I was accepted to both Duke and Princeton. I am an intended premed student with a chemistry major. I like both schools and I’m having trouble deciding between the two. Is there an advantage either school has over the other for premed?
Both schools are exceptional for premed, so congrats! I would say some things to help deciding between the two: At Princeton you have slightly better undergraduate focus, and access to a big city (NYC) if you wish, although you probably won’t go much since the travel would be a few hours and there’s plenty to do on campus. At Duke, you have a hospital and medical school on campus so you can get involved with research there, volunteer at the hospital, etc. which you wouldn’t be able to do at Princeton, and if you’re an outdoorsy person/if it matters to you there is better weather at Duke year-round. Additionally, both schools have quite different vibes - if you’re into school spirit and building community you’ll probably have a better time at Duke since the students there are passionate about sports and have a fun culture revolving around it. Princeton will probably be slightly more traditional in its ways of having fun. Having seen both schools, I’d say they are similarly beautiful, but Princeton has a nicer surrounding town and better town and gown relations while Duke has nicer nature offerings and a beautiful set of gardens. In terms of outcomes, both schools will set you up extremely well although Princeton will set you up better for the most exclusive opportunities. But that might not be true anymore honestly, looking at Rhodes Scholars this year, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Duke all had three scholars each. Maybe it’s worth noting that the three Scholars from Princeton are in the humanities while the three Scholars from Duke are in the sciences - depends on your preference! Good luck!
I think Duke is a better choice for pre-med just because you’ll be able to maintain a higher GPA easier at Duke as grade inflation is higher at Duke. Even though Princeton no longer has grade deflation and overall GPAs are higher some of those prof’s in the Natural Sciences remember the old days and can still be stingy. That being said plenty of pre-med at Princeton but they do make a number of choices to help maintain a higher GPA. I’m sure it’s similar at Duke but it might be easier there with more choices of easier classes to fulfill distribution requirements, etc. At Princeton you’ll have to write 2 Junior papers and also a Senior Thesis with original research on top of all the classes. If by pre-med you are leaning toward Medical Research and possibly a MD/PhD then I think Princeton offers some advantages like the Integrated Science Curriculum and the required research.
Both universities have good premed programs. You should state your interests; one university may be a better fit than the other university. Premeds can do medical research at Princeton. I believe that there is basic medical research done in every science and engineering department. For example, Eric F. Wieschaus, Professor of Molecular Biology, won the 1995 Nobel Prize in medicine. Professor Wieschaus teaches freshman biology. Princeton may have a tougher grading system than Duke but I have not seen that grades have held back Princeton premeds. Over the past five years between 91 per cent and 95 per cent of medical school applicants from Princeton were admitted to medical school. Med schools understand the grading systems of the major universities. Princeton premeds scored in the 91st percentile in the old MCAT test. (I have not seen more recent results.)
The new chemistry building is outstanding. Princeton is using that new building and the fantastic labs as a means to attract new chemistry professors.
Princeton is one of the few schools that has an edge over Duke in prestige. If that’s the only thing you care about (it really shouldn’t be), you have a somewhat straightforward choice.
Both schools will provide excellent preparation for medical school. Research opportunities are abundant at both universities but Duke has a world-class medical center on campus and that gives you more options for clinical volunteering. That is a significant advantage IMO.
Additionally, Princeton has a reputation for grade deflation. They send a letter to graduate schools/employers explaining their grading system (I could be mistaken) but it is still going to make life slightly more challenging. A 3.7 from Duke is going to be viewed more favorably than a 3.4/3.5 from Princeton.
You can’t really go wrong (specially for pre-med). Do you prefer eating clubs or selective living groups? How do you feel about sports? It’s really about fit at this level.
“Maybe it’s worth noting that the three Scholars from Princeton are in the humanities while the three Scholars from Duke are in the sciences.”
Interesting observation, @scalable!
Princeton.
Even the super biased Duke “no matter what” folks would agree with Princeton.
Assuming that the cost is equal, and assuming that neither university offers a special major or course of study that interests you, then Princeton University is the safer & better investment, in my opinion.
Nevertheless, if you visit both schools & one feels “right” while the other doesn’t, then go with your gut. Princeton, for example, can be a bit of a high pressure, demanding environment. If that type of atmosphere has a negative effect on you & your work, then Duke may be a better fit for you.
Two outstanding options.
To list a few differences between the two schools not mentioned above:
[ul][]Duke houses freshmen in freshman-only dorms on a dry campus (East Campus). Princeton, with its residential colleges, has a very different housing system.
[]All Princeton students must complete a junior paper and a senior thesis. Duke students are encouraged but not required to write a senior thesis.
[]It is extremely common for Duke students to double major. Princeton students are not allowed to double major, but they can pick up a certificate in a second field.
[]A lot of the school spirit at Duke centers on athletics, particularly basketball (though the football team has improved enormously) and the rivalry with nearby UNC Chapel Hill.
[li]Greek life at Duke is very noticeable. You are free to ignore it and not participate (as I mostly did), but it’s there if you want it. Greek life is virtually nonexistent at Princeton, though it has its relatively unique eating clubs.[/ul][/li]
I suspect this is largely due to chance. Princeton is no weaker in the sciences than in the humanities, and most of Duke’s best programs are in the humanities and social sciences, not the sciences.
Though I don’t disagree, Duke is no walk in the park for pre-meds. You can’t swing a stick in a bio or chem lab at Duke without hitting 3 pre-meds; the university has more than twice as many pre-meds as Princeton despite having only slightly more undergraduates. When you have a lot of high-achieving students gunning for an A in classes with sometimes (deliberately) brutal curves, you have to really stay on top of your work. Speaking from personal experience, it’s very irritating to try to do your organic chemistry lab with one hand while using the other to fend off nosy classmates wanting to compare results.
