Stanford/Harvard vs. Robertson @ Duke

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
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<p>Hey Guys! </p>

<p>Although I was hoping that I could figure this out for myself, I am continually vacillating between some of my top choices, and with the SIR deadline approaching, I could really use some insight and advice.</p>

<p>I hope to pursue some combination of Engineering, Operations Research, CS, and Econ in college and am currently trying to decide between the Robertson Scholarship at Duke (full-ride plus many other financial, advisory, and community-oriented benefits) and paying full at Stanford or Harvard.</p>

<p>I'll give a breakdown of what draws me to each school:</p>

<p>Stanford: Stanford was my top choice coming into the college admissions process and I absolutely love the campus culture, student life, athletic dynamics, academic opportunities, entrepreneurial spirit, proximity to the Silicon Valley, weather, food, housing, etc. It's truly a phenomenal academic and social fit. I would most likely be a MS&E or EE major with a co-term in CS at Stanford.</p>

<p>Harvard: Harvard boasts some of the most exciting faculty and resources available in the world. Additionally, Boston is the ultimate college town. I would most likely pursue a concentration in Applied Mathematics and a master's in Economics or Statistics at Harvard.</p>

<p>Duke: The Robertson Scholars program is really, really enticing and brings with it a wide variety of benefits. I have some reservations about the social scene and academic opportunities at Duke, though. It doesn't really offer the type of engineering and research opportunities I'm looking for and won't allow me the flexibility to co-term in four years, while both Stanford and Harvard will. Furthermore, although the summer opportunities for this program are phenomenal, they will not allow me to develop my intellectual abilities and academic pursuits.</p>

<p>As of right now, I'm thoroughly confused between these schools and would love some advice and insight from the CC community. Thanks a lot for the time! Let me know if you need anything clarified or elaborated upon.</p>

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<p>It sounds like you most want to go to Stanford.</p>

<p>If you’re worried about the engineering opportunities at Duke, then you won’t be much happier at Harvard, which doesn’t even have separate departments (though they have different concentrations for different engineering disciplines). Stanford also boasts exciting faculty–in fact, I’d say that Stanford, Harvard, and Berkeley are all roughly equal in quality of faculty. Cambridge is a college town, though Boston’s more isolated as a city (I might be starting my PhD in Cambridge soon, so this was my judgment).</p>

<p>I’ll add that in the rankings, not only are MS&E, CS, and EE #1 or top 3, but statistics is #1 and econ is top 5.</p>

<p>So can you pay for it okay? Yes, the Duke scholarship is awesome, but I’d say that unless it’d be hard to pay for, take Stanford/Harvard.</p>

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<p>Can you elaborate when you say that the Robertson Scholars program doesn’t offer the type of research and engineering opportunities you are looking for? I’m sure you could find a lab or professor at Duke whose research interests fit yours. If the cost differential was the same, Stanford is a no-brainer. Since Stanford is $220,000 more over 4 years, Duke is a no-brainer here. Money doesn’t grow on trees you know.</p>

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<p>^ yeah, neither do quality engineering programs, you know. ;)</p>

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<p>First off, congratulations! Simply getting accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and Duke means that you are a fabulous student/college applicant. Getting the Robertson on top of that means that you are in the elite of the elite, and that you show as well in person as you do on paper. It also practically guarantees that you are capable of taking full advantage of what any of these colleges has to offer, and that the main determinant of your future success is going to be you, not which college you choose.</p>

<p>Very few people turn down Harvard or Stanford to go anywhere other than the other of them, or Yale, Princeton, or MIT. People talk about it all the time, but very, very few people do it. But one of the big exceptions to that rule is Robertson/Morehead scholarships at Duke or UNC. I think you’ll find that many of the Robertson Scholars at Duke have turned down Harvard and/or Stanford. Not that everyone makes that choice, but it’s not an irrational choice at all, even without taking the tuition scholarship into account. Some people who would receive full or almost full need-based aid at any of the schools still choose Duke based on the special opportunities the Robertson provides. (Taking the scholarship into account, it’s a supremely rational choice, of course. But you already knew that.)</p>

<p>Some of what you say sounds a little immature. The summer opportunities for Robertson Scholars won’t allow you to develop your “intellectual abilities and academic pursuits”? That’s just silly, really misguided. You would major in totally different things at Stanford or Harvard, but you think that Duke is second-rate in all of those fields? It isn’t, at least not to an extent that would be relevant to any single human undergraduate over the course of four years. I don’t know what exactly you mean by “co-term”, but both double-majoring and getting simultaneous BS/MS degrees are overrated, especially when one is talking about an elite student at an elite college. Do you actually believe that, with the same amount of effort, you will learn less at Duke, or be less attractive to employers/graduate programs? If so, you are making it up.</p>

