<p>Many threads have teed up the Duke vs. XYZ question. </p>
<p>While this data is a little old, it does reveal head-to-head comparisons between Duke and other top univeristies in terms of student preferences.</p>
<p>The</a> New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Collegiate Matchups: Predicting Student Choices</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rely much on that NY times article. It was based on 2005 statistics. Obviously financial aid structures have changed since then, so I wouldn’t look at it as relevant.</p>
<p>However, I do believe Duke’s yield will not be great this year, since their financial aid package is inferior to that of the Ivies. In this economy, that will definitely hurt their ability to retain prospective students.</p>
<p>All schools’ yield will be hurt, even Harvard; parents will be looking closer at whether any school is worth 50K a year if it comes down to that.</p>
<p>The pulling power’s from pure prestige. HYPSM is one matter, clearly the best colleges in the US. For the schools below them–say, Duke and Columbia–a lot of students will choose prestige. While Duke’s an incredible school (from rankings, equal to Columbia, Dartmouth, etc.), it’s just not an Ivy…</p>
<p>Duke’s financial aid package was actually better than Brown’s, and is the primary reason why I’m choosing Duke over Brown.</p>
<p>“It was based on 2005 statistics.”</p>
<p>Older. It’s nearly 10 years old.</p>
<p>Please choose your college based on where you want to go to school. You are not going to be more successful in life because you choose Duke vs. Brown or vice versa. People from all of these schools are successful because most of the kids who go there are bright, motivated people. They would be sucessful if they went to U. Wisconsin or U. Michigan, too. </p>
<p>Steve Jobs’ parents never went to college and he dropped out of Reed. He did just fine (present health excluded, but that’s another story). </p>
<p>If you feel more of a pull to one school, go to that school, assuming the financial aid package is acceptable.</p>