Hi!
I’m a President’s Scholar! (http://www.smu.edu/Academics/PS/Benefits).
Duke would cost me about 27,300.00 plus a 5000 loan and 2200 work study per year. That’s approximately $138000 for Duke vs SMU’s $5000-10000.
I want to go into Ibanking or Private Equity later, but I want to live in Texas after college.
Which should I take?
Personally I would pick SMU. That’s a huge difference in price and SMU has a great ibanking program too. You could also get your masters at Duke. 
Congrats on your acceptances and a big congrats on the presidential scholar! That’s an amazing achievement. That’s like winning the lottery! All your hard work has really paid off.
A Brown Alum once gave me some advice and said it would be worth it to choose a college in an area that you would like to live in the future, because then you have friends, a sense of community, and connections. Congrats on both acceptances!
SMU easy considering what you wrote. I had a professor at the junior college I was attending who had previously worked at at law firm in the Dallas/FW area. He stated that when they received job applicants the applications of those that had attended SMU were placed in a different stack althogether. SMU has a LOT of pull in Texas, & in particular in the Dallas/FW area. The $$ you will save as a scholar is great as well.
Please check out the newer Alternative Assets Management Program at SMU. As a Presidential Scholar, you can certainly qualify. It has recently been putting IB/Finance/PE on the map out of SMU undergrad. All members this year were employed by global firms by the end of 2014 for Summer 2015 starts. Many members were recruited to Wall Street, with many others getting their top choices and multiple offers in Dallas, Houston, LA, Chicago and even Hong Kong. The Managing Director of an international firm asked what the “magic potion” is at SMU and sent his NYC recruiters there for summer 2015 and beyond.
Sure, if cost wasn’t an issue, then Duke likely wins out on name alone. But for an almost free education at a rising BSchool, you can’t beat SMU Cox these days.
Thank you SO SO much guys.
I’m thinking about SMU over Duke now.
http://www.cox.smu.edu/web/alternative-asset-management/alternative-asset-management-center
Here is the actual link.
I have to agree with previous posters. Congrats on Duke and PS. I have known several President’s Scholars and they have a stellar experience at SMU. They are included in all the perks, from free Abroad sessions to being invited to the opening of the Bush Center, along with all living US presidents. They are definitely considered the academic elite and are likely to be in student government, campus ambassadors etc.
Plus, they are interesting, pleasant and driven individuals and tend to graduate with high paying jobs.
Went to a Cox presentation last week, it was dynamic and exciting and that school is on the move! SMU requires you to have 2 internships for graduation, and the students are all about that. It’s a big help to landing your first real job.
Duke would be amazing too, I visited a few years ago, and it’s beautiful. Students are obviously very bright. I think the social life is more on campus, while SMU’s is on campus as well as in the surrounding college/20-something neighborhoods.
Good basketball programs either way Best of luck to you!