<p>You should go where you want, taking into account everything. Any of these choices will be great. But you shouldn’t stick your thumb on the scale and call it analysis.</p>

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<p>sorry, but I don’t understand this</p>

<p>can you clarify a little?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

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<p>There was a thread some time back about a student who was deciding between the Robertson at Duke and Princeton–you might search for that and read it. Like many other things on CC, there were a lot of people who thought the decision was a “no-brainer,” but they didn’t agree on what the obvious decision was.</p>

<p>My take on this is that the Robertson is an awesome opportunity that you shouldn’t turn down unless (a) the specific major or program you want is significantly better at one of the other schools and (b) your family is rich.</p>

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<p>^ That thread can be found here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/897859-duke-robertson-vs-nearly-full-ride-princeton.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/897859-duke-robertson-vs-nearly-full-ride-princeton.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The person who started that thread ended up accepting the Robertson over Princeton, even though Princeton had offered a very generous need-based aid package. (S)he was also interested engineering.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all of the advice and insight, guys! It’s really helpful and means a lot to me! I’ll try to tie up some loose ends. </p>

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<p>I’ll try to address these two questions in one go. Sorry about the lack of initial clarity. Essentially, the Robertson Scholars Program mandates that you pursue community service based initiatives in your first two summers and encourages that you pursue something similar during your third summer. As someone who is looking to go into either academic research or consulting professionally, this will preclude me from pursuing scientific research or consulting internships during my collegiate summers. Although I can do research during the academic year, from what I understand, consulting internships are often pivotal in obtaining a consulting job upon graduation, and I want to make sure that my college decision doesn’t adversely affect me in as far as future job opportunities are concerned. </p>

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<p>Hopefully, my response to the last question also tackled this issue? Duke will afford me opportunities that are very similar to those of Stanford and Harvard, but I won’t be able to pursue any research or internships during my summers due to the mandated summer activities of the Robertson Scholars Program. I apologize for not being clearer initially. </p>

<p>Also, I’ll be sure to check out the aforementioned thread! Thanks ThoughtProvoking!</p>

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<p>I’m a Duke senior and I know for a fact that during your 3rd summer, you can shoot for an internship with Bain, the Boston Consulting Group or McKinsey if that’s what you desire. There are a couple of Robertsons who I know that did exactly that and will be returning to their firms full-time after graduation.</p>

<p>I know the first two summers are fully structured for you but I promise you they will be incredible opportunities that will help you not only grow as a person but expand your interests as well. It’s a truly excellent program.</p>

<p>By the way, getting a consulting internship is not by any means required to securing a consulting job full-time. In fact, consulting internships are extremely competitive. In my graduating class, I think a total of 6-7 juniors had internships with the top 3 management consulting firms I listed above but approximately 25-30 Duke seniors will be working for MBB full-time. It’s banking you’re thinking about where internship experience is often vital.</p>

<p>As far as research goes, you’ll be able to do plenty of that during the school years and the community service experience should augment your profile and present you as a very multidimensional person, which will be very attractive to employers and graduate school admissions officers alike.</p>

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<p>I would dislike it if I were restricted for any of my summers. The summer after freshman year, I got an internship at a prestigious research organization in Silicon Valley. (The next two summers I also did internships of my own choosing.) I’m sure I could have had a great experience doing something else, but I would not have wanted to give up that experience (which I found by figuring out what I want to do, applying for what I’m interested in, etc.). I think it’s also what helped me to get into top PhD programs in CS.</p>

<p>Also, almost no grad school takes into account activities like community service, so that doesn’t help with grad school (not sure about employers).</p>

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<p>Why did you apply for the Robertson? Your interests don’t seem to mesh.</p>

<p>That said, as far as getting a consulting job, if you go to Duke you will be one of 18 Scholars in your class and on a first name basis with Richard Brodhead. If you go to Harvard or Stanford you will be one of approximately 1700 members of your class and John Hennessy and Drew Faust will have no idea who you are. From which school do you think you are more likely to get hired?</p>

<p>Or you might try giving this guy a call:</p>

<p>[Robertson</a> Scholars: Alumni Profile](<a href=“http://www.robertsonscholars.org/index.php?type=dynamic&source=scholarsProfilesDetail&at=alumni&id=384]Robertson”>http://www.robertsonscholars.org/index.php?type=dynamic&source=scholarsProfilesDetail&at=alumni&id=384)</p>