<p>I was fortunate enough to be accepted to both. Duke has been my dream school ever since I was a child, but I never expected to be admitted to Princeton! I want to major in physics and could see myself becoming a doctor in the future (so I guess that qualifies as pre med). I have spent some time on both campuses, and definitely preferred the atmosphere at Duke. However, some of the most renowned physicists in the world graduated from Princeton. I can't help but feel that I would be giving up a valuable opportunity should I decline to attend Princeton. Is there really a big gulf in prestige between Princeton and Duke? Will I receive a better education at Princeton (specifically taking my major into consideration)? I get the feeling that Duke is rising in prestige and may soon be equal to Princeton in stature. Is that a valid assumption to make?
Is Duke investing in improving its physics program?
I really want to be able to attend Duke, but I need to be able to justify my decision to my family and friends. I need you guys to alleviate my concerns. Thanks!</p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptances. I’m sure that’s a difficult decision.</p>
<p>Princeton traditionally is very strong in physics as you noted, so you can’t go wrong there. Duke’s physics program is small, but has grown in the last few years from what I understand, and the department engages extensively in bench research. If you are seriously considering medical school, Duke may be a better choice because of the proximity of the undergrad campus to the medical school (with research/shadowing opportunities) and the preference Duke Med gives to Duke undergraduates. Doing very well at either school would, of course, be beneficial in medical school admissions. As for prestige - there are plenty of discussions on CC about the merits - or lack of merits - of the name brand of the college you attend. I can guarantee that if you attend Duke, you will be among other students who are intensely curious about any and all ideas, issues, discussions, etc. IMHO you do not need to justify going to Duke. Good luck with the decision - you cannot make a wrong choice.</p>
<p>Congrats on your acceptances!</p>
<p>As noted above I do believe Princeton is a much better choice for Physics. Princeton is, obviously, regarded as one of the Physics schools next to MIT, Harvard, Cal Tech, and Stanford. Even then, some people will argue that at such a high level, the difference is relatively small. </p>
<p>Honestly, you may say you see yourself doing Med, but I see that your passion resides more with Physics. I personally would make the choice of taking Princeton. </p>
<p>Either way, best of luck to you!</p>
<p>Obviously, both universities are superb, and undergraduate education at either will be an enduring, distinguishing benefit. Understandably, individuals will debate the advantages and disadvantages of the two institutions and of their majors, pre-professional school preparation, etc. While interesting and valid, I believe such discussions miss THE essential point: where do YOU feel most comfortable, in which environment will you most thrive, which group of student/alumni seem to be your better fit, and so forth? Since you simply cannot make a bad choice with these alternatives, the university with the superior INDIVIDUAL fit will certainly be the better alternative.</p>
<p>IMO, you should - without a doubt - pick Duke. I’m going to be a physics major at Duke as well this fall and I’m passing up the great physics/astronomy program at Cornell. You don’t need to justify picking Duke over Princeton at all, but I’ll tell you why I committed to Duke today! </p>
<p>First off, the physics department is pretty small (in the number of undergrads, not resources). Each year, about 25 people major in physics and about 10 continue in that major. This means that there’s a ridiculously high faculty:student ratio meaning obtaining paid research positions with professors is extremely easy. Secondly, Duke has some amazing connections - in fact, they have a program where they send about 10 physics undergrads to work at CERN (fully funded) for an entire summer. Think of the possibilities and jobs you would get by listing CERN on your resume! The list goes on and on…Duke has three particle accelerators, a free electron laser, etc etc…I could go all day.</p>
<p>Finally, you love Duke. You will have an amazing time at Duke. It’s your dream school! If you go to Princeton, you’ll be asking “What if…” for the rest of your life. Follow your dream and go to Duke, an amazing school. Since I’ll be a physics major as well, we’ll probably end up being friends for the next 4+ years. Hope to see you on campus and GO DUKE! 
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<p>Sent from my SGH-T959V using CC</p>
<p>I spoke to my girlfriend, who is a current Duke student about this, and she sincerely doesn’t think Princeton physics can be given up for Duke Physics. </p>
<p>Just her 2 cents</p>
<p>I’ve taken one physics class on sound and I can honestly say I learned a ton and it was an enjoyable class. I’m not a physics major so I can’t help you too much though.</p>
<p>Princeton’s an amazing school, but Duke is pretty amazing too. Is Duke your dream school because you bit better? Take a look at the other aspects of your choice besides name recognition and academics. Both are pretty comparable, but Princeton is ranked a little higher.</p>
<p>I almost can’t believe I’m saying this, but here goes nothing…I picked Duke! Over the place which was home to great minds like Einstein, Feynman, and my namesake Ed Witten! I couldn’t be happier though! Hopefully I’ll do well enough to be included amongst those names one day! Can’t hurt to dream big, can it?</p>
<p>@edwitten - congrats on a difficult decision! We grow while making yough choices.
DS also plans to major in physics at Duke 
He turned down Yale…</p>
<p>One more edwitten - I am stealing this from SomeOld Guy, but I just loved it so much when he posted it …</p>
<p>Life reaction from Durham on etwitten news:</p>
<p>[Duke</a> Cameron Crazies - Everytime we touch - YouTube](<a href=“Duke Cameron Crazies - Everytime we touch - YouTube”>Duke Cameron Crazies - Everytime we touch - YouTube)</p>
<p>Gotta love college like that!</p>