<p>God I would kill for the Robertson...</p>
<p>But if Yale is what you really want...</p>
<p>If you go to Duke, you'll probably go in with a negative attitude having low expectations. And you'll probably be unhappy at Duke going in with that attitude because it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you can't go to Duke in the mindset that it's going to be the best four years of your life, then you shouldn't go to Duke. Go to Yale - it's what your gut says and it's a GREAT school, obviously. Nobody will judge you for passing up the Robertson and somebody else will get it who really wants it.</p>
<p>I feel that if you go to Duke, you'll constantly question if you made the right decision. If you go to Yale, you won't question it much while you are attending. These reactions should be the driving force of your decision.</p>
<p>My daughter was in the EXACT SAME POSITION</p>
<p>Oops. My daughter was in the EXACT SAME POSITION last year - she chose Yale and has not had a day of regret. It IS a very difficult decision -lots of tears at our house last year. My advice is to follow your heart, or in the words of Yalie Anderson Cooper, "follow your bliss". Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I think for MOST people, turning down Robertson is a crazy ridiculous thing.
In fact, the majority of Robertson scholars have options among Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, etc.
In fact, at Blue Devil Day, tons of students who weren't even offered this elite scholarship were choosing Duke among choices like Stanford, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Dartmouth, etc etc.</p>
<p>But if money honestly isn't an issue for you (are you sure your parents agree? haha) and Yale isn't just your top choice (some people like me never had a "dream school", only a "top choice) - if it's your dream school - I say go to Yale.</p>
<p>go to Duke and ask for a lambo</p>
<p>Go to Dook and donate $200k to the American Cancer Society. Or buy a Maserati. Seriously. Eighteen-year-olds are ridiculously adaptable to all kinds of environments, and I'm sure that you'll find plenty at Duke to keep you busy, content and fulfilled. At this stage you know what <em>neither</em> college is <em>really</em> like; you simply have a vague emotional attachment to one school based a short visit to New Haven, some guide books and a few websites. The posters who are telling you to "follow your heart" or "follow your bliss" are and advising you to make an emotionally-based, costly decision. Ignore them. Be shrewd.</p>
<p>I believe I have more than a vaugue connection to Yale. I lived there last summer for a month, and I have since learned everything about it that I could find. I know virtually all of the buildings, the masters of colleges, a lot of faculty names, traditions, etc. about the campus and clubs. I have done some very careful investigation.</p>
<p>On the flip side, I think this might have biased me towards Yale...</p>
<p>Could you tell me some reasons that non-scholars would pick Duke over Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc? I'd be curious...</p>
<ol>
<li> Its in a unique area of the country and consequently draws from a different pool of kids.</li>
<li> They have an outstanding advisory program and unlike at places like Harvard the profs. have a reputation of being both accessible and good teachers (along with being intelligent and at the top of their field).<br></li>
<li> Undergraduate research is extremely easy to become involved in</li>
<li> Superficially the weather is much better ,the campus is gorgeous and they have superb athletics. </li>
<li> The students fit a certain archeotype that i feel is somewhat unique to Duke <a href="http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/who.asp">http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/who.asp</a> I think the idea of being a muti-faceted leader who challenges the system is something that Duke really cares about. There seems to be alot of focus on really having an impact and Duke gives its students the ability to really be extremely active, whether it is in research or service oppertunities (Duke engage program) or w/e. Along with this people are extremely nice and pride themselves on being competitive with themselves and not with others (almost every student i have spoken to has mentioned this point)</li>
</ol>
<p>-Also you can still go to Yale graduate school later on and then you will have the best of both worlds. You will have had an extremely enriching undergraduate experience (the robertson scholarship is an extrordinary oppertunity) and then be able to return to the school you love.</p>
<p>Duke basketball >> The Entire Ivy League Combined</p>
<p>Duke Weather > New England
Duke social life > Yale's. </p>
<p>These three reasons are basically facts.</p>
<p>I think that Paul Farmer is a good example of a Duke Student.</p>
<p>If Yale and Duke were both free for you, say, would you choose Duke? I think most would choose Yale, but some would choose Duke.</p>
<p>If both were free, I would pick Yale for sure.</p>
<p>I doubt that Duke's social life is a whole lot better than Yale's. Yale is well known as a very social place, and a place where alcohol is not a mandatory part of the fun. The being said, I would be curious to know what you like about the Duke social scene. I don't know everything about college life yet, so it's hard to really determine what constitutes a "good social life"? Could anyone explain?</p>
<p>The idea of a "good social life" differs among people but in general it traditionally infers that one has the time and opportunity to go to parties/social functions/clubbing at least a couple of times during the week.</p>
<p>Of course, almost anything can serve as a social outlet as long as you're able to interact with other people. This includes, but is not limited to, attending and seeing school athletic events/acapella performances/dance troupes/orchestras/guest speakers/comedy shows. Although, even eating out with a group of people and hanging out with friends in a dorm are definitely social activities.</p>
<p>Duke has the edge in the party/athletics department while Yale has a better music/arts scene. Although, these are somewhat generalizations on my part. Duke Improv is phenominal and much better than Yale's equivalent comedy troupe while the Yale/Harvard game probably beats the hell out of any Duke football game.</p>
<p>well...i chose duke over princeton & columbia because i liked it more. i thought the kids i met at duke when i visited were more down-to-earth, i thought it had better, broader, more inter-disciplinary opportunities for undergraduates, and i liked the nice weather. to be honest, i went to a good hs and i've subsequently visited friends who are at princeton and columbia (and yale too) and i hardly sense any difference. elite college = elite college. you have all the same populations of students, just in different proportions. the academicians are all the same, and you will get a top-notch education wherever you go if you challenge yourself. i personally think it would be nuts to turn down the robertson for a school that is not going to offer you any additional opportunities but it seems like you are really set on it so go with your gut, i suppose.</p>
<p>Do Robertson Scholars place as well in grad school admissions as Yale grads?</p>
<p>Dude, go to Yale. Money is not a problem and it's your dream school. It's a done deal.</p>
<p>And this is coming from a Duke student.</p>
<p>A R Scholar is better positioned for grad schools than your average Yalie because the program's travel/service opportunities guarantee an unbeatable resume. I think you know this. But honestly, if you're still ambivalent, go to Yale. </p>
<p>(though at the risk of confusing you further, check out this link to someone in your boat a few years ago: justhwangit's</a> Xanga Site )</p>