<p>It seems like your gut is telling you to go to Duke. It seems like from what you are saying that’s the best fit for you. Go with your gut and don’t look back. I’m sure you will love Duke… its a school that I still greatly respect.</p>
<p>Welcome to Duke and thank you for saving Duke’s yield</p>
<p>…if you deposited at Princeton, how are you even considering Duke/JHU? I’m confused.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this whole conversation reflects a major point of what’s very wrong with college admissions today. Here’s a bright kid who clearly “shotgunned” applications to a large nonselective list of competitive schools, instead of doing the advance work, visitation, and thinking to limit their applications to schools they really thought they would fit in.</p>
<p>The 8 Ivies are only alike in that they share the same ATHLETIC conference - otherwise they are wildly diverse in terms of size/location/urban-setting etc. To have turned down “all ivies” as well as clearly having applied to Stanford, JHU, and who knows wherever else speaks volumes about the dysfunction of today’s college application process.</p>
<p>No wonder acceptance rates are so low. No wonder so many other kids never get the chance to get into the school that they would really love, because the application pools are diluted with applicants who are only applying for the name.</p>
<p>An all-too-predictable consequence of the on-line common application software, and a damned shame.</p>
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<p>[Duke</a> draws ?rich kids of all colors? | The Chronicle](<a href=“http://dukechronicle.com/article/duke-draws-rich-kids-all-colors]Duke”>Duke draws ‘rich kids of all colors’ - The Chronicle)</p>
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<p>Such “modesty” and “charity!” I’m sure your parents’ $200,000+ will be well spent at Duke. You seem like a perfect fit there. As long as you are marginally happier…</p>
<p>rowforlife, I cannot agree more with your argument!!! I am sick and tired of seeing the threads on CC from accepted students on “Harvard vs. Yale vs. Stanford” etc. They’re making a big deal about choosing between these 3 top schools as if they did not do their homework before applying. If they did their research, then they would know what school to go to. Some of these students have no idea about the different cultures/strengths at these schools and seem to have only applied to them because of the prestige. It is a total shame, in my opinion, that our society is so prestige obsessed. I know many kids who would have loved to go to a place like Brown, Yale, Duke, or even Rice because they researched such schools so heavily and realize it is the best fit for them. However, the students who apply just for the name and who are clueless about the differences between the various top 20 universities/LACs end up taking spots. And then they complain “Oh, I can’t choose between Harvard or Princeton.” I feel absolute no pity for these students.</p>
<p>The Common App should restrict the number of schools one can apply to 10 schools. Of course, college admission offices are part of the problem because they want to increase the number of students applying to the school… a lower acceptance rate makes them look even more prestigious. And the top universities are intentionally attempting to raise their application numbers so that they can look selective and thus raise the university’s USNWR ranking.</p>
<p>I’m surprised the OP even applied to JHU. If research was done beforehand (i.e. talking to current students, professors, reading college reviews, looking through the Princeton guidebook, going through Hopkins website, visiting the campus, etc.), the OP would have known he/she would not have been happy there and not have applied there in the 1st place. When I was applying to schools, I knew Hopkins was not right for me based on the research I did beforehand, so I didn’t even apply. </p>
<p>Again, this is reflective of the entire college admissions process as a whole. So many students these days are brainwashed by society/media/parents that they need to go to a prestigious school to do well in life. Yes it helps to go to a prestigious school, but success is up to the individual… a brand name university is not going to make you a famous, successful person overnight. High school students need to realize that it is in their long term best interest to apply to schools where they fit, not schools with names that they can brag about. If their best fit is Harvard, then that’s great, but they shouldn’t go ahead and apply to Brown, Cornell, and Hopkins if they know they would not like the culture at these schools and take up spots from students who would love to go there.</p>
<p>I’m making some broad generalizations, and I know this is not true of all top students. A great number of them only apply to schools they feel are best for them in the long run. However, it is sickening for me to see a growing trend of people applying to all the Ivies/Stanford/MIT etc.</p>
