<p>I'm interested in the pre-med tract. Both schools have fantastic medical schools (top 10 in the country) and hospitals right on campus. Both schools have great advising and provide numerous opportunities to get involved in the field of medicine. Both have fairly active social communities and both provide a wide variety of majors in case I decide against medicine. The main difference I see in the schools is the area, Duke being isolated and not located in a major city, while Penn is in the city of Philadelphia, walking distance from downtown. If you were to choose Duke or Penn, which would you choose, and why?</p>
<p>I seriously cannot make this decision. I have been stressing out for the past week as to which to choose, and I've decided I should hear some opinions.</p>
<p>I would choose Penn, but that is mostly due to my location (I’m from New England) and preference for easy transportation (which the whole Philly thing really helps with).</p>
<p>In terms of academics, they’re both incredible in most fields. As you said, it’s a wash.</p>
<p>Academically, both schools are pretty close. I would choose Penn since Duke doesn’t really offer anything more whereas Penn is ivy/ranked higher (not the most important, but what else are you going to compare?)</p>
<p>Ahhh (this is a pretty tough decisio), but i would still choose Penn. since u cant find anything wrong with the two schools, u might as well go with the “brand-ivy-name”</p>
Surely that pales in comparison to the vast advantages of being an “Ivy.” I mean, clearly things like tenting for games have MUCH less of an impact on everyday life than saying you’re an Ivy student, right? :rolleyes: </p>
<p>(I’d love to know how many people could name all or even half of the Ivies. Most people think schools like Stanford and Duke are Ivies.)</p>
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Duke, simply because I’m a big fan of warm weather. I included this as a factor for both undergrad and grad school. ;)</p>
<p>Well, Penn has Biological Basis of Behavior, which is a pretty unique major for anyone interested in premed. When Penn says it tries to extend beyond the basic majors (aka biology), it really means it.</p>
<p>And don’t forget, most people change their majors, so just go wherever there are the most options open to you. You can’t pick a wrong choice, but you want to have a safety net in case you become interested in another major. What if you decide that you don’t want to become a doctor anymore? What if circumstances suddenly change and you have to enter the workforce when you graduate? I’d take that all into account.</p>
<p>For me, the on-site recruiting at Penn was a huge plus. Their career services are one of the best at any universities. Everyone harks on Penn for being pre-professional, but seriously, what is wrong with wanting a job? Not everyone enjoys learning for the sake of learning.</p>
<p>Also, the “One University” policy really drew me in. It was cool that I could take classes in any of the grad schools, and it seemed that almost everyone took classes in Wharton. Like it or not, money is always going to be a part of life no matter what career you choose, so why not learn how to manage it from one of the best business schools in the world?</p>
<p>Shows that 2/3 of people who choose between Penn and Duke prefer Penn. I think in the end you just have to choose which school you personally like more. If you are really into basketball and all that school spirit stuff, then Duke would be great. I believe Duke is also known for being a pretty big party school, though Penn is supposed to be good in that area too, at least compared to other Ivy league schools.</p>
<p>Honestly things like “school spirit” and being “close knit” is so subjective that you can’t really say one school is better than the other. For each person who thinks Duke is more close knit, I could find one who says the opposite. How can anyone even compare school spirit unless they’ve attended both schools for four years.</p>
<p>Penn over Duke any day. I don’t know where you guys got the idea that Penn and Duke are equals in terms of reputation. Not that they’re so far apart in reputation but Penn is slightly more prestigious than Duke. The only thing that Duke has over Penn is that there is no Duke State to overshadow it’s “brand”.</p>
I agree with the people who say they’re essentially the same. You have a very tough decision to make.</p>