I am immensely lucky to be picking between these schools, and I am completely in shock that this is actually a decision that I am able to make, but I also have absolutely no idea what to do. I plan on studying something related to computer science.
Stanford is, well, Stanford, and out of my options, CS and computation-related studies would be the strongest there along with what seems like perfect student life, from weather to social life to the atmosphere. It has been a “secret” dream school of mine, but it seemed so unreachable that I never considered it as an option until a few days ago.
The A.B. Duke scholarship is a full-ride to Duke that comes with a number of other intangible benefits, including a ridiculously high placement rate into top graduate scholarships like the Rhodes and the Marshall and also unbelievable job prospects (Facebook, Google, Bridgewater, Mckinsey, pretty much take your pick). I feel like picking this option would allow me to take more risks in college and also have a sense of security because basically, every alum before me has succeeded.
Yale was always my dream school and it seems people really enjoy their time there, but STEM is the weakest here. Can I justify attending a university for the experience when it’s strength in what I want to major in is lacking?
Penn’s Management and Technology program also seems to have the same intangible benefits as the A.B. Duke, although coursework seems relatively restrictive because of the dual degree program. I wonder if I’d have time to take random “fun” classes and also if I change my mind on my future career (which a lot of people seem to do) since I would really be only attending Penn for this specific program.
I would really appreciate any help or insights that anyone can give. Thanks in advance
Congrats on your amazing acceptances !
Can your family comfortably afford any of these colleges ? Does cost matter to you ?
A.B Duke is highly prestigious and most of the awardees are admitted to HYPSM.
It really comes down to finances and where you see yourself for the next 4 years.
If you are interested in CS, then it is really between Duke vs Stanford (depends on FA)
M&T at Penn is a great program for someone interested in both business and engineering, you seem to be undecided.
The A.B. Duke scholarship is clearly your best option based on what you want to study, finances, prestige & placement into elite programs. Stanford is a distant second, with Penn M&T third & Yale a non-factor.
@NCKris Thank you! While the cost of these colleges will be a significant expense, my parents have pretty much been saving for this since before I was born, so I am not really considering the financial side of the A.B. as much as the other benefits. It’s not like my family will have to muster up hundreds of thousands of dollars suddenly. My reasoning is that the ROI I would get for going to any of the three non-A.B. options would exceed the cost of the education.
However, you do need to be happy with your choice of schools if your family has an abundance of wealth. If funds are from hard earned savings, then finances are a factor–just not the dominant concern.
As long as the Duke environment is fine with you (I’m guessing it is - but it’s vastly different from Yale), I’d go with Duke AB, work in CS anywhere you please, then Stanford grad school to boost your already successful career. Your parents can set some savings they’re not using, for whatever you might want to do that AB Duke doesn’t cover.
Congrats! So many great options! I would, however, say from what I’ve seen that winning the A.B. Scholarship is like winning the lottery of college admissions - it’s essentially the best outcome. A full ride at a school like Duke! Hard to beat. Given your interest in technology, I’d say the choice is probably between Stanford and Duke. M&T is known to be very restrictive which puts it down a bit IMO, while at Stanford and Duke you’d have much more flexibility. Stanford and Duke both have great weather and high qualities of life so that is likely a wash. The school spirit is also a wash, as Duke has amazing basketball and Stanford has amazing football. The proximity to Silicon Valley at Stanford is enticing and there will be more cutting edge technology research and opportunities immediately available at Stanford. But the money is a huge difference, and IMO Duke is great and if you reach out to people early you can probably get whatever cutting edge opportunities from Duke that you can from Stanford, especially as a scholar which might be the best outcome in American college admissions. So I’d say Duke wins out unless you happen to love Stanford by a much greater margin.