I’d estimate that at least half of the students who entered Duke with an interest in medical school dropped off the pre-med track before their junior years.
@privatebanker This is what you said in another X school vs Princeton thread:
"I don’t disagree with Princeton as the best choice for the major. But…
Here’s a list of suboptimal reasons to choose or not choose a university OP
—the interpretation of what the mythical “lay person”s opinion” is over employers and graduate schools. Ot the lay persons opinion at all.
—Whether an average person knows if school is private.
—The collective opinion of 2 or 3 friends from outside the USA or reddit subforums debating the nuances of the top 7 rankings for Econ phd programs for ug decisions in USA
—Any time the answer for. Nuanced and important personal decision is boiled down to ‘hey “blank is blank”."
If only you could bring the same nuance to this one…
@JenniferClint I totally agree with that sentiment in my quoted post.
It’s always a scenario by scenario decision. Cost. Major. And goals.
In this case, it seems like a decision between two pretty much two Uber elite unis at full pay.
So I’m not sure why a prestige meter would be needed in this scenario.
There is no mention of cost disparities. Or location preferences. So I assumed that all was equal. Simple scenario.
Which school for premed, all things being completely equal. In that fact set, it would be my recommendation to choose Princeton.
A little more focus on undergraduate education and not the associated attention of the professional schools.
A stellar science program and beautiful campus.
Actually Dukes benefactor, I recall, was trying to recreate Princeton in the south. So I figure why not go to the original.
But clearly either school would be great.
@privatebanker Appreciate the response!
“A little more focus on undergraduate education and not the associated attention of the professional schools.”
^ This is the sort of thing I was looking for 
I’d counter with: Duke undergrads have access to clinical opportunities that may not be available to Princeton undergrads. This matters a great deal when it comes to medical school. It’s always nice to be able to show that you’ve worked in a clinical setting and that you know what you’re getting into.
My intention was never to start a debate. I just felt like your original answer was equivalent to “Duh, it’s Princeton” and I know that’s not your style. The second response feels more appropriate!
For the OP, here is an interesting link:
https://www.ctsi.duke.edu/what-we-do/duke-clinical-research-institute-dcri
"The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) is the world’s largest academic clinical research organization. Its research spans multiple disciplines, from pediatrics to geriatrics, primary care to subspecialty medicine, and genomics to proteomics.
Since its inception in 1969, the Duke Databank and the DCRI have completed more than 970 phase I-IV clinical trials, outcomes studies, and comparative effectiveness analyses and enrolled more than 1.2 million patients in DCRI studies across the globe."
He teaches Biology topics in the Integrated Science Curriculum for Freshman. I don’t believe he currently teaches the Intro Biology course.
I agree with this statement in general but for a premed I don’t think this is as relevant as that cohort will have the same high pressure and self demanding atmosphere. In some ways (in general - individual results may vary) the premeds at Princeton remove themselves from other high pressure groups (future researchers, engineering, etc) by taking the lowest level required classes, not skipping intro classes with AP, repeating Calc they already had or taking Calc for Life Sciences instead of proof-based versions, taking the easier distribution classes like ‘Bridges’, etc.
My thanks to @Dolemite. I should have been more specific on the freshman course taught. If @Undecided__01 has a serious interest in science they should investigate the Integrated Science Curriculum (ISC). This sequence is demanding and rewarding. If anyone knows of any other university teaching a similar sequence I would be interested in knowing about that program. ISC teaches science from a holistic viewpoint.
Princeton premed students gain clinical experience through summer internships. https://hpa.princeton.edu/prehealth-prep/summer-opportunities/summer-clinical-opps Many of my classmates had summer internships at their local hospital and with local physicians.
And remarkably the Nobel laureate, dr weischaus was able to suffer through 4 years at a non hpysm or outside the top 10. Maybe even gasp top 15. And a Jesuit school to boot.
I only point this out the next time we get a Princeton vs Duke vs Nd thread. LOL.
OP: What about your FA? When my son was admitted to Duke and Princeton a couple of years ago, there was a significant difference in the FA offers between the two. Unless you’re a full pay, there should be a significant difference for you, as well? Not only the FA offer from Princeton so much more generous than Duke, the abundant resources available to Princeton students was another reason that choosing Princeton over others was quick and easy. The latest endowment per student ranking places Princeton at #1 in the nation with $2,839,298 per student while Duke is at #27 with $591,887 per student. It’s not just the COA and FA, what most people look at, when considering a school.
My son’s currently a freshman pursuing pre-med. He’s very hard working and just by his discipline and diligent work ethics alone, he’s doing quite well. Pre-med is pre-med. Regardless of where you end up, you’ll still have to work hard, so I wouldn’t let that be the deciding factor.
Princeton.
Wouldn’t that be similar to what some pre-meds at any university do in order to keep their GPAs up?
@ucbalumnus I’ll admit it was a weak attempt but I was trying to point out the irony that comparatively speaking the pre-meds put themselves in a less pressured environment than many at Princeton whereas at most schools the pre-meds are one of the most intense/pressured cohorts.
Because most pressurized majors, as one may call it, don’t have a 3.6 gpa as a bare minimum type requirement in order to move on in life.
And the pressure of the mcats and obligatory research etc.
Every path has its own pressures.
It’s no cakewalk or 100 percent of premeds at Princeton or anywhere else would make it through to the other side.
The wreckage along premed highway is chock full of those shifting from premed to then become “future researchers”.
There’s a reason that generally speaking pre-meds aren’t majoring in BME or taking Math 55 but kids that want to go into the top grad schools in their fields are and they need that 3.7+ as much as a pre-med needs it for med school.