<p>i’m from a suburb in the midwest (Illinois). i want to study econ and possibly math; however, i don’t have much of a career path in mind. similarly, i’m unsure about my college track: i might want to do pre-med, pre-law, or business. i’m relatively strong in and like equally all subjects. </p>
<p>i want a college i can have fun at but also study at. i’d prefer that there is gpa inflation. also, prestige is a factor, but below “fit and feel” on my list of priorities</p>
<p>You def. won’t get gpa inflation at Northwestern…in certain fields it is known for being very competetive to get an easy A or even B at times…</p>
<p>Since you are unsure about your college track, you might want to take a closer look at Chicago: the school has no true pre-professional majors like journalism or pre-med so that students can get a broad liberal arts education but still concentrate in a certain area for their major…it might help you since you may change your mind a lot in college, and the broad curriculum would allow you to explore your interests more.</p>
<p>When you mentioned you want to go to a school where you can study but still have a lot of fun, I automatically thought of Duke-I know two people who go there (1 girl, 1 guy) and both say they love how they can find a good party anytime they want, hang out with fellow Greeks(frat/sorority life is pretty active there), or just chill in the dorms. They also love going to the basketball games, of course (HUUUGE plus for Duke, they pack the stands), but you can also find smart, driven people on campus who know when to stop the partying (obviously, Duke is a hard school to get into). Plus, out of all the schools you listed, Duke has by far the most beautiful campus, the best weather, and the most attractive student body (not that you care or should care, it’s just the stereotype)</p>
<p>Dartmouth, while in a rural location, is known for its greek life and nature-you can go to a frat party one night and the next day go hiking/swimming/biking…It’s also a smaller school which means you will have in general more personal attention from profs and might be able to get a better feel for what you want to study. The school’s pretty solid in all areas, especially med. </p>
<p>Don’t know too much about amherst. Sorry. Just going with what I know about you and your own current college preferances, I would choose Duke. The school really is the whole package…</p>
<p>midwestermom: yeah, weather is factor, and I definitely would prefer Duke’s weather. But it’s not THAT important.</p>
<p>coffeeaddict: yeah, you pretty much hit right on. I really like duke. uchicago is cool for a broad study i guess but the environment there does not really attract me.</p>
<p>i think the two most important factors for me are academics and social life.</p>
<p>academics:
where will i be able to double major in econ and math while keeping my options open for other majors if i decide to switch?
who has the strongest departments?
who has the most prestige? (this is definitely a factor i am considering-since i’m from the midwest, however, my perception of prestige is skewed so i was wondering what ya’ll thought)
where will i get the best access to professors and research (do dartmouth/amherst really beat duke by THAT much in this department?)</p>
<p>social life:
i’m not sure i like the fraternity dominated dartmouth. i don’t mind fraternities or joining one even but still…
how isolated is dartmouth really?
how inclusive is the social life at duke?</p>
<p>I would definitely go for UChig or Duke. Chicago cause you can explore all you areas of interest and get the exposure to a smaller liberal arts school education with the pluses of a huge uni too. Duke definitely has the name in your areas of interest. Dartmouth would not appeal to me personally–who needs the distractions of partying/greek life when you’re trying to find your focus? It does not belong in the Ivies. Amherst seems rather obscure but if you like it…</p>
<p>Well, the one thing that everyone at Amherst has in common is a sense of uncertainty as to what we’d like to dedicate our lives studying and doing. The flexibility of the Open Curriculum lets you be creative, imaginative, and curious so that you can ultimately make a well-informed decision. Out of all the schools you’ve mentioned, Amherst has the best Law and Business school placement. Haven’t looked into our Med school placement, but I bet it’s exceptional as well.</p>
<p>We certainly have an intellectually-oriented and intellectually curious student body, but our students are down-to-earth and unique people.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to tell you that we do not have GPA inflation, and that you’ll have to work to earn the grade that you deserve.</p>
<p>We’re among the four most prestigious LACs in the United States, and we have had a rich tradition and history since our founding. Your average Joe will not have heard of Amherst, but you’ll have the respect of fellow college students, scholars in higher academia, and top employers and graduate school admissions committees.</p>
<p>Amherst is not at all “obscure.” If you honestly care about rubbing it into other peoples’ faces that you’re better than them, go to Harvard, because no other college in the world matches it in prestige. You’ll soon realize that people in the real world stop caring about where you went to college.</p>
<p>I would personally recommend either Amherst or UChicago.
