<p>I haven’t heard much from anyone regarding Duke. Duke vs Yale??? What if I want the ra ra atmosphere?? Duke is still competitive academically, great weather, etc. Is Yale really that much better?</p>
<p>Comments??</p>
<p>" Is Yale really that much better?"</p>
<p>yes</p>
<p>No university is “that much better” than Duke, but there are a handful (and Yale is one of them) that are just plain better.</p>
<p>“Is Yale really that much better?”</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>Academic-wise, you are going to get a great education at any one of these schools. I know many friends who turned down Yale for Dartmouth, Duke, and others of the same caliber, so don’t feel like you should attend Yale just because it’s Yale. </p>
<p>If you feel like Duke (or any of the other choices) is the right fit for you, then go there. Ignore what other people tell you based on “prestige” because, at the end of the day (sorry for the cliche), it’s what you do and not where you go. And you will be more successful at the school where you feel like you fit in. </p>
<p>Either way, you can’t go wrong, so pick the school that you like the best without thinking of rankings and prestige, because, honestly, all of these schools are some of the best in the world.</p>
<p>Good luck and Congrats!</p>
<p>Wow I am kinda shocked to see all the Caltech hate on hear. Caltech is challenging, but its not like any other top tier school is going to be a piece of cake. As someone who played a sport in college, I found that it was a good way to get acclimated with the new college. Unless you know people at the other colleges you are looking at, having a good group of people to hang out with right when you step on campus is great. </p>
<p>Plus, for as much as people say Caltech is exhausting and such it is perennially ranked as a top ten college in happiness. How they measure that I am unsure but here is the link for it [The</a> 100 Happiest Colleges - Galleries - The Daily Beast](<a href=“http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1515/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-11/the-100-happiest-colleges/#]The”>http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1515/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-11/the-100-happiest-colleges/#)</p>
<p>I went undergrad in the northeast and did my grad work in SoCal and I will say that the weather is so much nicer. I definitely would go after the better academic school (especially for math and science), with a group of kids that you already know, and a chance to play sports. Just my opinion though good luck!</p>
<p>This thread is a font of misinformation. I feel I have to defend my alma mater a little bit.</p>
<p>First off, UCLA is not 2 hours away. It takes half an hour to get there. </p>
<p>Second, Caltech is in a league by itself in the STEM field compared to the other schools. If you’re definitely going to go to STEM, Caltech is the place. If you’re not sure, probably somewhere else. </p>
<p>Third, someone mentioned that the “Yale name” would open a lot of doors for you, and implied that Caltech wouldn’t. That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Everyone involved in science and technology knows what Caltech is. That place opens up doors everywhere: financial institutions (at career fairs, financial institutions pretty much crowd for people), defense industry (Every single MechE that applied got in), pretty much any science technology industry.</p>
<p>Academically, ask yourself if you’re looking for a challenge. If you want an easy time of college, go to another school. If you’re looking to challenge yourself academically, Caltech is the place to be. It is also very possible to do well academically and play a sport (sports are actually encouraged, as having a physical outlet lets you think clearer). Also ask yourself if you enjoy math and science. If you do, and you know for sure it’s what you want to learn, and learn well, Caltech is the place for you. If you’re unsure, and you think you might want to switch to a humanities major in college, then obviously Caltech isn’t.</p>
<p>Socially, it’s whatever you make of it. Once again, Caltech’s next to a bunch of huge party schools. If you really want to party, you can find huge parties any day of the week. Caltech itself is pretty fun. There’s 8 Interhouse parties (giant parties each of the Houses at Caltech throw once a year, open bar), and one combined Interhouse party (several thousand attendance) a year. Are there some people who can’t enjoy the social life? At a high STEM place like Caltech, of course. Caltech has a high percentage of socially awkward people who you probably won’t enjoy hanging out with that much. It also has a lot of people who know how to have fun and are awesome to hang out with. </p>
<p>Once again, it boils down to how sure are you of your interest in science.</p>
