<p>If you want D-1 sports go to Duke. Penn/Dartmouth are both excellent options as well.</p>
<p>I'm actually a Duke student, and academically I view Duke as equals with Penn and Dartmouth. Penn and Dartmouth are Ivy League, and Duke is not. All three schools have fairly equal prestige associated with them, just different, which isn't saying one is better than the other, they're each viewed differently.</p>
<p>Duke and Dartmouth are very similar schools judging by social atmosphere and student body. Penn is more different. Honestly, it would be very logical if you chose a school that gave you a near full-ride. While the three are equal academically, if Duke indeed would be your first choice should money not be an issue, I recommend choosing Dartmouth over Penn. Good luck!</p>
<p>easy- upenn</p>
<p>I would pick UPenn even if cost isn't a concern. The fact that it is a full ride makes it even better. Still, Duke, Dartmouth, and Penn are all at the same tier in terms of prestige.</p>
<p>i just don't wanna make a mistake and regret it later on. Basketball was a huge part of High School for me and some of my best memories involved going to games at my school. THat being said, I don't want to pick Duke b/c of basketball and then regret it. Is the great basketball at Duke just a perk of an otherwise fine institution?</p>
<p>The basketball program at Penn is nothing to sneeze at, although Duke's gets more publicity. Duke is certainly a fine university and has much to recommend it. Most of the colleges on your list do. Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you will make, so don't make it lightly. Any of your options will provide a wonderful education, so don't feel guilty about using "small" factors like basketball to help you decide. These seemingly unimportant details are what makes one's college experience so memorable.</p>
<p>All three are equal in terms of academics, prestige, opportunities, etc. You need to decide based on more personal factors, such as how YOU feel about the location, campus, student body, and overall environment. I also agree with the previous poster that sometimes the smaller factors may be very important when the colleges are rather similar overall (especially the academics).</p>
<p>The only free ride at ivies is need based aid. It can come in different forms, some more loans than others, but if you're into a few the others will generally meet your best offer. But it is confuising when you call need based aid a free ride. Kids start to think this is possible absent of being poor.</p>
<p>Here's a great article on Penn basketball (and the fans!) from espn.com:</p>
<p>At least at Penn you're pretty much guaranteed to be able to go to all the games :)</p>