I’m trying to make the decision between UCLA, Duke, and Vanderbilt. Some further information about my situation:
I’m in-state for UCLA
I’m originally from NC (Duke is near home for me)
Although I haven’t gotten my financial aid packet for Duke, I probably won’t get any. No aid at Vandy or UCLA. My family is well-off but will definitely have to take out loans to afford full tuition
I’m not entirely sure what I want to study, I’m looking at some combination of possibly Mathematics, Economics and Public Policy
I am interested in law school but not dead-set on it
Honestly, I’m kind of wary of the Greek life dominating social culture aspect that I hear about Duke. I don’t know much about Greek life, and I’m not sure what my actual opinions of it would be. Having spent the last 3 years in the bay area, I have grown accustomed to the diversity and am wondering how diversity factors into each of the school’s vibes.
n = 1 here but I made it through Duke a happy bug without ever going near Greek life. I was also not the type of person who needed to be part of the social scene and was content with having a small group of close friends. If you feel like you would like to be a part of Greek life, I can see that it could be potentially stressful. But if you’re thinking that you’re looking for a quieter corner of life, Duke is certainly big enough for you to find a home somewhere with like-minded people.
The diversity at Duke sort of exists, but I would say that the diversity in experiences is what is extremely valuable at Duke. You will meet people from so many walks of life, some who have overcome tremendous challenges and some that have accomplished grand things at age 16. However, having grown up in Houston, I found Duke to be a lukewarm melting pot. It’s slow and sometimes it’s painful but it’s a growing experience for everyone. Many students there do come from very small towns, homogenous populations, and it does take time for everyone to get familiar with the feeling of being a part of a diverse community. Some people never get there and problems with racial/ethnic/socioeconomic tension will come up time and time again. All of that is to say, Durham will for sure not be as diverse as CA, but there are interesting pockets of cross-cultural connections on campus.
Congrats on three good options! If money is not an issue, I would choose private over public, especially at this level. Undergrad experience and support (and outcomes) are much better at smaller environments. Between Duke and Vanderbilt, I would go with Duke. Duke offers everything that Vandy has, plus Duke also does a little better on the diversity front (relatively). Between Duke and UCLA…it is all about the size…7,000 vs 30,000 undergraduates. If it were me, I would go to Duke. Duke is a complete package when it comes to undergrad education and experience. As @mecsquared said above, you don’t have to go Greek to fully experience Duke.