<p>I know that duke is very highly regarded now, but was it this way say 10 years ago? That being said, is duke's relatively sudden jump in prestige and recognition an indication that it will just as easily lose it, or does it mean that the trend will predict duke to have the same standing ten years from now if not better?</p>
<p>Duke has been ranked in the top-10 for more than ten years. Duke has increased in prestige since the 1970s, and though now it is already considered very elite it is just getting better. However, this seems like kind of a superficial thread. Obviously Duke is incredibly prestigious. Who cares? And why the heck would Duke lose its prestige? Decide where you want to go to school based on more than that...Duke students are not prestige whores. You definitely don't hear people around campus talking about how "prestigious" Duke is or what path its prestige will take, lol...Let this asinine thread die.</p>
<p>Duke's rise hasn't really been a "sudden jump" but more of a slow, steady rise since the '70s. It is considered a better school than ten years ago, but it's been ranked in the US News top ten since 1985 (HYPSM are the only other schools with the same consistency). Interestingly, if any schools have experienced a "sudden jump" in recent years it's Columbia and Penn. Columbia's applications have tripled. Penn's ranking has risen from the midteens to the top five.<br>
Twenty years ago, urban schools were not popular (probably because of the recession in the 1970s. NYC neared bankruptcy). Columbia and Penn admit rates were in the thirties. Columbia was in a dangerous area and had a stuffy, stifling core curriculum (it's appeal was limited--much like UChicago). Penn was the "doormat" ivy. Duke had the higher ranking and lower admit rate.<br>
Anyway, it's unlikely that any top schools could "easily lose it", but it's interesting whether schools like Columbia or Penn could be especially vulnerable in a serious, sustained economic downturn (rising crime, etc.).</p>
<p>yeah, people will try to convince you that Duke has only gained recognition because of the success we've had in basketball since the 1990s or whatever, but that's not true. As GreenShirt says, it's been a gradual climb that has intensified in the past few years.
A school's "prestige" only goes away if it's based on something other than quality, and that's not the case with Duke, it's only getting stronger.</p>
<p>In my opinion, if you want to talk about prestige, Duke is very well established in the USA. Internationally, it still has some work to do to get its name out there. Not everyone knows how great of a school Duke is. I'm sure that with all the efforts the school has been making to change this, the future for Duke is great worldwide recognition.</p>
<p>Actually Duke's got a good level of international prestige too. My dad does guest professorships for universities around the world and the people he's met think very highly of Duke.</p>
<p>Duke's got a good level of prestige internationally for sure, but the Ivies (by being part of the Ivy League group) usually are thought of as "automatically" better even though that's not necessarily true. That's been my experience anyway; I'm glad to know it's not always true anyway.</p>
<p>Yeah, "the Ivy League" was a brilliant bit of branding.</p>
<p>The Ivy League is a sports league, not a propaganda concept, despite what it might seem like today. Regarding prestige, who cares where it comes from or how Duke got it? If I get a job because one of my employers loves the way Sheldon Williams handles a basketball, that's awesome. I'm of the opinion that it's much better to go to a school that is "overrated" (like Duke reportedly is, quick rise and all) then to a school that is underrated. Who wants to have to defend your school all the time anyways?</p>
<p>Duke is overrated??Now thats news to me ;)</p>