<p>Let me post in this classic thread, so that I would have posted on both forums.</p>
<p>I think we have scared the OP away from both schools.</p>
<p>It is ridiculous how some posters have started a “light” flame war first focusing on sports, then theater and now selectivity.</p>
<p>@drewski. Go with your heart. This is a “there is no wrong decision” decision. S just chose NU over WashU. All of us really were not that turned on by Duke (other than going to Cameron, which was great!), so he didn’t apply to Duke. Really, on the selectivity and/or prestige, let’s pretend the Dukies are right, so what? The difference, if they are right, is so minute that it absolutely should not affect your decision. You will, I promise, get a great education at both schools. You will, I guarantee, get excellent name recognition at both schools. But, I emphasize over and over, it’s about “fit” and socialization. If you’re happy and run great grades at one school or unhappy and run mediocre grades at the other school, well, how did that serve your interests. We all have our biases on this board, obviously, mine is to Northwestern…but, you can’t go wrong here. @SAY, cut the 18-years old some slack. I want to hear what they have to say…they’re actually pretty smart. Or, as I like to say, none of my generation could get into the schools we went to if we were applying today!</p>
<p>… I met with an academic advisor who says that’s not possible since I’m already in SoC. He drew a diagram of a giant circle (WCAS) and the five specialty schools around it. He basically said you can go back and forth between WCAS and a specialty school, but can’t do two specialty schools together.</p>
<p>D knows of exceptions to virtually every “rule” at NU. In her experience, once you are enrolled there is a great deal of flexibility. For example, it is theoretically impossible to transfer into the Theatre dept if that is not where you are admitted, but she knows at least one exception to that rule. Theoretically you can only audition for the MT Certificate as a Freshman or Sophomore, but she knows someone who came in as a Junior. She knows Theatre kids doing double majors outside of WCAS or Communications. </p>
<p>It is good to be aware of potential limitations, but as I say in her experience there seems to be a bias in favor of flexibility once you are enrolled.</p>
<p>drewski94,</p>
<p>In that case, you can perhaps major in something like sociology and then take classes that interest you at SESP. Social or public policy is multidisciplinary anyway.</p>
<p>But like MomCares, I also know some exceptions. One example is that MMSS students are supposed to have their primary major in social sciences, yet there are MMSS students doing IEMS.</p>
<p>drewski94, </p>
<p>viviste is proof that you should probably not be a wildcat.</p>
<p>… and you can draw your own conclusion about what CuseAmbassador proves. ;-D</p>
<p>@ mtldad – congrats to your son. I’m sure he’ll love it at NU. To use one of my favorite expressions – having to choose between NU and Wash U is a “Winner’s Problem”. Both Super schools. Same thing between NU and Duke, obviously!!</p>
<p>I just want to point out that Duke’s Public Policy department is one of the hallmarks of the university and all juniors do an internship in policy/media/journalism/government over one summer as part of the curriculum. Some of Duke’s best professors are Pub Pol instructors. NU’s Theater Program is more established but Duke offers you the most flexibility. It’s a tough decision for sure.</p>
<p>There’s something to be said about standing out in a pack though; at Duke you would be part of a unique pact of artistically inclined students while at NU, you’d be “just another Northwestern theater geek”.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>I guess it depends if your goal is to stand out in college, or to become a successful theatre professional through world-class training and networking during college years. </p>
<p>D had 12 carefully-researched top theatre schools on her list. NU was at the top, and Duke wasn’t among them.</p>
<p>Btw – NU’s Theatre program is not large like NYU or USC. Out of 100 Theatre students, there are ~20 serious MTs, ~20 serious straight actors, ~20 directors, ~20 designers and ~20 stage managers/writers/etc. You can quickly stand out in a group of 20, which is about as small as you will find in any program in the US.</p>
<p>Hahaha. Finished bashing the school? Start bashing the student.</p>
<p><----- Has a thought</p>
<p>On this forum, it seems that the people are really interested in giving honest advice. The advice is not always “Go to Northwestern”. Among the regulars who post here, there is very little bashing of another school. It’s as if those of us who post here are not so insecure as to be threatened by the fact that there are other excellent universities.</p>
<p>So, maybe one of the differences between the Overall NU community (I know that as a parent the school considers me such) and certain other schools, is that we are comfortable with the excellence of our school and really feel no need tear down any other institution.</p>
<p>… just sayin’.</p>
<p>@zephyr…thanks for the congrats! You are absolutely right…I mean, seriously, take away the “which is better” discussion. At this level, we’d all be thrilled if our kid was at either one of these schools (and, of course, others of its peers!). So, what I’ve loved about CC is that when I’ve needed info, people have been very, very helpful.</p>
<p>zephyr, what are you talking about, ALL SCHOOLS ARE INFERIOR TO CORNELL. I ATTEND GRAD SCHOOL HERE, I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. ANYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH ME IS JUST KIDDING THEMSELVES.</p>
