<p>I need help!! I've visited them both and I'm still not sure... Notre Dame is offering me a whole lot more money than Duke is. I'm from the northeast, so they're about the same distance away... I'm not sure what I want to major, but I'm thinking not math or science, and I feel like Duke has a big emphasis on that. Also, a lot of people in my family went to Notre Dame and I always thought I was going to go there when I was little, but now I don't know if I want to do something different. Any thoughts??</p>
<p>duke also has good econ, public policy, and poly sci.</p>
<p>GO FOR IT!</p>
<p>This decision really has most to do with you. Duke is better academically than Notre Dame but the two are so different I think you really need to figure out how your personality fits in at both. Personally, I know I'd be miserable at Notre Dame but I know there are people at the school who love it. Notre Dame is amazing for a very specific kind of person, but those who don't fit that mold can find it miserable. There are a lot more kinds of personalities and different backgrounds (religious, ethnic, socioeconomic) at Duke. They are also in very different areas of the US. I don't know, it might be good for you to try something new. Though, with your family all having gone there I am sure there's a lot of pressure on you to go to ND.</p>
<p>As a Duke grad and a Duke dad I agree with most of what incollege said except for "Duke is better academically than Notre Dame". I simply do not have a clue what "better academically" means. All of the top tier and most of the second tier universities and LAC's have the resources and faculty to provide an excellent undergraduate educate to a student who is motivated. In fact, a very high percentage of the faculty at all "prestige" universities received their undergraduate educations at lesser known institutions. </p>
<p>Both Duke and ND have many faculty who are excellent teachers. They also have their share of professors who chalk up points in the US News self-aggrandizing "peer assessment" but who could not teach a dog to sit. Forget prestige and go where you will be happy. If you really excel you might someday have the opportunity to work for a great innovative company that is run by a drop out or a Nebraska grad or a dyslexic CEO from UWVa.</p>
<p>What I meant was more demanding academically. I have heard that Notre Dame academics are like high school from my friend who's a freshman there but I guess I could be wrong...</p>
<p>First off, Duke may be slightly (very slightly) more demanding, but to say that Notre Dame academics are like high school is very, very untrue. You don't become one of the top-20 schools in the country by having a high school style curriculum. However, I do think the comment about diversity is very note-worthy for someone trying to decide between schools. Both schools are composed of students from throughout the US and the world (I believe they both have the same percentage of international students if im not mistaken), yet Notre Dame obviously has a much larger percentage of Catholics. Practically my whole side of my family has gone to Notre Dame including my two older sisters who are in the class of 2004 and 05, thus I am in a very similar situation as yourself (I decided to attend Duke next year by the way). Im not sure what kind of religous background you come from, but from what they have said, there is no pressure to attend mass on Sundays (although many choose to do so) and there are definitely other religions present on campus. I know that their own faith has increased immensely during their time at Notre Dame, so if that is important to you, I think that aspect should be considered very seriously along the side the academics.</p>
<p>Both universities clearly have great academics (Duke is probably ranked higher in most categories for what its worth), both have tremendous, tremendous student life, and both are in the top few in the nation in percentage of freshman returning for their sophomore year and percentage graduating in four years, both of which I personally consider very appealing. Yet the key word is "I". There probably isn't some magic statistic or anything single thing that will sway your decision either way, and it will ultimately just come down to which you have a better feeling about. I know, and you probably do too, that you will love it no matter which of these great schools you decide to attend. Good luck in making your decision.</p>
<p>map279 - where did you decide to go????</p>
<p>Duke's better academically, and it was an awesome atmosphere</p>
<p>Of course, I never heard of Notre Dame besides my quick collegeboard checking of SAT scores and such</p>
<p>Unknown to many individuals, Duke's academic reputation extends beyond mathematics and the sciences. It's Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy is incredible; in fact, I believe they are doubling the size in preparation for Fall 2005. In addition, Duke has a strong political science and economic program.</p>
<p>Duke has an incredible pre-law advising center. The school is quite known for preparing and assisting students with getting into the best law schools in the nation; for example, I believe that it is the number 3 feeder for Yale Law School. I may be incorrect, but I believe that I saw the figures recently.</p>
<p>No. 4 actually. It comes just behind HYP.</p>
<p>Edit: Remembe, Yale must be a mighty feeder school unto itself before it lets in "foreign" students. I suppose it is just easier to trust their own curriculum.</p>
<p>Thank you for the correction DMC. What are you considering as a major anyway?</p>
<p>Bottomline, map279: Come to Duke :)</p>
<p>Not a decision. Duke.</p>
<p>Majayi, I'll major in poly sci or econ. You?</p>
<p>nobody mentioned that ND is politically and socially conservative because of its Catholic ties.</p>
<p>Duke is liberal.</p>
<p>if ideology matters to you...</p>
<p>DMC, I will major in Public Policy and Political Science. Cya next year :)</p>