The Duke Stereotype?

<p>As a possible future student at Duke, I just wanted to get opinions on some of the negative stereotypes of Duke. </p>

<p>According to princetonreview.com, the students say that:
The public perception of Duke's student body generally focuses on its "visible minority of social elitists who go out for cocktails and have the connections to get themselves out of any kind of trouble—white prep school types. I always know which handbag is 'in,' because 85 percent of the girls in this 'caste' strut around with it slung over their anorexic shoulders." However, students note that "there are definitely a wide range of people at Duke. You have your stereotypical 'Daddy's little girl' and frat-boy types, but you also have lots of individuals not afraid to stir things up." Students agree that "Duke tends to be slightly cliquish because of the Greek system or even because of racial differences. Everyone gets along with one another, but there's still this 'high-schoolish' superficiality that pervades the Duke campus." They also agree that "basketball brings everyone together, and second semester is an absolute madhouse every night there's a game on." </p>

<p>I can't help but agree to a point. My friends that attend Duke have mixed feelings about it; either they LOVE the whole party frat scene, or they hate it. It's ranking as the #13 Little Race/Class Interaction school doesn't help much either. I'm very wary of the racial tension issue, and as a little to no partying type, I'm not looking forward to attending a big party school either.</p>

<p>I'm more than excited to have been "likely" admitted, but hearing stuff like this, from both college guides and from friends makes me think otherwise.</p>

<p>Opinions?</p>

<p>Have you visited or better yet, stayed overnight on the campus? Get your perspective from visiting. Other's opinions are bound to differ from your own, and it would be a shame to base your decision on a stereotype. It may be too socially confining, but you need to judge for yourself.</p>

<p>agreed, thats just one persons perception based on some people hes talked to/ surveyed / seen interact. </p>

<p>in star wars return of the jedi: obi won says that "truth comes from each persons point of view" (not to go nerdy on any of you guys, i just watched the movie a few days ago)</p>

<p>i think that has at least some truth to it. i mean, it's the -princeton review-. and the quotes were taken from various people at the college so it's not just one perspective. but of course there'll be people there that don't fit perfectly into those descriptions.</p>

<p>In my opinion, people put wayyy too much in weight in the Princeton Review's opinions. Don't take anyone's opinion on the facts, find out for yourself.</p>

<p>To start, I apologize for this rather lengthy response, but I felt it behooved me to clarify some prevelant misconceptions of Duke.</p>

<p>I have to say I was expecting Duke to be a lot like that review before I visited as a prefrosh, during which time I realized how completely inane and misleading it was. Now that I am here I am actually very angry at how much I think Princeton Review misrepresents the student body at Duke and its potential influence over prospective students. Focusing on like 5% of the student population to write a general review is ridiculous, but it is what Princeton Review does best. Princeton Review also claims that UPenn is more selective than Stanford, and that Duke is a "jock" school where there is little "race/class interaction." Wrong. Wrong. Oops, Wrong Again. Don't always believe what you read. </p>

<p>The vast majority of kids here are not at all like that article implies and the LAST place I would think of when I compare my experience here is high school. Dukies are way too brilliant, diverse, and multi-faceted to be reduced to ANY stereotype, let alone that one. Girls strutting around "in" bags over their anorexic shoulders? The review is almost comical to read as a student here.</p>

<p>Are there students here who went to Exeter, Groton, Andover, Hotchkiss, and St. Andrew's who are really wealthy and social, who have connections and wealth, and who resemble those mentioned by Princeton Review? Of course. Are they unique to Duke? Definitely not--you'll find them at Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown (heck the Versace heiress goes there...talk about girls' strutting designer bags over anorexic shoulders!). At any elite school you're going to have a lot of kids with a lot of money and connections (e.g. Rudy Giulliani's son and the daughter of the head of the New York Stock Exchange are already members of Duke Class of 2009).</p>

