<p>So far, I narrowed it down to Duke and Stanford. Any suggestions and reasons why? My major will be some type of engineering. The specific field depends on where I go. For example, I'll do bioengineering if I go to Duke and mech. at stanford.</p>
<p>I also heard that Stanford is basically hard to get into but easy to graduate from while Duke is harder. Is this true? Grade Inflation is actually a plus for me (if it really is true) because I do want to get a nice gpa when applying for grad school.</p>
<p>THanks</p>
<p>BTW: I live in san francisco, but distance isn't a problem with me. Also, all the privates are giving me comparable financial aid packages (somewhere between 8-10k)</p>
<p>hah, okay - grade inflation isn't a big factor at all, so just forget i said that. Which one should i choose, ignoring Stanford's relatively easier grading?</p>
<p>Stanford's in a class with Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT. Duke isn't. Barring some strong personal preference in favor of Duke, Stanford is the way to go.</p>
<p>Duke...more traditional college experience, closer-knit community, lots of opportunities to take classes at their law & b-schools for undergraduate credit. Also, UNC-Chapel Hill is 12 miles from Duke...great college area...plus, Research Triangle is close by as well. </p>
<p>Harvey Mudd...consortium, small community within a larger college community, etc...</p>
<p>I'd choose either of those two, although I do like smaller colleges....</p>
<p>I wouldn't choose based on the availability of graduate courses. Stanford has graduate schools too, lol. Stanford undergrads can take graduate courses for credit there too. Co-terming is popular: you are essentially working on both your graduate and your undergraduate degree at the same time. How soon you finish depends on how many AP/college credits you start with and what your majors are. </p>
<p>The social atmosphere at Stanford and Duke are very different. If you can do it, go to admit day at Duke. You live in San Francisco, so you're are most likely familiar enough with Stanford. If not, it's fairly laid back, pretty much like the rest of the Bay Area. The Greek thing is big at Duke; it's much more ubiquitous there than at Stanford. So if you like that sort of thing, you will like Duke more than if you don't like that sort of thing. At Stanford it won't matter either way--greeks and non-greeks party together, or at least they did a few years ago when my son was there. From what I've heard from Duke grads, it sounds like school spirit is very high there -- on the other hand, as much as Stanford students love Stanford (and they do), getting them all going in one direction is like herding cats. But they do have that naked in the quad thing. ;-)</p>
<p>Both very good schools. Probably a liitle stronger alumni network at Duke and Duke's Pratt School is getting a lot of financial backing with brand new facilities and more profs. Both are great schools and comparable.</p>
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That's true at Duke too. Frats drive the party scene, but the parties are usually open to everyone.
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<p>I'm not sure you can even say that frats drive the party scene at Stanford. They do have parties that are open to all, but the dorms and houses at Stanford also host parties of their own. </p>
<p>Parties aside, there is a much higher percentage of greeks at Duke, especially for women. I know a couple of girls who went to Duke not understanding that and they were miserable. But if you understand it and are looking forward to that, then that's great. But it's hard to ignore if you really don't like that sort of thing.</p>
<p>Stanford is more prestigious but I'd nix it cause you're from SF. "Go away" to college. Pick Duke cause living in another region of the country for a time will do you good.</p>