However, you should invest the time to visiting campuses. I’m sure you’ll find your “fit and feel” that way.</p>
<p>Dartmouth, duke, or amherst. Dartmouth’s greek life is GREATLY misunderstood. Its absolutely inclusive and every party is open to everyone. Its not like many other schools where frats are cliquey and exclusive, instead its an incredibly open system. Duke’s frat scene actually is much more intense than Dartmouth’s. </p>
<p>I think the Dartmouth/ Amherst advantage is undergrad resources. You get access to grants, great study abroad, focused profs, etc. Its a very real difference. I went to a research oriented Ivy then transferred to Dartmouth, it was a big difference.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t even consider Chicago. It doesn’t do as well in grad placement surveys (probably due to deflation), doesn’t do as well with job recruiting, and in my opinion the worst social experience by far. I know a bunch of Chicago alums (well rounded people), none loved it. </p>
<p>My advice is to go to accepted students weekends at Duke, Dartmouth, or Amherst. I would personally pick Dartmouth, but the combo of undergrad focus in a larger school would be the push. </p>
<p>Dashgirl- You have no idea what you are talking about. Learn some and then come back and share opinions.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t even consider Chicago. It doesn’t do as well in grad placement surveys (probably due to deflation), doesn’t do as well with job recruiting, and in my opinion the worst social experience by far. I know a bunch of Chicago alums (well rounded people), none loved it.”</p>
<p>The first statement about grad placement is flat out WRONG. And everyone I KNOW who goes to Chicago LOVES it.</p>
<p>I should clarify- the people I know at Chicago who didn;t like it were probably not a good fit. Chicago is a great school and from a pure academic standpoint its incredible. You have to be the right fit though, its an intense place with an intense student body. Some love this, some probably would be happier with a different type of college experience. Also Chicago still does very well in recruiting and placement. But its a fit issue in my book. You are a chicago person or you aren’t.</p>
<p>This is an open forum, and people who ask should be competent enough to expect answers from people who are well informed and also, their peers. I reply to posts despite not being an expert, because it give people an idea of what EVERYONE will see. I live in California. i go to a huge public school, i’m going to a big public university, and LAC’s have never appealed to me, so, sorry that I have heard basically nothing about Amherst until very recently (no, not today). I know that if I were looking for genuine answers, from peers and others, I’d appreciate all of them, regardless of a person’s interest/knowledge about a specific schools. Employers aren’t all going to know what you know, Slipper1234.</p>
<p>Doesn’t sound like you yourself are very open to opinions contrary to your own:</p>
<p>“Dartmouth … does not belong in the Ivies. Amherst seems rather obscure …”</p>
<p>One of the biggest worries of posters who are actually knowledgeable about colleges, who are genuinely concerned about pre-frosh, is that their opinions will be given the same exact weight as those of someone who is not, how you put it, “well informed.”</p>
<p>General Behavior. Our forum is expected to be a friendly and welcoming place, and one in which members can post without their motives, intelligence, or other personal characteristics being questioned by others. Members who post in a manner that makes other members unwelcome or uncomfortable, or who conduct themselves in a manner in any way detrimental to the College Confidential community, will lose posting privileges.</p>
<p>In defense of my fellow new members, kwu and slipper1234, I would have to say proclaiming someone as not “well informed” as you put it or telling them to leave an open forum so they may learn more before they return would probably be a violation of this sites terms of service.</p>
<p>As senior members I am sure you will both adhere to the standards set by our moderators, and continue to uphold these values in the future. Goodday sirs.</p>
<p>slipper - I think you’re second post hits it on the head. You’re either a Chicago person or you aren’t. It’s not necessarily a great place for the general well-rounded student looking for a “typical” undergrad experience. Admittedly, in recent years (the past 3 in particular), Chicago has made significant strides in becoming more of a “generically alluring” college. Still, it’s a place where like three of the largest bookstores or libraries are located within 5 minutes of one another. It’s almost excessive on that front. This sort of atmosphere is certainly not for everyone.</p>
<p>I do think, with the administration changes in recent years, Chicago will continue down the path of becoming more of a “generically alluring” college. Case in point, Chicago has joined the admissions game craze, and the admissions rate has dropped about 40% (40%!) in the past 8-9 years or so. I’d imagine more well-rounded types are going to Chicago now, especially as the school cements itself in the top 10 of US news. As an alum, I watch this, of course, with mixed feelings, but that’s another story for another time…</p>
<p>OP wrote: “i might want to do pre-med, pre-law, or business.”</p>
<p>Since this is all we know about your goals, I’ll comment on just that: For Pre-med and pre-law, any of your options would be great. For pre-law I’d pick Chicago or Amherst. For pre-med, I’d pick Northwestern or Amherst. Northwestern is good at all, but it is the largest, offers the least in the way of individual shaping of your curriculum and individual feedback.</p>
<p>What tips my recommendation ultimately is the ‘business’ component. Of your options, Dartmouth is known to have a slight advantage over the other options in preparing its undergraduate students for Wall St, consulting firms, and MBA.</p>
<p>If an individual acknowledges herself to be biased and ill-informed, I do no wrong by further drawing attention to this fact.</p>
<p>The Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought, major is an intensive interdisciplinary major unique to Amherst. The professors there are exceptional teachers and accomplished researchers. Feel free to take a look at the department’s course offerings</p>
<p>Gee, I guess none of the other schools offer that.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yeah, Duke’s campus just “blows” every other campus away - lol (I don’t recall Duke’s campus having a scenic waterfront w/ beaches).</p>
<p>And as for most attractive student body - yeah, Duke just happens to have a hold on that as well (I guess the Duke administrators just happen to know that the students they admit are “good-looking”).</p>
<p>This claim is so bogus - most schools have pretty much the same % of attractive and not so attractive people and even if one could assess such a thing, it would vary at each school from year to year.</p>