<p>I'm a rising high school senior, class of 2012. I have been a die-hard Duke basketball fan since I was a little kid. I visited Duke last summer and absolutely fell in love with the campus and the school in general. I love the school pride, the academics, the commitment to service (DukeEngage), and basically everything about Duke except for the distance. I live in northeastern PA, and it's about 9 hour drive to Durham. My Mom does not want me to go that far, even though it's really not too far. If I had it totally my way, I'd apply ED. </p>
<p>I also love UPenn. It's only two hours away, Philly is great, and I love what Penn has to offer. I want to major in politcal science/ econ, and Penn has the PPE (philosophy, politics, and economics) major which seems awesome and perfect for me. I also read some threads on here though about PPE which indicate that it is seen as 3 minors. Penn also has a semester in DC program which allows one to study and intern there. </p>
<p>Both schools have about a 3x higher early acceptance rate vs. regular acceptance rate. </p>
<p>I'm also interested in schools like Georgetown, BC, and Notre Dame, to which I could apply early action, but I don't want to pass up the opportunity to have a much higher chance of getting in at Duke and Penn--by far my top two schools.</p>
<p>What you study matters just as much as your environment. And since you’re enthusiastic about PPE, an incredibly well-respected and popular major here at Penn, I would recommend Penn. Although, if you can get something similar at Duke with a social environment that better fits your personality, then go with Duke.</p>
<p>Though social Environment is definitely important, after 4 years of college, the education you received will matter more. Put more weight onto the academic aspect of both schools. If Penn has your desired area of study, go with Penn</p>
<p>^ wow, bad advice. They are both amazing schools… You will have a great education at both places, who cares if this program may be a “little better”. Go where YOU want to go and where your heart is, which i assume is Duke. You will always wonder what if and theres no reason to not go for it.</p>
<p>Your mom’s not going, you are. Honestly I wish I stopped listening to my parents sooner
In all likelihood, she’ll realize that the distance issue isn’t too bad and she’ll be happy that you’re happy. Go to Duke.</p>
