So Ivy Day was a bit of a letdown with four waitlists: Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Brown and three rejections: Penn Wharton, Yale (deferred SCEA), and Dartmouth. Accepted to Cornell. My options as they stand range include Hopkins, Stern, Berkeley, Vanderbilt, Duke, and the top three liberal arts colleges (Williams, Amherst with a Schupf Fellowship, Swarthmore with a full ride). Given that I probably do not qualify for need based aid at the schools I have applied for, would you rank a full ride to Vanderbilt (as a Cornelius Vanderbilt scholar) or a full ride to Swarthmore over Duke?
Yes I would take the CV at vandy or the full ride to swarthmore over duke
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I agree, unless – and this is obviously RARE – your family’s wealth makes financial considerations essentially irrelevant.
More important, CONGRATULATIONS on these outstanding acceptances and merit-based scholarships.
First, congratulations on an outstanding accomplishment. You have been blessed with an overabundance of terrific alternatives, and the merit awards speak very well for what you have accomplished and your potential.
The real question is what do you wish to do with your degree. There are prospective careers that may be benefitted by attendance at either Duke or Swarthmore. For example, generally speaking, Duke is the best funnel into the elite roles within the finance and consulting industries while Swarthmore is the most respected of the three when it comes to preparing future academics. It is also worth considering that the LACs provide a more intimate educational experience (closer relationships with outstanding professors and a smaller student body where eventually you know most of your class and many in other classes) while, among your acceptances, Duke provides the strongest domestic brand, and one which is gaining international traction (although not yet at the level of HYPSM).
My son’s (class of 2017) decision came down to Duke vs. Swarthmore (my alma mater) and he chose Duke absent any finance related issues. If he had had a full merit ride to Swarthmore it would likely have tilted the balance to Swarthmore. My daughter is joining the Duke class of 2019 as an ED applicant who would have been a very credible applicant to any of the schools to which you applied. If you attend any of the top 3 LACs branding is only an issue among laymen. Top graduate schools and sophisticated employers are very familiar with SAW, and attending Swarthmore made it easily possible to attend the top graduate school in my field (with perhaps the strongest brand among all universities).
In summary, all being equal and no financial concerns - Duke, given your scholarships, Swarthmore unless you have a particularly strong interest in elite finance or consulting in which case it may be worth choosing Duke.
Swarthmore, yes.
Go to Vandy. Follow the money especially when law school/grad school plans are in your future