<p>stumbled onto this old thread through google - just have one thing to say. in the first few pages “interestingguy” asserts that duke is full of hyps rejects. if we’re gonna be honest with ourselves here, lets get a few things straight. people who attend duke are just as “smart” as people who attend hyps. being admitted to hyps has more to do with how full of ECs your application is (or, in some cases your URM status). there are some of us who are indeed very smart, yet didnt spend our high school lives doing useless boring crap just to look good on a college application. we, you know, went out, had FUN, and just generally enjoyed ourselves. so, ill be happy to attend duke. i will be recruited just as hyps graduates will, and i will actually ENJOY college. there will be good looking women at my school. i will enjoy the fact that my school is respectable in sports…the list goes on. my main point is that theres a difference between someone who spends their life studying and doing ECs to get into hyps and someone who is naturally smart enough to do just as well with minimal effort, leaving all that extra time to enjoy life. in fact, many would say that the one who doesnt have to put much effort in to do just as well is the “smarter” one. just something to think about bro.</p>