<p>Having visited a wide-range of schools across the Northeast and the South, my decision rests on these two fantastic institutions. Obviously, deciding is the easy part, and it's more than likely I'll be rejected. Then again, you never know.</p>
<p>A little bit about myself:
Interests: International Relations (specifically the Middle East), Economics, and/or Political Science
I like the vibrant, intellectual culture of Columbia, and the opportunities that NYC would inevitably afford, but the lack of a traditional "college experience" causes me some concern. I love the Core.
My visit to Duke was incredible. I'm a huge college basketball fan, so that's a plus, and I really liked the vibe at Duke--just as much as Columbia's.</p>
<p>In terms of future employment, it could be Wall Street, Big-law, the Foreign Service, or an NGO. I'm still figuring that out. I will most likely major in IR/Poly-Sci and minor in Economics.</p>
<p>Considering all of these factors, why should I choose one school over the other?</p>
<p>I think you’re thinking it through the right lens. Which one would you prefer: a more traditional college experience with great university pride and a strong sense of community or a living in one of the best (and busiest and most expensive) cities in the world while attending a top notch university? </p>
<p>I visited both before my senior year and simply felt I’d be much happier at Duke. NYC is great in theory, in my mind, but I thought I might get lost in the shuffle. I thought Duke would afford me a more “nurturing” environment to grow and also I really appreciated the great sense of pride and community feel. The lower cost of living, actually having grass and gardens on campus (good luck trying to play a pick up frisbee, soccer, tennis, or football game in the Upper West Side on an empty “quad”…), and a surrounding with still plenty to do that caters more to the university - you can actually go to many of the bars/clubs nearby when you’re under 21! Just technically not allowed to drink - in a not as intimidating city (I’ll admit NYC as a high schooler scared my a bit…it doesn’t anymore). really tilted the scale in Duke’s favor for me. However, others find the allure of NYC a great appeal and would prefer the experience Columbia provides.</p>
<p>I think from an academic/preparation perspective for a career, the two are pretty comparable. I think Columbia probably has a bit more prestige on the IR side of things than Duke does if that’s important to you. NYC is the #1 destination that Duke students go to upon graduating, so it’s not like there isn’t a presence there for the Duke community (DC being #2 with clearly a lot of opportunities in the foreign services, IR, etc. fields).</p>
<p>It really comes down to personal preference. I recommend choosing where you think you’d “fit” best and be happiest. Good luck!</p>
<p>I second everything bluedog said. My only addition is that all your prospective career choices are huge in NYC so you are very likely to end up working there or in another metropolitan area like DC, than anywhere else. While most people’s initial thought is that choosing Columbia would make jobs in these fields more accessible, I think it might be a wiser choice to choose a college that allows you to experience something different from what you’ll experience post-graduation (from a growth standpoint). </p>
<p>Columbia is an incredible insituition with academics and a brand name only few schools can beat. But a traditional college campus and experience is something you can only get once in your life and I would choose Duke again if I was going through the college application process. </p>
<p>Both Jwest22 and bluedog have provided excellent prospectives and suggestions; I strongly endorse their inputs. I would like, however to emphasize one point that I believe is critical, and possibly should be decisive: your individual “cultural fit” with these two superb institutions. To reiterate the obvious, both Columbia and Duke are outstanding universities, both have merited stellar reputations, both will offer any undergraduate a cornucopia of exceptional academic and non-scholastic opportunities, both will largely help to ensure great postgraduate and career prospects, and (finally) both will provide you with lifelong advantages and distinction. Attempting to differentiate between these two options (and I hope your are fortunate enough to be admitted to one or both) is folly – it’s a personal preference between two essentially equal alternatives (do you prefer pepperoni or sausage pizza?).</p>
<p>However, YOUR “cultural fit” is likely to differ considerably: the “biggest apple” or an increasingly nice small Carolina city, a university that exudes school spirit or one that is seemingly less enthusiastic, campuses that are truly spectacular or one that is very nice but in an exceedingly urban context, a university that (along with Stanford and Notre Dame) always is at the top of aggregate private Division I intercollegiate athletics or one where sports are somewhat deemphasized – really, this list is endless. I certainly do not suggest that one set of options is better than the other, or that one university is either. Rather, I recommend you make your decision based upon such “cultural fit” parameters, because your home for four years – and, far more important, your friends and classmates for many decades – will be shaped by and attracted to one of these distinct cultures or the other.</p>
<p>It’s also worth pointing out that Columbia has twice as many graduate students than Duke. That’s something worth considering because it could have implications for the culture of the institution. </p>
<p>I’ve heard mixed reviews about whether Columbia is more of a graduate-focued school than undergrad-focused. It has a larger graduate contingent but with such an emphasis on a core curriculum I would assume there is just as many, if not more, resources geared towards undergrads.</p>
<p>This is something you might want to research.</p>
<p>I really don’t want to do this analysis, but it seems to me that the following “graduate student” assessment might be useful:
- Total postgraduate students
- Subtract part-time and professional school students (people pursuing JDs, MDs, MBAs, etc. are postgraduate students, but they really attand professional schools, not graduate school, and generally they have very little interface with undergraduates)
- Ratio of true postgraduates (arts and sciences) to undergraduates</p>
<p>This might be indicative of an institution’s focus on undergraduate work, although: (a) I’m not at all sure it – singly – would be overly instructive and (b) I am considering this in a general sense, not Duke - Columbia specific. </p>