<p>count another vote here for Caltech… I really have to agree with GoCeltics33. Caltech is an amazing place and better then any of those other listed schools in math and science. Also the ability to play NCAA college basketball is a truly amazing experience. I spent 4 years playing basketball at a small division II school and enjoyed every minute of it. Not to mention all the national exposure the team got after the win, I saw them on Sportscenter the next day. On top of all this Caltech has the highest starting salary out of any university in the country. Don’t worry about failing classes or anything I am sure if admissions let you in you are smart enough to flourish at Caltech. Also if you have a love for basketball, you wont be happy playing intramural ball. All intramural ball is just glorified pick up. Nothing measures up to representing your school on the court. It also seems from some of the news coverage the team has a possibility of contending in the next few years I would imagine that be awesome to be a part of that. Also in college you ll be lucky to come out of college with 10 people you will stay in contact with (something my dad told me when i was deciding) it seems like you would have those people on the team if you feel like you fit in with them. Hope you good luck with any choice to make please keep us informed on the forum when you choose</p>
<p>The thing about Caltech is that it is just what KamikazeWave said: it is what you make of it; if you are outgoing you will find and take advantage of all the wonderful quirky aspects of it. It’s a small school, so you can be a big part of it right away. One notable example of this is that students have had the possibility to do research with Nobel prize winners even in their freshman year. Not knowing exactly what you want to do isn’t a problem either, like all the other schools you can change you major lots of times, especially within the first 2 years when much of the course work is the same. Everyone knows the acedemics are great, but the social scene is also truly what you make of it and seek out. There arn’t big parites every day like there may be at big schools, but you can find a group of people to drink with most thrs, frid, and sat nights if your looking. There are also plenty of people who find traditionally neardier ways to party (DDR, chess, video games, etc) too. The opportunity to play a sport in college is a pretty cool opportunity that just won’t come back later in life after your done with college. If your a good player I’m sure you’d get some significant minutes even as a freshman at Caltech, they are a pretty young team still (despite the recently found success)</p>
<p>Have you at least considered randomly picking a college out of a hat? I think that might be your best option.</p>
<p>I personally wouldn’t consider any school over a full ride at Northwestern unless the difference between the offer and COA was very small at the other schools. If you have to pay $5-10k a year to go to another university, there’s absolutely no reason to even consider that over Northwestern. Caltech does math and science better, yes, and Yale has better name recognition, but still, at this tier of schools, there will be an incredible amount of academic rigor no matter where you go.</p>
<p>I think that some of the CalTech defenders miss the point: people are not saying that Cal Tech does not have huge name recognition and is not tops in STEM fields. It does, it is. They are saying that CalTech is for people who are TRULY DEVOTED to STEM fields, even more hardcore than MIT, and the OP is not.</p>
<p>Given the financials you’ve mentioned, I think that Yale and Dartmouth are your best choices.</p>
<p>CaptainOats said “Also of note, northwestern and Dartmouth are both quarter system schools. That’s a dealbeaker for some people. Also, Dartmouth isn’t just quarter system, It’s a modified quarter system called the D-plan.”</p>
<p>Why are quarter systems deal-breakers, because the summer break is shorter? My kids are used to three terms here in London. Thanks, Jack</p>
<p>Congrats on getting into so many good schools, but I would choose between yale and Northwestern</p>
<p>Some people feel that shorter terms result in less fulfilling course experiences. I don’t personally feel that way, I was just expressing that SOME people feel that’s a dealbreaker.</p>
<p>Sent from my Desire HD using CC App</p>
<p>CalTech’s D3 BB team has never won a game in like 50 years.</p>
<p>CalTech has the highest ROI if you can survive the 4 yrs of REALLY hard study.</p>
<p>I have no experience with any of these schools besides the fact that my school is in the same athletic conference as Duke. But if I had to pick, I’d go with Yale.</p>
<p>
Technically incorrect: [ESPN</a> News Wire - ESPN](<a href=“http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncb&id=2723026]ESPN”>Caltech's basketball team ends 11-year NCAA losing streak - Men's College Basketball - ESPN)</p>
<p>
Correct.</p>
<h1>2 Caltech: $1,644,000</h1>
<h1>5 Dartmouth: $1,587,000</h1>
<h1>8 Yale: $1,392,000</h1>
<h1>11 Duke: $1,319,000</h1>
<h1>66 Northwestern: $841,100</h1>
<p>Of course these are averages and do not reflect greatly upon an individual. Further, the ROIs will change one way or another between one 30-year period or another, so don’t take these as exact figures for you.</p>
<p>[What’s</a> Your College Degree Worth? - Businessweek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)</p>
<p>HOWEVER, this is not money readily available today, but, rather, over 30 years, and so cannot be used today to make up cost differences. Furthermore, choosing only on money is not a wise thing to do.</p>
<p>All are excellent schools; a full ride is hard to pass up, but much easier when every school gave you enough aid. I’d say just go with the one that “feels” right, as that’s the main distinguishing factor at this point.</p>
<p>[The</a> Caltech Beavers men’s basketball team finally solves equation - ESPN Los Angeles](<a href=“Canada's talismanic leader Sinclair is now a vocal advocate of women's game - ESPN”>The Caltech Beavers men's basketball team finally solves equation - ESPN)</p>
<p>chose Yale :)</p>