<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I am definitely applying to Duke but am still trying to decide which of the top schools I would be most interested in. Could you please share one or two things you really like about Duke that distinguish it from the other top schools! Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>If you read the thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/730245-duke-vs-johns-hopkins-vs-upenn-vs-rice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/730245-duke-vs-johns-hopkins-vs-upenn-vs-rice.html</a> , you will get a whole bunch of info.</p>
<p>ok, thanks cdz512. good info on the other schools, but not much about duke (hm well chicas are important…). anyone else?</p>
<p>Here’s a similar thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/720511-why-duke.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/720511-why-duke.html</a></p>
<p>Lots easier than retyping it all =)</p>
<p>A couple of things that some may forget to mention about Duke:</p>
<p>-Compared to my friends at peer institutions, the contact that Duke students get from the administration is amazing. Ever since the beginning, I’ve felt nothing but welcome. The administration has sent letter after letter after letter, informing us of changes, of alerts, or of important deadlines. And while this is a small example, each year, freshmen get a little thing called a BlueBook. This book is basically a first-year’s Bible, as it lists out everything you need to do in a very clear cut manner. My friends at Penn and Stanford had nooooo idea what was going on and were always scrambling and trying to figure out what to do and how to accomplish whatever they DID need/want to do. And because of that, I sincerely love Duke. Maybe it’s that Southern hospitality? But whatever it is, Duke immediately welcomes you into the family.</p>
<p>-Students are down to earth. And what I mean by that is that students don’t normally wear their intelligence on their sleeve, and I love that. When you speak to your friends and other students, you feel as if you are speaking to normal kids. But as soon as conversations turn from something about lunch/music/TV to class/philosophy/politics, intelligence permeates the conversations. I love that fulcrum - you’re able to have the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>-Strong, STRONG and loving (and did I mention, STRONG?) alumni network. Arguably, it is one of the best in the country. There are events everywhere you look, and you’re always able to build new bridges with some of the most amazing people.</p>
<p>-DukeEngage + FOCUS. Duke is truly, truly unique through these two programs. Through the aforementioned alumni network (here, Melinda Gates), Duke is able to sponsor kids to do amazing things in amazing places. My friends have helped finance villages and bring electricity to places some maps leave out. FOCUS is Duke’s way of bringing back the true meaning of an interdisciplinary liberal arts education. From topics ranging from Global Health to Economic Systems, students are given opportunities to see how seemingly abstract ideas connect and relate. And through seeing those connections, Duke feels that innovation starts there, and that’s why Duke pushes for a well-rounded liberal arts education.</p>
<p>-Ivy-education without an Ivy-attitude. Duke does not need to have the “Ivy” tagline to be at the top, and kids are happy with that. Duke is Duke. And Duke students are proud of it. 
What I loved about Duke, and what ultimately drew me to Duke, was that unlike it’s peer schools, Duke is not just sitting there, happy with the way it is. The administration and faculty are always trying to find ways to push limits. Buildings are being reconstructed (i.e.; the new Perkins Library is orgasmic. Seriously.) and innovation is at it’s finest. And that’s what I loved - while many Ivies are sitting there thinking “Yeah, we’re old and great. Everyone knows it,” I felt that Duke was always hungry from more. And that vibe translates to the student body. And THAT itself reflects in Duke’s stats: Duke’s advising is one of the best in the country, and no one sends more kids to graduate and professional schools than Duke than HYPS.</p>
<p>-&last but not least, Duke has one of the most amazing and breath-taking college campuses in the United States. :)</p>
<p>Yeapppppp and obviously there is more, but hey. It’s late and I am tired ahhaha.</p>