<p>That said, the majority of kids here are down-to-earth and anything but elitist. Kids here are very smart, very accomplished, and very unpretentious. Another thing I read before coming to Duke was a "lack of intellectualism"--what I have found, however, is that, though kids don't usually engage in the kind of quasi-philosophical and pretentious conversations I heard when I was visiting friends at Brown and Harvard (which usually displayed their ignorance rather than intelligence), kids here can and do have extremely interesting and deep conversations about things that actually matter (conversations that keep you up until 4AM). I have grown so much in my first year here.</p>

<p>I have friends here who are of every race, religion, sexual preference, and personality. I have good friends whose parents are CEOs of multi-billion dollar corporations and those whose parents are gym teachers and factory workers. The majority of my friends have never talked about money so I wouldn't know where their parents fall. For those whose financial backgrounds I am aware of, it doesn't make any difference in my or others' interactions with them. I am friends with lacrosse players, musicians, thespians, and academic superstars. I have really good friends in frats and sororities who are the most chill, laid-back people you've talked to. I know kids from Nigeria, Tanzania, London, Alabama, Mumbai, Seattle, and Toronto, among other geographic areas. If this is like high school then my high school must have been very atypical (and a whole lot dumber)!</p>

<p>I won't say that Duke is perfect in terms of different races' interacting but I wouldn't label it as "tension" at all but rather a degree of self-segregation, which you'll find at a lot of schools. Further, if you make a small effort to get to know people of different backgrounds here you will get to know a great number of amazing kids from all sorts of perspectives and places. It angers me when kids complain about things at Duke because it is so easy to change things up if you just take the initiative.</p>

<p>And about that "jock" school label--just because Duke students are extremely supportive of the basketball team and the administration here knows how to balance a stellar academic program with a great athletic one does not mean that the student population here is full of "jocks." In fact, that notion is pretty absurd. I visited Duke as a violinist of 15 years who knew little or nothing about sports expecting my conversations at this school to revolve around ESPN. I couldn't have been more clueless. </p>

<p>Yes, people know about the basketball team (thought I have met people who have never watched a game--heretics!) but when it comes to our football team, or even our top-ranked lacrosse, tennis, soccer, or other teams people are markedly clueless. (I don't know if that is a good thing.) If you expect Wallace Wade stadium to be packed at football games you are in for quite a laugh. In fact, even many of the scholarship athletes here would object to being labeled "jocks," as they have a lot more depth to them than that label conjures. I know baseball players who are theologians and soccer players who are trumpeters--I even know a football player who happens to be somewhat of a genius. That said, I also know plenty of varsity athletes who would fit the not-so-bright "jock" description, but they are usually quite personable and harmless. </p>

<p>What I mean to capture in this very long diatribe (SORRY!) is that Duke has a level of complexity that is not even scratched at by Princeton Review, and I would really hate for kids to not matriculate (or even visit) because they are prejudiced by this mindless junk. Please, as someone who's intelligent enough to gain admittance to Duke, do not form your view of my school based on a paragraph blurb of a company that has no affiliation with or idea of the Duke experience. Talk to students (feel free to ask me questions), visit, and then form your own conclusions. If they're anything like mine were, I'll see you next fall.</p>

<p>thanks for the info since I'm applying and havent visited yet</p>

<p>wow thats the best post ive EVER seen someone write about any school on this whole website, if there was an award id nominate it for best post of the year!</p>

<p>good info, thanks for all the tips and knowledge :)</p>

<p>nice post. :)
its important to note though, that Rachel Toor, former admissions officer, cited Duke as an extremely racially divided school. She also said that black faculty members refer to the Duke campus as 'The Plantation'. While this is by no means a be all and end all, it isn't wise to simply ignore negative comments on a school, but rather to gauge how much you want to take them at their word.</p>

<p>Incollege,</p>

<p>Based on my son's feedback, I think you have done a wonderful job at describing the essence of Duke. I am glad you are having such a good experience. </p>

