<p>I want to study math and economics/finance at Duke. Is Duke strong at these fields? I have seen USNEWS ranks. Duke is not very very good. But I see the Princeton Review that the economics major of Duke is one of the most popular. Could any Duke undergraduate tell me something? Thanks</p>
<p>I'm also interested in economics, but more environmental and international economics. If anyone's got anything specific to say about that I'd be glad to hear it.</p>
<p>Would anyone turn down Uchicago econ for Duke?</p>
<p>@zzx05l1. Yes, economics is the most popular major and is a strong field at Duke. Many students go on to work at prestigious Wall Street firms, i-banks, consulting firms, and the like. Although behind Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and Wharton in the number of students the most prestigious firms take, Duke is in the next batch of schools with Dartmouth, the rest of UPenn, Columbia, Brown, etc. You won't be taking many seminars, though, so if you want personal attention, you're not going to get it from Duke econ.</p>
<p>Math is also fairly strong although I personally dislike the math department's early courses and how they're organized. When you get higher up, it gets better. Since 1990, Duke has placed in the top 5 in the Putnam Competition twelve times, including three championships (William</a> Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia%5DWilliam">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putnam_competition#Top-scoring_teams)). Only Harvard has a more impressive record over that timespan.</p>
<p>@tcmzueck. Don't know anything about environmental and international economics at Duke. I'm not an econ major, but I haven't heard of such a program existing.</p>
<p>@CNI. Yes, somebody would turn down UChicago for Duke econ if it's a better fit. UChicago and Duke attract very different types of students and the social life at Chicago and Duke are not even comparable. UChicago obviously has a lot more history in the economics dept and it seems that a faculty member wins the Nobel Prize in Econ every year. Duke can't match that prestige, but is still very strong. UChicago is a much more academia-oriented student body (those who want to become professors), while Duke students are more professional school oriented (business, law, and medicine). These are generalizations, but I believe the percentages support it.</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that your interests might change, so choose a school not solely based on the department, but where you could be happy in general if you decided to try a new field.</p>
<p>You need to carefully think about your career goals and future objectives if you're deciding between UChicago and Duke as a prospective Econ major. UChicago has a historically stronger program in Economics and has more renowned professors but the field of study there is geared more for students who are serious in pursuing PHDs in Economics and becoming an educational authority on the subject. Duke's Economics Department, on the other hand, seems to have a lot of majors/minors who use their econ education as a stepping stone to a Wall Street career in investment banking or consulting.</p>
<p>As bluedog has also mentioned, there is a WORLD of difference between Duke and UChicago in terms of social life and the personality of the student body. In fact, I cannot think of two top academic schools in the country who have comparably intelligent students yet have such a difference in the mentality of the student body. Duke students are "work hard, play hard" while Chicago students are more about the "life of the mind". So, if you' really want to have an intellectually enriching atmosphere to be the focal point of your college experience, then UChicago is undoubtebly the better fit. If you desire to have a fun social life with strong athletics to complement a grueling education, then I would without hesitation say that Duke would serve your interests matter.</p>
<p>If OP wants to study finance, Chicago is not ideal. Undergrads can cross-register into classes at Chicago's Graduate School of Business, but I think that other schools probably offer finance classes focused towards an undergraduate level.</p>
<p>I agree with other comments regarding fit as it pertains to schools like Duke and Chicago-- a Chicagoan's primary interest is the here-and-now education and secondary interest is professional pursuits. Unless you're also up for a rigorous all-around education through the Core Curriculum and reading Marx and Plato, Chicago is not a good school to go to for undergrad, despite its high rankings in certain fields.</p>
<p>i would pick Duke over Chicago in a heartbeat</p>
<p>Does Duke generally have better financial aid than U of C? I got mine (from Duke) today, and I've been MORE than pleased...</p>
<p>@CNI. Historically, I believe Duke's financial aid has been stronger. However, last year UChicago received an anonymous gift from an alumnus for $100 million to go exclusively to financial aid. And from that they launched a $400 million campaign. Duke is in the midst of a $300 financial aid campaign themselves, though. So, I think that a couple years ago, Duke's aid would be significantly better, but UChicago's fin aid has just skyrocketed, so it might be closer or even better. See The</a> University of Chicago receives anonymous $100 million gift for undergraduate financial aid</p>
<p>"For those students whose annual family income is less than $60,000, the loans could be replaced entirely by grants, and for families whose income is between $60,000 and $75,000, the loans could be cut in half."</p>