<p>I'm a rising sophomore, and I want to decide on my number one choice for college even though applying is a while from now. I had my heart set on UPenn for basically all of freshman year, but now I'm really thinking about Duke.</p>
<p>For those of you who have already decided your number one choice, what made you decide? What factors should contribute to your decision?</p>
<p>Ivy vs a Non-ivy?</p>
<p>Really tc…REALLY? REALLY???</p>
<p>What factored into my choice when deciding between a hard to get in school and a less hard to get in school was what I am going to major in</p>
<p>I want to be a writer and do some art on the side. My first choice is Columbia, but the University of Iowa has a top notch writing program and is part of the big ten. The U of IOWA is also a lot easier to get in</p>
<p>So the easier school should be your back up?</p>
<p>Comparing Duke and Penn and comparing Columbia to the University of Iowa is nothing alike at all? I’m confused as to the point of that post at all…</p>
<p>How is it not?</p>
<p>I am comparing a college to one I’ve had my heart set on?</p>
<p>Can we stick to my original post and disregard madogmgd’s post?</p>
<p>Actually, honestly, I never have been into UPenn. I would love to go to Duke. </p>
<p>However, I might just go to UPenn for the prestige.</p>
<p>Duke probably has better weather…</p>
<h1>Astroblue’slogicforchoosingcolleges</h1>
<p>Duke sounds like something you do when you go to the bathroom</p>
<p>“Hey bob! I gotta let out a DUKE!,”</p>
<p>Eugh.</p>
<p>UPenn has Wharton, Philly, and Ben Franklin as a founder. Duke has… a basketball rivalry and legacy kids. Duke has some of the few things I dislike about the south. And the town of Durham isn’t the ideal college town (especially when compared to Chapel Hill).</p>
<p>Upenn is really close to a sketchy area and the food there isn’t that great. The women’s golf team won the Ivy’s in 2010. At Penn there are a lot of sorority and frat parties. I don’t know anything about duke except that they have a good golf camp.</p>
<p>Duke is awesome</p>
<p>Madogmgd I can’t tell if you’re ■■■■■■■■ or not. The OP is deciding between the number 7 ranked school in the country and the 9th. Not number 5 and number 50.</p>
<p>Penn for its intense research access, Philly, History Department, International Relations Department, language centers (Mandarin, Arabic, Russian, German some of my favs.) and fin. aid.</p>
<p>I am applying to Penn for the Class of 2017!</p>
<p>^^ its actually 5th and 9th</p>
<p>^ You’re right.</p>
<p>These type of threads always turn into a virtual shouting match between 2 or 3 people where the people involved turn to their respective flawed ranking systems to prove their point. So at the end of the day (or thread) the OP will be just as confused and unsure as he was before.</p>
<p>I see that you’re new, so I’ll give you your first piece of advice when it comes to CC: NEVER ASK CCERS TO CHOOSE WHICH COLLEGE IS CONSIDERED “BETTER”. It’s ok to ask about the city, alumni network, campus vibe, etc if you are unable to visit. But stay clear of asking them what they would do or which school they would choose, because your answers will be from either:</p>
<ol>
<li>Biased individuals (e.g. Duke alum or NC resident choosing Duke)</li>
<li>Naive teenagers (us) who obsess over flawed ranking systems (e.g. saying Washington Univ is better than Brown because USNWR ranked WashU three places higher, or Mendoza is better than Wharton undergrad because Businessweek said so).</li>
</ol>
<p>Before you know it, we’ll have 14 pages of cheap insults and milsleading statistics all because someone said investment banks dont recruit at Georgetown, or that Yale is better than Harvard for premed (believe me, it happens).</p>
<p>My thought…wait to see if you are lucky enough to be admitted to either of these, let alone both, before selling yourself on one or the other. you can’t go wrong with either, academically or socially.</p>
<p>I just prefer Penn over Duke for what I think are good reasons. I know Duke is a great school and anyone who is accepted is a gifted individual.</p>
<p>Penn.</p>
<p>LMAO Duke, they barely won the championship against some scrub team - and only because of a really unlucky bounce.</p>
<p>go where your heart takes u!</p>