<p>Good luck with mid-terms!</p>

<p>wow i hope you are right :)</p>

<p>I was accepted ED, will be around next fall</p>

<p>I agree with Sokkoermom - you've done a great job of portraying Duke the way it really is. My son is also a freshman there, who does NOT come from a wealthy family, wasn't into basketball in the least, didn't join a fraternity, but fits in wonderfully and is having the time of his life! He's stimulated academically, has been exposed to new experiences (tenting for one) and ideas, made some great friends, and couldn't be happier with his choice of schools. He had some similar concerns about the stereotypes at Duke before attending but says that he sees ALL types there - that's what makes it interesting.</p>

<p>Ay_Caramba - you'd be a good one to give some input here. If I remember right, you aren't a big partyer either. I think you could also give a very level headed view from the inside. :-)</p>

<p>Yes, dak, you're right, I'm definitely not a big partier. None of my friends are either, in fact. I have been to a couple parties, but just simply didn't find them fun, so I found other things to do.</p>

<p>I won't attempt to be as eloquent as incollege, but I also find many of the things from that Princeton Review (PR) summary misleading. I know they're just quoting students, but they seem to just be quoting the few comments that bring out bad points rather than the tons of comments they probably have that are like incollege's analysis and very positive. Are there "frat boys" here? Yes, but as the article itself says, this is a stereotype, and to attempt to classify people by that is just silly (as incollege stated more articulately). The typical frat boy who they allude to is not as dominant as people think; all the boys in frats that I know are smart and hard working. The way the PR article is phrased, it makes it seem like most of the kids here are stereotypical "frat boys" or "daddy's little girls," but then there's this underground cult of people that TRY to work against this anti-intellectualizing force, with "try" implying that they usually fail. That's just crazy wrong.
Racial tension? That's ridiculous. As incollege noted, there's no "tension," but there is a level of self-segregation among races (which you will find at almost any school). Like incollege, I have friends of many races and cultures. The word tension makes it seem like the groups don't get along, and that's just simply false. You can be friends with whoever you want.
Cliquishness? I don't even know what these people are talking about. Groups of friends form, ok? Everyone isn't best friends with everyone else! But I truly think that among Duke students we have a respect and openness toward each other because we're all here and we're all happy to be here. </p>

<p>Why does PR do this? Well, truthful comments about how great Duke probably aren't as exciting as these half-truths that PR provides almost as fact to naive highschoolers. Judging a school on one review, except your own personal one when you visit, is just not a smart way to evaluate a school.</p>

<p>Reputations entrench themselves.</p>

<p>Confirmation bias, if you feel like being Mr. AP Psychologist</p>

<p>Chicago is another school that suffers from a bad, and only half-accurate, reputation.</p>

<p>wow im not reading that incollege88.... =)</p>

<p>because 85 percent of the girls in this 'caste' strut around with it slung over their anorexic shoulders." </p>

<p>LOL thats hilarious anorexic LOL</p>

<p>its true. When I visited, the girls there were very very thin. I wouldn't want to go out with someone who has less than 5% body fat. Thats just wrong. :(</p>

<p>Also, it seems to me that people weren't as friendly at Duke than at other universities. Is it just me? I'm just curious. :) I've applied and hope I get in, but I want to know what its like first. :P</p>

<p>hmm sounds like a conspiracy theory since everybody must LOVE you!!!!
lol jk</p>

<p>Funny you say that, Polonius. I spent the break visiting some friends at several different Ivies (I'm from New England) and I was blown away at how cold they seemed to me (vis-a-vis people AND weather, lol). I would say Duke is one of the friendliest colleges (if not THE friendliest college) in the top-10, and definitely the most laid back. You must have had an unrepresentative visit. I miss Duke so much....just one more day....</p>

<p>I envy u, college. I want that type of feeling when I go to school next year. College, what was Dartmouth like? I dont mind cold weather.</p>

<p>0_o please explain your college situation incollege...lol</p>