs & is a member of a sorority. It is easy to get involved in all types of activities and meet friends. She has met privately several times with her counselor and her professors - which can be hard to do at some colleges. The one-on-one assistance at Duke is amazing - it is something you would only hope for at a school of Duke’s size.</p>