Should I choose Duke?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi everyone,

I have a big decision to make. I’ve been accepted at Duke, and University College London (UCL). I want to study economics.
I am from London and have lived here all my life. I need to decide whether I want to stay in London for university, and graduate after 3 years with a great degree from a great university, or go to North Carolina and graduate after 4 years with a great degree from a similarly good university.

Imaginably, I’ve thought long and hard about this decision. Firstly, in terms of cost, the financial aid offered by Duke makes the costs very similar when you factor in the cost of housing in London, so that is not a factor in my decision.

The factor I consider most important is how ‘prestigious’ the degree I will receive is- to employers, etc. I’m hoping to go to business school, and one of the top ones if possible, so it would be important to know which college they’d view as more impressive. I’m also considering careers in the financial sector, possibly investment banking, so again it would be important to know which college they consider more reputable. From the research I’ve done, UCL is definitely ranked higher than Duke, in both overall rankings and economics rankings, however I feel that UCL’s ranking is a bit unrealistically high- I don’t think many people would actually consider it among the top 5/10 in the world. In summary, I don’t really think there is enough of a difference in reputation to make a difference, but I would be interested to find out more, particularly about how well Duke is considered.

Other than that, I think the main factor is how much I’d enjoy myself at the university. I am definitely a very social person and I like to go to parties/clubs/raves until late in the morning. I am very last minute with academics and tests etc, I prefer to cram last minute than do work over a period of time. UCL would provide a good social experience, with many opportunities for parties and clubs in London, but I’ve heard that social life is good at Duke too. Is the difference noticeable? I feel that I might get more of a college experience being at Duke.

I know less about Duke- could anyone provide some of its Pros and Cons?

It’s a very difficult decision but it’s going to affect my life hugely so I would greatly appreciate any advice.

2

Where do you want to live after graduation? If in the US, pick Duke. If the UK or Europe, go with UCL.

3

The deadline to commit to Duke was two days ago

4

I don’t think the social life at Duke compares to London as far as parties/clubs/raves. Maybe that’s not a bad thing - perhaps you need to slow down the partying a little and do well in school. You are obviously very bright. Did you visit Duke? And see the surrounding “city”?

5

@Zinhead That’s difficult to say, but I’d probably be looking more at the US business schools, so I’d favour Duke in that respect

@debate4ever Yep I accepted Duke already over my other options in America but I still have my ‘conditional’ offer for the UK. I’m still torn between the two schools.

@Dolemite Yeah I imagine that but I have heard Duke has a good social life if you’re in a fraternity. I think I manage to balance doing well in school and having a good time so it would be cool to have opportunities for parties etc.

6

I know little to nothing about UCL, but I do know few things about Duke.

~ I’ve been here for a year, and I love it. Of course, nothing is perfect, but it is really close. Tight knit group of friends, busy schedule, and active social scene.

~ Plethora of opportunities academically and otherwise.

~ Academic rigor is second to none, especially if you are pursuing economics.

~ If you plan to get your MBA in the US, then Duke would be a no-brainer for me.

If you have any questions, let me know.

7

Wasn’t your decision due on Sunday?

If for some reason you are still deciding, you should know that prestige of your undergrad is not a key factor in top graduate business admissions. They care about GPA, gmat scores, and most importantly, work experience. You don’t go to graduate business school directly after graduation. You must work successfully for at least a couple years in a professional type position before applying. Duke and UCL would be looked at equally. The b-school admissions people don’t care about rankings.

8

You don’t have to make a final decision about Duke vs. UCL until the tuition bills actually arrive. At that point you can drop one (or both) of them a note saying “thanks so much but my plans have changed”. You still have a bit of time.

The good US business schools are familiar with UCL, so don’t worry about that. Not to mention that MBA admissions is all about the work experience. GMAT scores, GPA, and letters of recommendation come into play as well, but the name of the university where you complete your undergrad degree doesn’t matter much at all. Your undergrad university might help you get that first job, but after that it will be all up to you. And as an international student, you cannot expect to work in the US for one second longer than you are allowed with the OPT extension of your student visa. Right now that is 12 months for a business major. Good MBA programs expect a bare minimum of two years of increasingly responsible professional experience - they prefer more. If the MBA is your real goal, then a 3 year program at UCL will get you into the job market sooner, and offer the possibility of getting your MBA sooner.

9

After Duke’s rape scandal, I wouldn’t attend.

10

@Eggcellent, you need to research more.

False allegations do not a rape make.

11

You can go to a good business school from either. UCL is very well-respected among American academic circles. It’s certainly recognized as one of the top universities in the world. So is Duke. You could get into a good MBA program in the U.S. from either university.

London is definitely a bigger city than Durham, so if being surrounded by the urban excitement of a city is important to you then UCL might be a better choice. I’m betting there are better clubs and raves in London than Durham, but college students typically make their own fun wherever they gather in the hundreds or thousands, so I’m betting there are lots of parties at Duke too.

12

Since cost does not seem to be a big factor, I think we should look at other areas of fit.

You have already said that you might be leaning toward going to business school in the US. That being the case, you might see Duke as a way to “warm up” to life and school in the US. Probably it is also going to be a passport to vocational opportunity in (or very close to) your field of choice.

Aside from the very obvious difference in environment and culture – Durham vs. London, London weather vs. Southern US weather, etc. – I think you should think about academic fit.

As I understand it, in Britain you “read” a particular subject: for instance, Economics. If you are in school for Economics, virtually all of your classes are Economics classes per se; you’re not, for instance, also taking Greek Literature, Psychology, Philosophy and Chemistry classes.

In the US, earning a bachelor’s degree generally requires students to take a much broader course load: in addition to taking many classes in your major (what you are “reading”), you will also take classes in other areas. If your major were Economics, you might find yourself taking elective courses in some of the following areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics; Mathematics and Statistics; History and Anthropology; Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Political Science; English Literature, Classics, Linguistics, Communications, etc. – classes from many different areas, meant to enrich your education by providing a certain breadth of knowledge.

You do still drill down into your chosen major in the US, but I think this added breadth makes US education (at this level, anyway) fundamentally different from general curricula in British universities.

So think about that: would you prefer three years of Econ (for example…) classes, and little or nothing else; or roughly two years of classes from other areas and two years of Econ classes?

13

@viphan Thank you very much- that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. You have allayed my concerns haha.

@me29034 I see. I suppose it’s all a step by step process though, and I want to take every opportunity to be as far ahead as possible!

@happymomof1 Very interesting, thanks very much. Definitely a factor to consider.

@Eggcellent @PurpleTitan It can’t have been that major as I hadn’t heard of it until now- I’m aware that bad things happen at every university.

@juillet That’s good to hear. The clubs in London are amazing but also very expensive and not designed for students! Indeed I’m confident there will be great parties at Duke.

@prezbucky Very informative! I believe I would prefer the latter. Although I am quite certain that I want to major in economics, I have other interests such as becoming fluent in a language and I do indeed feel the American curricula may be more appropriate for me.