<p>jumpfroggyjump, your first comment is totally irrelevant. Read other posts, please.</p>
<p>In response to that article from The Chronicle,</p>
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<p>This is an unfair judgement, slik nik. Many students apply to all these schools because they’re uncertain about their own prospects of admission, an understandable sentiment. With schools who reject more than 8 out of 10 applicants (Duke, Penn, Dartmouth, etc) and then HYP who reject more than nine out of 10, it is hard to gauge your likelihood of acceptance.</p>
<p>It is not TOO unreasonable to apply to many top schools because although they may be slightly different in terms of atmospheres, they all offer great things in a combination that few other schools can:</p>
<p>a) unparalleled academics
b) a vibrant alumni network
c) undisputed prestige
d) an intimate education
e) more resources per student ($$)</p>
<p>Yes, Duke has all of this. But what if you don’t get in? Then heck, might as well apply to Columbia, Dartmouth, Penn, HYP, UChicago, etc and try your chances there too. It’s because those four aforementioned criteria are worth it. Right? While I agree that other schools can offer a similar education, the aforementioned ones are KNOWN for their education. The reputations of these schools already precedes them; students apply knowing they don’t need to do as much research regarding the quality of education.</p>
<p>this thread makes me feel like i made the wrong decision turning down $38,000 financial aid to Wash U for Duke, which only gave me $11,000 :/</p>
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<p>What “first comment” are you talking about? I only posted a link:</p>
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<p>Actually, I’ve read many of your other Duke promotional posts. Nothing you say changes that fact that most of the Ivies, Stanford, MIT, etc. offer more generous FA policies than Duke.</p>
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<p>HYPS students whose families make ~$100K/yr only pay ~$10-15K/yr.</p>
<p>stop attacking her. OP is one of the least shallow people I’ve met here on CC. prestige hardly matters to her, it just sounds like it matters to her parents (understandable, since they’re asian ;))</p>
<p>of course, I would pick JHU but it’s not about what we would pick. just go with your gut. money isn’t a problem for my family either. we make about 250k a year (sounds like you are richer) but paying 50k a year would still put a strain on my family. i would take a full ride (or even full tuition) at a school like JHU over duke.</p>
<p>just my two cents. you love duke so much though. i’d hate to see you give it up after all this. on the other hand. duke was was the ONLY school you got waitlisted at. I would hold a grudge against them lol. If they didn’t appreciate you, why should you join them as a “backup” especially when you’re coveted by so many schools!</p>
<p>Well obviously the OP isnt shallow at all since she is turning down HYPS and Oxbridge for Duke, the school she truly loves. That really is refreshing to see here!</p>
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<p>Not S :</p>
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<p>By “a much older peer Ivy institution,” do you mean Columbia? Are you trying to suggest that Duke is as socio-economically diverse as Columbia? Think twice before you answer.</p>
<p>% of Pell Grant Recipients (undergraduate):</p>
<p>Columbia 17%
Duke 10%</p>
<p>In my opinion, the OP needs to learn the value of a dollar.</p>
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<p>I know this is true for some people, but there’s another side to it. What if they researched all three schools and loved all three schools? Just because they can’t decide doesn’t mean they don’t know anything about colleges. I personally visited every single school I applied to for at least 2 days and stayed over night on each other campuses. I read through their viewbooks, made pro/con lists, and researched all the things that are important to me about a school. I still couldn’t decide. Every school is wonderful in its own way.</p>
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<p>I applied to Johns Hopkins thinking I would change my mind between December and May once I figured out what I wanted from life. I didn’t, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have or that it was a bad decision to apply. I probably did apply to too many schools, but having applied to Stanford early and having been rejected, I wasn’t sure that I could get into my top choice schools and applied to a lot of other schools.</p>
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<p>If I applied just for the name, I would be going to Harvard. I can literally tell you at least 10 things I love about all of the schools I applied to.</p>
