<p>for what reason?</p>
<p>There’s going to be a large number of people who select Duke over HYPSM. Here are some of them:</p>
<pre><code> 1) Duke has more school spirit than any of the Ivies due to their amazing basketball
team
2) Duke has a more laid-back, friendly atmosphere compared to the Ivies and MIT
3) Duke has better weather
4) Duke has one of the best biomedical programs in the nation (HYPSM don’t even
come close)
5) Duke has one of the best pre-med programs in the country
6) Duke’s “prestige” is almost on par with the Ivies
</code></pre>
<p>Keep in mind that there are also plenty of students who will choose their state schools over HYPS due to the current financial situation. Contrary to what you think, it’s not abnormal for people to turn down Ivies.</p>
<p>I know people who have turned down HYPMS for Duke when offered a full ride (AB Duke, BN Duke, Robertson), but I’ve yet to see that happen when they’d still have to pay full.</p>
<p>As slik nik said, I also know people who have turned down both HYPMS and Duke for UNC, also for financial reasons.</p>
<p>two of my friends this year did. one choose duke over yale, the other over harvard. (they were not offered the full rides that knat referenced). they made their decision mainly for reasons 1, 2, 5, and 6 that slik nik pointed out. i think fewer people would choose duke over stanford though, as they are almost exactly the same in terms of school-vibe, except for the fact that stanford is perceived as academically stronger and more prestigious.</p>
<p>^ Not in every department, by any means. Duke’s English department OWNS Stanford’s. Two of my teachers (one from Harvard and one from Columbia) consistently make fun of my other teacher, who went to Stanford. Apparently, Stanford’s a joke in certain areas of academia.</p>
<p>^well i meant “overall academic strength.” while each university has its own strengths, there’s always the big picture. i mean, duke’s BME kills harvard’s, but most people would usually give the benefit of the doubt to harvard.</p>
<p>Stanford may be a joke in certain areas, but I would argue that English is not one of them. Rankings may not mean much, but USNews has Stanford’s English at #2…they’re respectable at the very least. (Duke is 10 by the way)</p>
<p>Controversial* essay by student who turned down Stanford for Duke:</p>
<p>[washingtonpost.com:</a> This Pro-Fro’s A No-Go](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A10157-2004May8?language=printer]washingtonpost.com:”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A10157-2004May8?language=printer)</p>
<p>*there was a lot of flaming about her on Stanford message boards which was pretty funny because all the comments essentially were: “I can’t believe she wrote that! I mean, it’s all true…but still!”</p>
<p>I think this is more common than you’d expect. My old neighbor turned down Yale to go to Duke. Same with the tour guide I had at Duke.</p>
<p>I know a person from Emory Scholars who turned down Harvard for Duke. I think it was for reasons 1, 2, and 6.</p>
<p>On the Washington Post article, that was almost exactly like my experience at WUSTL. My choices were Duke, WUSTL, and a full ride at Emory–I was torn between the three. But college visits changed that. My visit at WUSTL (“Celebration Weekend”) was just like the article–shoehorned spirit, diversity separation, no independence. Although, admittedly, that one huge mudfight by the Indian association was cool…but every college has stuff like that. I preferred my experiences at Emory and Duke–better weather, laidback yet motivated students who gave the real goods on campus life, a touch of independence. I ended up choosing Duke because of the school spirit (DIII sports…or Cameron Crazies), stronger undergrad focus, premed, and (I’ll admit) the prestige factor.</p>
<p>“^ Not in every department, by any means. Duke’s English department OWNS Stanford’s. Two of my teachers (one from Harvard and one from Columbia) consistently make fun of my other teacher, who went to Stanford. Apparently, Stanford’s a joke in certain areas of academia.”</p>
<p>You have some dumb teachers.</p>
<p>maybe they made fun of him because he/she was a stanford grad but only working at duke…</p>
<p>^no hookem is in hs. and wait *** do you mean by “only” working at duke… how is that an “only?”</p>
<p>no need to get personal lol.</p>
<p>considering the scarcity of faculty positions at the present time, “only working at Duke” is quite an accomplishment.</p>
<p>In some areas, 10% of the population at least would even say that only having a job at all is quite an accomplishment.</p>
<p>I think I was a little mistaken
I meant that with a little more sarcasm, and i didn’t totally understand the context of the situation</p>
<p>How good/prestigious/marketable are Duke’s Math and Computer Science departments? And on the base as the ivies/MIT, how much of a salary package do Duke students get?</p>
<p>I’m sorry to have to be the one to inform you of this, but as a Duke student, you unfortuantely don’t receive a salary package. In fact, YOU pay DUKE. We call it tution. An “anti-salary package,” if you will. </p>
<p>Duke’s math and CS departments are very good, but as for marketability, I don’t think they’re for sale right now…could be mistaken.</p>
<p>Wow, you are smart!</p>
<p>By Duke students I meant students who have graduated and are looking for jobs. </p>
<p>My bad, shouldn’t have used “departments”. Degrees. That’s the word.</p>
<p>Sadly, I wouldn’t know what the anti-salary package looks like. Scholarship, you see. See you this fall, biomed kid!</p>
<p>(when you get to duke, don’t flaunt the fact that you are on a full ride from Duke (if thats where the scholarship is from)) …</p>
<p><a href=“when%20you%20get%20to%20duke,%20don’t%20flaunt%20the%20fact%20that%20you%20are%20on%20a%20full%20ride%20from%20Duke%20(if%20thats%20where%20the%20scholarship%20is%20from)”>QUOTE</a> …
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>adrivit’s “scholarship” is need-based in the form of a “financial aid scholarship” according to his/her past posts. So, yeah, I don’t think he/she would flaunt that.</p>