<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I've been accepted to both Duke and Penn - can you guys help me get started in terms of making a comparison between the two? Which would you choose and why?</p>
<p>Here's some info about me:</p>
<ul>
<li>Most likely I'm going to pursue a major in the Social Sciences, but I could opt to go the Engineering route as well.</li>
<li>I'm black (Eritrean), so diversity is important to me, although not as much as the quality of the education.</li>
</ul>
<p>U Penn is an excellent school with great academic programs. So is Duke. Penn is in an urban setting and the campus while historic is not that nice. The photos you will see of it are likely from two shots on campus. Duke’s campus is one of the nicest in the country. Penn is close to a large city, Duke is not. My S who attends Duke went to Penn for a competitive summer program. He did well but came away with a different view of the school and kids that attend. It is ultra competitive- but if you are lost in a course those competing with you for top grades and the best jobs are more likey to give you wrong answers than assist in getting right ones. I know I will get slammed by anyone form Penn who reads this because it is likely an over generalization specific to the program. Duke I while also very competittive, is different in that from what I hear most kids are willing to help each other. In the end my S never aplied for Penn even though I thought he really wanted Warton. I would strongly suggest you do a lot of reading and if you can visit both schopols and decide for yourself as blogs on any site like this are going to be biased to some extent. All I can say is that My S is very happy with his choice. I would say I have nothing but respect for U Penn as it is a great school. You need to take a deep look and see which is better for you. You can’t go wrong with either choice, but need to pick the one which is best suited for you and the programs you want.</p>