Northwestern or Duke?? Please help!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northwestern University
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<p>Really, why do you care if others post about this?</p>

<p>I usually refrain posting on threads about “prestige” aside from when there are erroneous statements made.</p>

<p>Youth isn’t an “excuse” (when I was at that age, I didn’t make claims/assertions on things which I knew that I didn’t have a comprehensive understanding).</p>

<p>And isn’t it the responsibility of us “elders” to teach the youngun’s the errors of their ways?</p>

<p>The fact that you feel the need to keep posting your thoughts on this matter is sad.</p>

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<p>k&s the point of my original post was that many adults on this site endlessly engage with these students and perpetuate the prestige talking points that have been so shamelessly propagated by the professional educators to justify the ridiculous cost of tuition. Z15 mentions a well known study that showed just how little it matters where one goes to school. The truth is that rather than focusing on prestige most of these students/families should be planning their education decisions more on how to avoid excessive school debt.</p>

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<p>This is unbelievable. Northwestern students/alums/fans thinking the University is on par or even above Duke. Please say this same thing to academics and corporate executives and take note of how long each person laughs. </p>

<p>pizzagirl, I’m not a a junior at Duke. I’m in one of the professional schools. And even if I was a junior, it takes nothing to research and eventually find out that Duke edges out Northwestern in corporate recruiting and law, business, and medical placements. </p>

<p>OP, choose Duke.</p>

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<p>Another young person with no real world experience who prefers Duke. So what? He/she has never had a job or any real world experience. Would you bother to argue with a person who prefers vanilla over chocolate?</p>

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<p>For what it’s worth, in a recent survey of 150 CEOs at the leading companies in 10 countries, when asked to rank schools where they recruit NU ranked #6 while Duke ranked #13.</p>

<p>[Education</a> - Image - NYTimes.com](<a href=“Education - Image - NYTimes.com”>Education - Image - NYTimes.com)</p>

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<p>Both amazing schools that produce amazing students…next!</p>

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<p>That being said…these decisions are about “fit”…if school “x” is slightly more or less prestigious than school “y”, that should not affect your decision…your academic education will be excellent at both schools…but, college is not just about education, it’s about socialization…what you contribute to the institution, what the institution contributes to you (besides academics). That’s where fit comes in…a miserable Harvard student that runs a 2.0 for his 4 years…well, yeah, you’ve got some real prestige there, but that’s a pretty bad way to spend what should be an amazing 4 years of your life. So, advice: fit, fit, fit…especially at this level!</p>

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<p>And, my advice to CuseAmbassador, chill! I was a CEO for a public company for 15 years…the words Duke or Northwestern on a resume never made me lean one way or another when I was hiring young people…actually, when I saw Duke, I would wonder how the basketball team was doing…both schools got equal respect from me, as did others of their peer groups…the fact is that as an employer, after HYPS, I was pretty neutral on the balance of the top schools that I would see on resumes when it came to young people from the top 15 schools or so…</p>

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<p>CuseAmbassador,</p>

<p>You should be glad that in the real world, people don’t really lean one way or another. I hope you don’t feel embarassed about Syracuse nor feel there’s some enormous gap between it and any of the top-20 school. Just saying!</p>

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<p>mltdad you are starting to take the bait. Law school top 14 matters. Business schools the top ten matters. Medical school the school you attend makes little difference. Dental School all are equal. The undergraduate school you attend is probably the most over hyped credential there is because almost all undergraduate degrees are of little value except as a stepping stone to professional school. There are exceptions like engineering school or accounting but not many. Most students would be far better off saving their money to pay for professional school.</p>

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<p>If you guys could help me out: I’m also considering Duke and NU.</p>

<p>I want to major in Theatre, so that in itself kind of answers the question, but I have a few other factors that I’m weighing in. I want to double major in something, and right now I’m not sure what I want to double major in. I want time at school to explore, decide, and then finish all my requirements in four years. I’m afraid it might be a little more inflexible to do that at NU. I’m also afraid I would get lost in the shuffle and be a little fish in a big pond, whereas in Duke’s program I’d be among a small group of Theatre majors, and therefore a little more comfortable. </p>

<p>Thoughts? Views? Opinions?</p>

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<p>Overall, Duke and NU are generally equal schools. With respect to theater, though, there is simply no comparison. NU’s theater program is one of the top, if not the top, in the country. The NU Mafia is second to none. Talent scouts crowd the campus when the Waa-Mu show plays.</p>