<p>Lastly, a lot of you seem to be offended that I’m turning down a full ride to JHU. If I didn’t, I would be turning down my dream. There are only so many times when I can do what I love, and maybe it’s coming at a price, but if my parents can pay for it, then why shouldn’t I go to Duke? Again, the only reason I asked this was because my parents wanted me to go to HYP instead of Duke if they were to pay for it. It’s not so much about paying for college, but which college they would be paying for.</p>
<p>Anon93 I will always love you. </p>
<p>Follow your heart. If you hadn’t gotten off the Duke WL and were debating Princeton/JHU I would arguing for Princeton (because it’s a better fit). In the end, it’s your life. Do what you want to do, live with the consequences. </p>
<p>I cannot wait to see you next year. Don’t worry about what any flamers on her say (you’ll never meet them afterall XD). Unlike them, I will be seeing you soon. Congrats on being awesome and not letting external pressure compromise your decision. :)</p>
<p>@ OP:</p>
<p>Both rowforlife and I are not attacking you or criticizing your decision. We are criticizing the entire admissions process as a whole, especially those for top tier schools. Yes, I understand if a student loves all three schools, i.e. Harvard/Princeton/Stanford, then they should apply to all the schools. However, I bet that’s not the case for everyone who applies to those schools; I bet a large number just apply for the name. </p>
<p>You had a difficult decision with two awesome schools, and I understand your perspective. I was in the same position last year, except with Rice and Duke (and Emory and WUSTL). These were all 4 schools I loved. As I stated earlier, I’m glad to hear you went with your gut feeling.</p>
<p>@USNAGolden2014:
From what you posted, it seems like you need to learn to respect all opinions… just because they are critical of the OP’s decision, it doesn’t mean that they are “flamers.” The OP posted her situation on a public, online board. Of course, people are going to be critical of the OP’s decision. She needs to realize that. If she didn’t want “external pressure,” then she should have never posted on this board in the first place. It was her choice to do that. In life, there are always people critical of you… doesn’t mean you dismiss them right away. What they say can be valid. I’ve learned a lot from people being critical of me and my decisions. I felt like everyone here had valid points, both for going to Duke and for going to JHU, and shouldn’t be dismissed as “flamers.” </p>
<p>Anyway, good luck! Hope you enjoy Duke :)</p>
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<p>No, Mr./Ms. I-like-being-anxious-and-jumping-to-conclusions-a-lot,</p>
<p>What I was implying was that Duke, a school who is younger than Columbia by over a century, was able to provide comparable FA. I’m saying that the whole “Duke is for rich kids” premise is by no means a Duke-specific issue, and it something I believe it is an image that elite schools are trying to shed. </p>
<p>ALSO, please consider the size of each class at Columbia versus Duke before you blindly spit out percentages like that.</p>
<p>Duke: 1,704 undergrads/class
Columbia: 1,391 undergrads/class (<a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/applications/stats.php[/url]”>http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/applications/stats.php</a>)</p>
<p>Thus, Columbia has about ~60 more students per class on a Pell Grant. Oh wait, is that some astronomical difference that I can’t seem to see? Think twice before you answer.</p>
<p>May I ask though, why you’re so eager about this topic? You seem particularly enthused, considering you remembered that the OP was not accepted at Stanford and actually went post-searching. As a HS student, it makes you seem a little insecure about something. Just sayin’.</p>
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<p>go to the school thats a good fit for you.
my dad went to JHU but duke was his first choice, but he couldn’t afford it.
now im going to duke (picking it over JHU) and he knows it’ll be the perfect school for me.</p>
<p>if you’re lucky enough to afford to attend the school of your dreams, i would say go for it, most definitely. because if you’re miserable for the next 4 years, whats the point?</p>
<p>@slik nik</p>
<p>settle down, I wasn’t referring to anyone who was making a cogent argument. I was talking about the “OMG how can you be paying full at Duke when you’ve got…” or “BUT HARVARD >>>>>> DUKE.” Rational posts are always good. I know the OP in real life and I just wanted to post on here to be supportive.</p>
<p>Your posts were good, I have no problem with them and was not referring to you :)</p>
<p>**oh and the “external pressure” I was referring to was NOT CC</p>