male who lives in new york, would do early decision
dartmouth pros:
tight-knit vibe
small campus
smaller population
great reputation for undergrad teaching
location is beautiful and closer to home
sense of tradition, fun first year trips
“sophomore summer” experience
dartmouth cons:
the d-plan will make it harder to maintain friendships? (does anyone have insight on this)
quarter system is less appealing
is there anything fun to do besides drink?
i can’t ski
could probably get bored more easily
cold weather
duke pros:
better research/pre-med, hospital nearby for pre-med
more interesting extracurriculars offered
better study abroad programs
freshmen live on east campus together
semester system is appealing
duke basketball
warmer weather
duke cons:
i hear of a “social hierarchy” sometimes regarding greek life
bigger campus, bigger population, more intimidating in this way
farther from home
recruitment for frats starts halfway through freshman year
No replies? I’m no expert on either, but I have visited both. Obvious difference is weather, with Dartmouth having colder and longer winters. Both will have lots of students from all over the country, with a lot from the northeast and California. Obviously a higher % of southerners at Duke. Div. 1 sports are big at Duke…Ivy sports are Div. 1 but not as big a deal as at Duke. Probably about equal in academic prestige, though Dartmouth more impressive to those who value its Ivy League membership, and Duke more impressive to those who focus on big time sports. Probably 95% of people in the country will give you a blank stare if you tell them you went to Dartmouth…whereas a lot more people have heard of Duke, but mostly due to its basketball team. Obviously, people who are aware of academically elite colleges would know both and be impressed by both.
One significant difference is that the business district of Hanover is right across the street from the campus, whereas the main Duke campus is nestled in a more isolated area, and businesses of any type are a short bus ride or a longish walk away. Duke also has that other end of campus where freshmen live…which would have its good points and bad, I suppose.
I thought both were stunningly beautiful, but if you don’t enjoy neo-gothic architecture, Duke would be nightmare for you, and if you dislike traditional red brick buildings Dartmouth would be tough on your eyes.
I’m sure there are others who know much more about these two…don’t know why they aren’t all over this discussion.
Maybe the better wording would be “should I use the ED card on Duke or Dartmouth” because, let’s face it, the odds are against getting into any school that has a 90% reject rate (as these two do).
Beyond your pro/con list (which is good to do), do you feel you have a better chance at one over the other based on your stats?
Based on your list, it sounds like you favor Duke because the cons against Dartmouth sound more problematic than the cons against Duke.
Of course, I discard the “fun first year trips” from the “plus” list as it is/should be relatively insignificant.
So, what you like at Dartmouth is the tight knit community, the great teaching, the fact it’s close to home, and the sense of tradition. What you like at Duke is the warmer weather, the easier to-get-to experiences needed for med school, study abroad, close-knit community of freshmen, sports, schedule structure/organization (a biggie).
Personally, I’d say “‘why don’t you pick a college that has BOTH universities’ pluses and apply to Davidson?”
Note that:
“i hear of a “social hierarchy” sometimes regarding greek life” => same thing at Dartmouth (and at most other colleges)
Just a couple comments on Dartmouth 1) they have their own skiway and there are lessons for students. If you don’t ski now, you probably will after you go there; 2) They also have a hospital. Its called Dartmouth-Hitchcock and its one of the best hospitals in NE. There is also a medical school there.
Apply to ED to whichever you feel is the better fit. I’m not sure how anyone on this board would be able to figure that out for you. They are fairly equal in terms of selectivity.
@MYOS1634 He can only go to a college that admits him. Both of these are incredibly difficult to get into and he has not provided any stats, not that it would matter at this level, frankly.
Many of the pros and cons he has listed can be addressed by visiting on campus and talking with current students. He should do that and, as @happy1 suggests, apply ED to the one that OP feels is the better fit.