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<p>drewski94,</p>

<p>NU believes even the theater majors at one of the best theater programs in the country should have a broad education in liberal arts. As a theater major, you will be required to take at least 18 credits outside the theater department. A lot of them probably double-major in something like English or history…etc. With the quarter system and twelves courses a year, you will have plenty of classes to explore something other than theater. 100 students a year isn’t that big anyway.</p>

<p>At semester schools like Duke and with only 4 courses per semseter as the typical load, it’s actually harder to double-major or even if you can, there’d be essentially no room for random electives. Also, I don’t know how tiny their program is but if it’s too tiny, the course selection and offering can be very limiting.</p>

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<p>The list of Blue Devils in the entertainment, journalism, and media worlds is also extensive.</p>

<p>Fine arts
Michael Best (A.B. 1962), Former Principal Artist of the Metropolitan Opera
Les Brown (A.B. 1936), Musician, Les Brown & The Band of Renown, Jazz Hall of Fame Inductee 1999
Michael Ching (A.B. 1980), composer, Memphis Opera
Bill Cunliffe, Grammy Award winning composer, arranger, pianist[5]
Lorenz Eitner (A.B. 1940), renowned art historian
Adam Lord (B.A. 2003), musician, writer
Mike Posner (B.S. 2010), musician, Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 single “Cooler Than Me”
Adam Sampieri (B.A. 2003), musician, writer
Ryan Senft (B.S. 2002), musician, Alan Davis Band
William Stone (B.A., 1966), operatic baritone</p>

<p>Entertainment
Ian Abrams, co-creator of the CBS TV series Early Edition, Undercover Blues, Rolling Thunder
Andy Baldwin (B.S. 1999), The Bachelor, lieutenant, and doctor
Jayne Brook (1982), actress, Chicago Hope
Ryan Carnes (X. 2004), actor, Desperate Housewives, Eating Out
Jack Coleman (A.B. 1980), actor, Heroes, Dynasty, Days of our Lives
Robert L. Cook (B.S. 1973), Oscar-winning software-programmer whose computer-graphics program, RenderMan, is used in many contemporary films
Kara DioGuardi (A.B. 1993), songwriter for musicians including Carlos Santana, Kelly Clarkson and Britney Spears, American Idol judge
Lee McGeorge Durrell (Ph.D. 1979), author, television presenter, zookeeper
Ren</p>

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<p>Sorry, but Duke is not on the radar of serious Theatre programs while NU is by any reckoning among the very top schools. Time Magazine cited NU in their Best of the Decade issue.</p>

<p>In Theatre, there is ABSOLUTELY no contest (which even so is not to say it is the best fit for everyone).</p>

