so i have narrowed down my top “reach” schools to princeton and duke, but i’m having a tough time choosing between the two. i’m a high school junior and i want to major in evolutionary biology in whatever school i go to. i know that duke also has an evolutionary anthropology major, which i would highly consider double majoring in alongside evolutionary biology, while princeton doesn’t seem to have any other major i’d consider double majoring in. duke has their lemur center, which i have done research at through their dukeTIP program and is absolutely fantastic, and i don’t personally know of any similar facilities at princeton. i suppose i’m just wondering how the evolutionary biology departments of each school compare.
i also want to know how the social lives of the two schools compare. i’m not interested in fraternities or sororities, but i do want a school that has a pretty notable social scene. also, i’ve heard that many duke students aren’t big fans of their schools, and i was wondering if anyone knew more about that?
i’d also like to know which has a livelier town. i don’t remember liking durham all that much, but i may just not have seen enough of it, but princeton town really caught my eye.
If double majoring is really important to you, Princeton might not be for you:
“Degree and departmental honors at Princeton are granted in one department only. As such, students may not double major. However, students with interests that cannot be studied adequately within an existing department may apply for the Independent Concentration Program. An independent concentrator designs a program of studies with the support of two faculty advisers, choosing eight or more upper-level courses in the special field of concentration. Aside from Independent Concentration, another popular option is to pursue a certificate (similar to a minor) in the second field of interest. Princeton offers 33 certificate programs, such as European cultural studies, neuroscience, and finance.”
Eating clubs & fraternities are a large part of the social life at both Princeton & Duke respectively. I think that you need to do more research & expand your list of targeted schools.
Focusing on Princeton & Duke is a bit unrealistic due to the difficulty of admissions unless you are a recruited athlete.
thanks! i’m aware that both schools are a little unrealistic, but i was just deciding between the two as my reach schools.