<p>Agreed - this is really getting kind of ridiculous. It’s impossible to prove any of these assertions or beliefs to be true or false because they’re each just so dependent on one person’s experiences or viewpoints (e.g. Fuqua will match up to Kellogg in the next 10 years or that Duke is “more selective”). Clearly, whoever has gone to whichever school out of the two, or has kids there or whatever, has had a HIGHLY positive experience there and so both schools are great, and I’m sure anyone who has a choice between the two would do really well in every sense at whatever he or she picks. Based on the OP’s first post, one school or the other would suit him well, but it is really worth mentioning that each school has certain departments that are better than the other. It’s also interesting to note that though the “NU posters” have conceded that Duke is also a good school, the “Duke posters” have basically been going on and on about their school without acknowledging the same… so take from that what you will. </p>
<p>The fact that this discussion has lasted a heated 100+ posts acknowledges the fact that both are quite equal in merit, prestige, overall educational quality, and general atmosphere - aside from a few distinctive differences. These differences (which particular department, other opportunities offered in terms of special programs, “type” of students, weather, location, future career prospects, semester vs quarter, social life,) are what’s going to seal the decision for anyone who has a choice between the two - and as everyone has said, there’s no way anyone can go wrong with such a decision, be it drewski or the OP or anyone else lucky enough to have gotten into both. It’s not like Northwestern gives you a golden ticket to heaven, and with Duke you’re doomed for life, or vice versa. Anyone that wants to do well can shine at both, so pick the place where you can shine brighter - and know that wherever you go, the alumni or community at either school will be equally passionate about that school (as proved by this thread…).</p>
<p>Excellent summarization, aangel42. As they say, “this too shall pass” (the heated posts) on/after May 1…only to be restarted next spring :-)</p>
<p>I second nirthwesterndad (thanks for the congrats) on aangel42. Only thing is I won’t be paying attention to this topic next spring. Will just be a proud Northwestern (and WashU) Dad hoping that NU makes the tournament! ;-)</p>
<p>@arbiter – ROFLMAO!!!</p>
<p>
Zephyr, I made a public announcement to that very effect. I’ve been troubled by the enormous amounts of bias on these forums. When I can see the name of a poster and correctly predict in any given thread what (s)he will say and recommend, that is not a good thing. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1314832-college-selection-list-things-trouble-irritate-me.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1314832-college-selection-list-things-trouble-irritate-me.html</a></p>
<p>Bluedog, SBR, slik nik, and other Duke posters usually provide fair and balanced evaluations of Duke vis a vis other colleges. While you no doubt enjoyed your little quip, it doesn’t do you much credit.</p>
<p>
I can perhaps speak to this, as I was heavily involved in theatre at Duke, though not as a major.</p>
<p>Performing arts at Duke are taken seriously. Dance is the standout program (particularly ballet), of course, but theatre is respected and popular. Duke’s musical theatre group, Hoof ‘n’ Horn, is over 75 years old and the oldest in the South. The productions are excellent, and very few other schools have the manpower or money to put on three MT productions each year. </p>
<p>For a theatre major, I think much depends on how seriously you plan to take theatre. If you want to make a career of it, I agree with Pizzagirl and others that Northwestern is the better choice. If it’s something you plan to study on the side while focusing on public policy or another major, I think you could probably find your needs met at Duke as well. Duke offers a wide array of courses for an undergraduate-only program, and the Duke Theatre-in-London program is quite good from what I’ve been told.</p>
<p>For the OP and others, fit is key. I did not apply to Northwestern, but I would have chosen Duke over it – I prefer warm weather, the semester system, and a smaller student body, and Duke was noticeably stronger for my fields of study. Others, especially Northwestern students, obviously feel differently about the two. They are both excellent universities.</p>
<p>That’s a good attitude to have^. A lot of students love Duke but when I visited, I had the opposite reaction and thus crossed it off my list. I felt the environment would have stifled me since I value being near a big city and all its amenities and the chance to meet a broader range of students besides those focused on med/law/business schools. I found the sports obsession too in-your-face and met too many students who were obsessed with the reputation of their fraternity/sorority. I met far too many guys than I was uncomfortable with who reacted in a hostile passive-aggressive manner when the girls hosting me did not show attraction to them (I got the impression that these guys were a big deal in HS but all of a sudden do not get the same level of attention anymore, and thus reacted in a really arrogant manner…just poisoned the environment when I was there). There was something in the air at Northwestern that made it a much more exciting, happier, and definitely much more down-to-earth place to be. Finally, my fields of interest were stronger at Northwestern, and I loved the fact that Northwestern allowed me to do an internship in Chicago during the school year (which I took advantage of several times). Needless to say, your mileage may vary.</p>
<p>Personally, since I’m originally from the Northeast, I had no desire to go to college in New Jersey, so I never even applied to Duke.</p>