<p>Here is a brief NU Theatre alumni list…</p>

<p>• Mara Brock Akil (B.A. 1992), creator and executive producer of Girlfriends and The Game, former supervising producer of The Jamie Foxx Show
• Claude Akins (B.S. 1949), actor (Inherit the Wind, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo)
• Ann-Margret (Olsson) (Class of 1963, never graduated), Academy Award-nominated actress (Tommy, Carnal Knowledge)
• Sharif Atkins (B.S. 1999), actor (ER)
• Jayne Atkinson (B.S. 1981), Tony Award-nominated actress (Enchanted April, The Rainmaker); currently portrays Karen Hayes on 24
• Jane Badler (B.S. 1976), actress (V)
• Kate Baldwin actress (1997 – theaterschool)
• Bonnie Bartlett (B.S. 1950), Emmy Award-winning actress (St. Elsewhere, Twins, Ghosts of Mississippi)
• Warren Beatty (Class of 1959, never graduated), Academy Award-winning actor/writer/director (Bonnie and Clyde, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Shampoo, Reds)
• Lee Phillip Bell (B.A. 1950) Emmy Award-winning co-creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful
• Rob Benedict (B.S. 1993), actor (Threshold, Felicity)
• Richard Benjamin (B.S. 1960), actor (Catch-22, Deconstructing Harry); director (Mermaids, Racing with the Moon)
• Edgar Bergen (attended, did not graduate), Academy Award-winning actor and ventriloquist (Charlie McCarthy)
• Greg Berlanti (B.S. 1994), screenwriter and producer (Dawson’s Creek); creator of Everwood and Jack & Bobby; writer/director of Broken Hearts Club
• Eric Bernt (B.S. 1986), screenwriter (Surviving the Game, Virtuosity, Romeo Must Die)
• Craig Bierko (B.S. 1986), actor (Cinderella Man, The Thirteenth Floor); Tony Award-nominee (The Music Man)
• Andrew Bird (B.S. 1996), musician, songwriter, whistler
• Karen Black (attended, never graduated), Academy Award-nominated actress (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces)
• Jeff Blumenkrantz (B.S. 1986), Tony Award-nominated musical theatre composer/lyricist (Urban Cowboy)
• Robert Borden (B.S. 1989), executive producer/writer (George Lopez)
• Zach Braff (B.S. 1997), Emmy Award-nominated actor (Scrubs); writer/director (Garden State)
• Cary Brothers (B.S. 1995), Grammy-nominated musician (Garden State)
• Clancy Brown (B.S. 1981), actor (Highlander, The Shawshank Redemption)
• Charles Busch (B.S. 1976), Tony Award-nominated playwright (The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife)
• Frank Buxton (B.S. 1951), actor/writer/director
• Bruno Campos (B.S. 1995), actor (Nip/Tuck)
• Adam Chase (B.S. 1990), Emmy Award-nominated writer/executive producer (Friends)
• Josh Chetwynd, UK based baseball analyst and former player
• Janet Choi, cast member of The Real World: Seattle
• Cindy Chupack (B.S. 1987), Emmy Award-winning executive producer and writer (Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond)
• Jeanne Clemson (M.A.), theater director, stage actress and teacher, preserved the Fulton Opera House
• Stephen Colbert (B.S. 1987), Emmy Award-winning comedian (The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart)
• Jack Clay, acting teacher/director/actor
• Claire Coffee, actress (General Hospital)
• Kate Collins, actress (All My Children)
• Robert Conrad (B.S. 1955), actor (The Wild Wild West, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Hawaiian Eye)
• Steven Conrad (B.A. 1991), screenwriter (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man)
• Cindy Crawford (attended, never graduated), model
• Jan Crull Jr.(attended, never graduated),filmmaker, Native American Rights Activist, Attorney
• Jane Curtin (attended, never graduated), original cast member of Saturday Night Live; Emmy Award-nominated actress (Kate & Allie, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
• Stephanie D’Abruzzo (B.S. 1993), Tony Award-nominated actress and puppeteer (Avenue Q)
• William Daniels (B.S. 1950), Emmy Award-winning actor (St. Elsewhere, Boy Meets World); former president of the Screen Actors Guild
• Zooey Deschanel (attended, never graduated), actress (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Elf, Almost Famous, Winter Passing)
• Lydia R. Diamond (B.S. 1992), playwright
• Matt Doherty (B.S. 1999), actor (So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Mighty Ducks films)
• Anne Dudek, actress (House, Psych, Law and Order: CI, Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, White Chicks, The Human Stain)
• Teddy Dunn (B.S. 2003), actor (Veronica Mars)
• Nancy Dussault (B.A. 1957), actress (Too Close for Comfort); two-time Tony Award nominee (Do Re Mi, Bajour)
• Gregg Edelman (B.S. 1980), Tony Award-nominated actor (City of Angels, Into the Woods)
• Jennie Eisenhower (B.S. 2000), actress; granddaughter of Richard Nixon and the great-granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Craig Erwich (B.A. 1989) former Executive Vice President of Programming at Fox TV
