<p>At this point I'm sure everyone has had just about enough of these [college choice A] vs. [college choice b] threads. And understandably so, since they are everywhere! BUT (always the big but..)</p>
<p>I'm a HS senior and I am completely stuck. For the longest time, I had my heart set on Princeton. I still do I suppose, only recently, I got into/visited Duke.. and had similar I-love-this-place sentiments. If I list a couple of my own pros/cons.. could you guys give me a hand? I know the best and most accurate advice tends to come from the students themselves.</p>
<p>PRINCETON:
Pros- amazing campus, proximity to NYC, quaint town/Palmer Square, best profs in the country, undergrad focus, prestige, minimal segregation btw athletes and non, sibling goes here, would play a sport if i go..
Cons- too much of an emphasis on eating clubs? (hate to go on stereotypes, but its all i have), hard-core drinking?, insane work load?, jersey is beat, cold weather</p>
<p>DUKE:
Pros- campus designed by same man who did pton, NC is a happenin' place, WEATHER, school spirit, somewhat easier courseload, wouldnt play a sport, family lives close (~1hr)
Cons- athletes (ahem JJ) are glorified, self-segregation, separation of fresh/upperclassmen on campus, tainted rep (damn powerhungry media)</p>
<p>Both great schools. Princeton has more prestige. I'd imagine that the athletic qualities of Duke would make for a pretty fun social environment (K-ville, for example), but that's not to say that Princeton's is boring. Visit both schools and then decide. I was rejected from Princeton but got into Duke.</p>
<p>I will say that the separation of freshman and upperclassmen may seem bad, but it's actually one of the greatest things about Duke.</p>
<p>Living with kids whom you know are going through the same transition as you are - you're all going through your freshman year, getting used to college - works out really well.</p>
<p>Almost universally, we hear from our sophomores that they miss the sense of community they had on East campus. Really. That's a pro, not a con.</p>
<p>Oh, and we also have a huge focus on undergrads. Definitely a pro, but definitely not a comparative advantage for Princeton in this particular decision.</p>
<p>Also not a comparative advantage for Duke, from what I hear about Princeton.</p>
<p>Devils have pitchforks. They can usually take out tigers with them if they are sharp enough. They also have capes they can use like bull-fighters to direct the tiger to pass by them and then jab the pitchfork in right behind the neck.</p>
<p>Well, if you actually LIKE Princeton better, and if you believe you personally would get a better education at Princeton, then certainly go to Princeton. I'd be the last person to object to that.</p>
<p>But don't go to Princeton just because... uh, some other guy on a bulletin board got rejected.</p>
<p>I don't know, after asking Pton for an application FOUR times and waiting all summer for them to even get their website updated for 2006, I decided to not even apply. I'm not impressed with their organizational skills. Just because they're an Ivy doesn't mean they get to slack on garnering applications from prospective students. Sheesh.</p>
<p>So, "real" frats (whatever that might mean) and eating clubs = fun? You'll have to excuse me for not buying, or even bidding on, what you're selling.</p>
<p>
[quote]
How can Duke be more fun? It doesn't even have real frats or eating clubs. hmm.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As someone who has neither been a member of a Princeton eating club nor a Duke fraternity, how are you qualified to make such judgements? How are Princeton's frats (or UVa's for that matter) any more "real" than Duke's? Wait, Mr. Jefferson did personally approve of all of UVa's frats, right? :)</p>
<p>DukeEgr93, not everyone likes sitting around doing e&m p-sets on weekends...</p>
<p>bgrill, Duke's fraternities are built into dorms...lame. Princeton doesn't have fraternities. It has eating clubs, which are highly, highly prestigious.</p>
<p>Princeton does have fraternities, I know people in them. There is a present Greek life at Princeton, but is sort of eclipsed by eating clubs; therefore, Greek life is pretty big for your first year and a half at Princeton. Then you can only "bicker" (rush) ONE eating club 2nd semester sophomore year. If you get rejected, you're not in one. Period. ALSO with Princeton, the eating club parties have bouncers. You need to have a specific colored pass to be allowed in the club on a given night (and each club is not "on tap" every night of the week). Therefore, it depends on who knows who, and initially with girls, who you're willing to hook up with.</p>
<p>Duke parties are almost always not as exclusive. cavalier, while all fraternities have "sections" in the dorms, they all ALWAYS have at least one off campus house and generally nice apartments in the 'better' apartment complexes off campus. These are the parties that get rowdier and they're generally friends of the fraternity. (this is the reason why Duke is trying to buy many of the houses off East)</p>
<p>"DukeEgr93, not everyone likes sitting around doing e&m p-sets on weekends..."</p>
<p>I certainly agree with that... Not that it has anything to do with differences between Princeton and Duke, though. The stereotype you have developed for yourself of a Duke student (and, apparently, of a Princeton student) has very little in common with reality.</p>
<p>That was my first impression of Princeton, and about five of my friends from Governor's School this summer had similar experiences (needless to say, none of them applied either, and a few (2 or 3) are going to Duke next year with me.) I personally wasn't interested in a college that wasn't responsible enough to get their application online until the last minute or to even send them via the mail. That was just my experience with Princeton and the reason I took them off the list of my top colleges, and the poster is free to ignore it.</p>