• Mary Frann (B.S. 1965), actress (Newhart, Days of our Lives)
• Temi Epstein (B.S. 1996), child actress (North and South)
• Joe Flynn, actor (McHale’s Navy)
• Penny Fuller (B.S. 1959), Emmy Award-winning actress (The Elephant Man); Tony Award nominee (The Dinner Party)
• Gerald Freedman (B.S. 1949, M.A. 1950), theatre director (The Gay Life, The Robber Bridegroom, The Grand Tour)
• David T. Friendly (B.S. 1978), Academy Award-nominated producer (Little Miss Sunshine)
• George Furth (B.S. 1955), Tony Award-winning playwright (Company); actor (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid)
• Aimee Garcia (B.S. 2000), actress (George Lopez)
• Daniele Gaither (B.S. 1993), actress, comic (MADtv)
• Barbara Gaines (B.S. 1968), founder and artistic director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
• Frank Galati (B.A. 1965), Tony Award-winning director (The Grapes of Wrath), Academy Award-nominated screenwriter (The Accidental Tourist)
• Ana Gasteyer (B.S. 1989), actress (Mean Girls, Wicked); former cast member of Saturday Night Live
• Ileen Getz (B.S. 1985), actress (3rd Rock from the Sun)
• Zach Gilford (B.S. 2004), actor (Friday Night Lights)
• Eric Gilliland (B.S. 1984), writer/producer (Rosanne, My Boys)
• Ira Glass (attended, transferred), radio and TV personality
• Jonathan Glassner, TV writer/producer, most known for developing Stargate SG-1.
• Virginia Graham (M.S.J.), former daytime TV talk show host
• Michael Greif (B.S. 1981), Tony Award-nominated director of Rent and Grey Gardens
• Mamie Gummer (B.S. 2005), actress (Evening), daughter of Meryl Streep
• Anna Gunn (B.S. 1990), actress (Deadwood)
• Kathryn Hahn (B.S. 1995), actress (Crossing Jordan)
• Brad Hall (B.S. 1990), former cast member of (Saturday Night Live); creator of (The Single Guy, Watching Ellie)
• Samantha Harris (B.S. 1996), Emmy Award-nominated co-host of Dancing with the Stars
• Bill Hayes (M.M. 1949), Daytime Emmy Award-nominated actor (Days of our Lives)
• Heather Headley (B.S. 1997), Tony Award-winning actress and singer (Aida, The Lion King); Grammy Award-nominated R&B vocalist
• Kyle T. Heffner, actor Flashdance
• Marg Helgenberger (B.S. 1982), Emmy Award-winning actress (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, China Beach, Erin Brockovich)
• Charlton Heston (B.S. 1945), Academy Award-winning actor (Ben-Hur), National Rifle Association President
• Michael Hitchcock (B.S. 1980), writer, co-executive producer (MADTv); actor (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, Serenity )
• Ron Holgate (B.S. 1959), Tony Award-winning actor (1776, The Grand Tour)
• David Hollander (B.S. 1990), creator, screenwriter, and executive producer of The Guardian
• David Horowitz (M.S. 1961), former host of Fight Back! With David Horowitz
• Jeffrey Hunter (B.A. 1949), actor (The Searchers, The Last Hurrah, King of Kings, The Longest Day)
• Lew Hunter (M.S. 1956), Emmy Award-nominated screenwriter (Fallen Angel); Chairman Emeritus and Professor of Screenwriting, UCLA School of Theater Film and Television
• Ron Husmann (B.S. 1959), Tony Award-nominated actor (Tenderloin)
• Martha Hyer (B.S. 1945), Academy Award-nominated actress (Some Came Running, Houseboat, The Sons of Katie Elder, Bikini Beach)
• Rex Ingram, actor (Cabin in the Sky, The Thief of Baghdad, Sahara, Green Pastures)
• Laura Innes (B.S. 1979), Emmy Award-nominated actress (ER); Emmy Award-nominated director (The West Wing)
• Robin Irwin, noted Broadway actress (“Titanic (musical)”), and (“Dance of the Vampires”) She currently teaches at New York University
• David Ives (B.A. 1971), playwright, (All in the Timing)
• Brian d’Arcy James (B.S. 1990), Tony Award-nominated actor (Sweet Smell of Success: The Musical)
• Tim Johnson (B.A. 1983), director (Antz, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas)
• Jennifer Jones, Academy Award-winning actress (The Song of Bernadette, Since You Went Away, Love Letters, Duel in the Sun, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing)
• Peter Kapetan, (B.A. 1978), Broadway actor, singer, dancer 1956–2008[1]
• Spencer Kayden (B.S. 1990), former cast member of MADTv; Tony Award-nominee for Urinetown
• James Keach (B.S. 1970), actor (The Long Riders); producer (Walk the Line); director (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)
• Stacy Keach, Sr. (B.S. 1935), actor (Get Smart); director (Tales of the Texas Rangers)
• Clinton Kelly (M.S. 1993), co-host of (What Not to Wear)
• Peter Keramidas (B.S. 1987, M.B.A 1991), former Executive Vice President of Programming at Showtime Networks
• Richard Kind (B.S. 1978), actor (Mad About You, Spin City)
• Richard Kline (M.A. 1967), actor (Three’s Company)
• Robert Knepper (attended, never graduated), actor (Prison Break, Hostage, Carniv</p>

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<p>well, if it makes any difference, my son is the antithesis of a nerd, for better or worse, and just choose NU over Duke and some others, and I dispute that Wall Street prefers Duke, as every one I know in NY said “he is choosing Northwestern, right?”</p>

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<p>goldenboy,</p>

<p>You know what that list you just posted makes me think of? It looks like a random list of just about anybody that has a full-time job in Hollywood or has appeared on any TV show. Has any of them been nominated or awarded for anything? Seems like shameless marketing, IMO.</p>

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<p>Go to the theater / musical theater forum on CC. Just try to find Duke on it. Hint - you won’t. </p>

<p>Goldenboy - your love of your alma mater is wonderful. But you can’t take world-class programs at one school and pretend that other offerings match it! Your “but we TOO are good” and your inability to say, “hey, I love Duke, but NU theater is a whole other level” is precisely the problem with Duke. Insecurity.</p>

<p>If a poster came on saying, I’m choosing between NU and WashU and I’m interested in fine arts - I’d say go to WashU, they have a better art program. What would be so hard about that? </p>

<p>There’s the graciousness of acknowledging other good schools and the defensiveness and insecurity that prompts one to insist that one’s school is bestest in all areas without reference to reality. A student applying to NU and Duke needs to decide which kind of person he wants to hang around with for 4 years.</p>

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<p>@drewski, I don’t know what it’s like at Duke, but at Northwestern, you will be garner instant respect as a theater student (I was not affiliated with theater whatsoever but my friends and I had so much respect for the theater students). Theater occupies a very special place in the Northwestern community in a way theater programs don’t in most schools. There’s always buzz surrounding the works produced that comes from the fact that productions are consistently topnotch and professional. Your work and passion for theater will be valued for what it is and you will not be pressured to pursue a more “practical” path (as students in other schools often are) just to gain respect. It’s common for even non-Northwestern affiliates to make a special trip to Northwestern to watch the student-produced works. One of my first introductions to Northwestern was actually through my aunt who regularly went to see shows at Cahn Auditorium (including the famous Waa-Mu Show). The opportunities to get involved in theater in Chicago are endless (Steppenwolf, Goodman, etc) and provide a good way to establish a strong professional career in the field whether in Chicago, NYC or elsewhere. As mentioned before, going to Northwestern will open up a world of opportunities and high-profile connections in the entertainment field and beyond.</p>

<p>It’s hard to replicate this theater atmosphere at Northwestern in schools where theater doesn’t have an established tradition or where it’s seen as just something fun to do on the side. You may like it in that it will push you to be the best you can be and transform yourself in ways you never imagined, but as you mentioned, you may prefer a more low-key atmosphere elsewhere. </p>

<p>Your dynamic with peers and professors is extremely important and should not be discounted just for the prestige of a program, so I would encourage you to visit both Northwestern and Duke and see where you are more comfortable. As I suspect you will find at Northwestern though, our theater students are very collaborative. Their focus is not on outshining their peers but respecting what each person has to offer and complementing each other’s strengths. They build strong relationships that will last well beyond college and throughout their professional careers. Northwestern theater can be intense but there’s a lot of support built in. It’s a really good environment to develop one’s talents and that je ne sais quoi that will set you apart for the rest of your career.</p>

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<p>This is laughable. How can you generalize based on “several” people’s experiences? Similarly, I know several Cornell rejects getting into Stanford and Dartmouth - so Cornell has more prestige? Hilarious to conclude something in that manner. Northwestern’s selectivity is going up RAPIDLY - there’s been a 10% decrease in the admission rate in just 2 years - and can be expected to decrease further. </p>

<p>From what I’ve heard, prestige-wise, both are the SAME essentially. Internationally, as another poster also said (and what concerns the OP the most), Northwestern definitely faaaar outshines Duke. </p>

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<p>This comment is equally laughable. Rarely (if ever) do people even mention “Fuqua” in daily conversation, and to compare it to Kellogg is so pathetic, I choose not to comment. For the graduate business school rankings on US News, Kellogg is FOURTH, while “Fuqua” is 12th - a FAR cry from anything worth mentioning. For anyone who wants to pursue business/economics/finance and has been accepted to Northwestern AND Duke, it is ONLY logical that they would choose Northwestern. Not just in terms of prestige, but also in terms of the quality of education in these fields, the level of research, the job/internship prospects, the quality of alumni, the quality and renown of the professors, etc. </p>

<p>Yes, Duke is good for MANY things (anyone in doubt, read Goldenboy’s… “thorough” posts), but since this is what the OP is concerned with (in addition to engineering), and seeing as Northwestern offers both, plus has more recognition and reputation internationally (by a landslide), it’s self-evident that he should choose Northwestern.</p>