Tufts vs Duke

Parents Forum
1

<p>I was very excited to attend Tufts for the fall 2007 until I received a call from Duke saying I was accepted off of their waitlist. Now I've had to consider both of these schools to figure out which would be a better fit for me.</p>

<p>A bit of background,
I applied to 10 schools, was accepted at 6, and chose Tufts. I was waitlisted at Duke, Cornell, WashU. and rejected at Penn.</p>

<p>I applied to the engineering schools</p>

<p>Tufts was one of the more expensive schools on the bottom line at approximately $22,000 per year after aid, but I chose it because I felt like it was the best fit for me.</p>

<p>Duke would be about $32,000 per year after aid, and we are appealing because we do not think they considered special family circumstances (both parents unemployed, etc) as tufts did, which is why tufts is 10K cheaper per year.</p>

<p>There are a lot of reasons why I like tufts better
-I love the area, being very close to a city with Boston, much better than durham
-while tufts is not known for it's engineering, it has a very small school of engineering with a lot of personal attention, and I am not sure that I want to be an engineer, I could also take advantage of their great IR program, or go into government, or economics.
-I've met a lot of people who are very friendly and outgoing, and I feel like I fit into the tufts community very well. I've never been able to visit duke.
-I would prefer the north (weather and culture) to the south.
-there is a smaller emphasis on greek life, which I think I would prefer.</p>

<p>There are some reasons I like duke better as well
-Much more school spirit, sports and academic prestige (engineering and overall, going by rankings, since i really have no other basis)
-I believe I would like Duke's campus better, but again the surrounding area is a concern.
-I've never been to duke, but it seems as though it would be more of my ideal college, at least from pictures.
-The social scene at duke seems better overall, and I definitely want that to be active, but as I said I'm not big on greek life.</p>

<p>I was waiting on the financial aid offer before I planned my visit to duke this weekend, and I really don't think I would want to accept Duke's offer as is, as I would have to take about 60,000 in loans as opposed to about 20,000 total from tufts (over four years)</p>

<p>I am appealing, as I said, but I'm posting this to put my thoughts on paper and to see if anyone has any insight they might add. thanks very much.</p>

<p>And I hope no one sees the title and goes "Duke!!!" without reading the post.</p>

2

<p>$60,000 at 7.5% (if you can get it) over 10 years is $712.21/mo.</p>

<p>To repay that size loan at 10% of your salary, your salary over the first 10 years out of college would need to average $85,465.20.</p>

<p>$20,000 at 7.5% over 10 years is $237.40/mo.</p>

<p>To repay that size loan at 10% of your salary, your salary over the first 10 years out of college would need to average $28,520.</p>

<p>This is all before the potential cost of graduate school. Parents are not likely there to bail you out.</p>

3

<p>I definitely agree that the count probably wouldn't be worth it.</p>

<p>If they schools were equally priced, then what do you think?</p>

4

<p>If they were equally priced, I'd say go where floats your boat. I have no idea about the actual quality of the undergraduate engineering programs, though I bet it doesn't matter much. I'd probably decide on the basis of the intangibles - Greek v. non-Greek, Durham v. Boston, campuses, party/alcohol scene, sports, etc.</p>

<p>But the money isn't equal. Personally, I don't see $500/month for 10 years in extra value at Duke, but that's for you to decide.</p>

5

<p>Well that's the problem. They come out equally when i weigh the intangibles, so I'm trying to maybe have someone point out what is most important by stating what I liked and disliked.</p>

6

<p>I have read your original post a couple of times, and it seems as though you want to go to Tufts. I think the unexpected entry of Duke into the picture at this late date has you second guessing yourself. Would you have choosen Duke over Tufts if you had gotten into both of them regular decision?
I don't envy you, this is a tough choice. Good luck</p>

7

<p>Well, I always consider that. If I had gotten in RD, I would have had time to visit, and I would've met people at duke as well as tufts, so I think there is a good chance I would have picked duke over tufts, or at least strongly considered both. But I can't say for sure.</p>

8

<p>I've been communicating with you for awhile, and I think that Lintball kind of summed it up best: </p>

<p>
[quote]
I have read your original post a couple of times, and it seems as though you want to go to Tufts. I think the unexpected entry of Duke into the picture at this late date has you second guessing yourself.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That, added to the fact that Duke would be $10,000 more expensive each year makes it seem like a far easier choice than it might be otherwise.</p>

<p>Best of luck, X!</p>

9

<p>It might be a bit of cold feet. It seems you really would like to go to Tufts. And, for undergrad, the loan amount (in my humble-yet-"been-there" opinion) is that after the first week of school, you'd forget about Duke. Then, when it's time to start paying back those loans, you'd probaby utter a great big "whew!" at having to pay a whole lot less each month!</p>

<p>Be careful of assuming things about campuses based on pictures! Tufts, by all accounts, has a more eclectic student body, and there will partiers (and non-partiers) at any school you attend. My friend went to Duke and the sororities and small town atmosphere drove her to transfer to Columbia. That was many years ago, but it seems you aren't big into Greek life but do like a city atmosphere. You can buy a six-pack wherever you go, ya know? But you can't build a subway in Durham, can ya? ;)</p>

10

<p>As I read your post, I hear much more in favor of Tufts. Go for it. It is a wonderful school and you will be happy. My D tells me there are so many EC's on campus it's impossible to fit everything in that she wants to do. You will be very busy and involved.</p>

11

<p>If Duke were to match Tufts financial aid offer, do you think I could still be justified in choosing tufts? I feel like the southern atmosphere may not be for me, but I've never really spent a lot of time down there so i don't know for sure. I'm a democrat, and I'd probably prefer boston to durham in that respect, too.</p>

<p>I just feel like turning down Duke would look stupid.</p>

12

<p>To whom?...</p>

13

<p>It shouldn't be a decision based on what peers think, I know. I meant more for myself. Duke seems like an excellent choice for what I want to do and has to campus I've dreamed of. But I can't help having this special attachment to tufts and i don't know how genuine this feeling is.</p>

14

<p>Xeneise.... you keep answering your own question! "Tufts vs Duke?"
Stop worrying about your peers, make the decision that is right for you.
Good luck at Tufts in September!!;)</p>

15

<p>OP - you have not said one concrete nice thing about Duke(you think you'll love the campus from looking at pictures), whereas you have many solid reasons for liking Tufts. The only thing you haven't said is that "I think it would a shame to pass up Duke because it's rank much higher than Tufts." I think that is a very valid reason for picking Duke over Tufts, if that's important to you. No one wants to come out to say it out right because you'll get so many people on CC to tell you that it's not a good reason. If it's ranking, then go with Duke and don't be ashamed to feel that way (look how many people want to go to Harvard). But it sounds like you have many good reasons to go to Tufts. I am pretty certain you'll be happy at either school. They are both big enough that you'll find "your kind of people" to hang out with. You will also get excellent education at both schools. It gets down to 1) if ranking is worth the price difference, 2)if ranking is worth it for you go with an unknown(Duke because you have not visited and do not know much about). </p>

<p>OP - we make many decision in life based on what peers think, even though most of us do not want to admit to that. The difference is where we draw the line.</p>

16

<p>Visit Duke if you can because I'm betting it would solidify your strong tendency to favor Tufts. My son chose his college on the basis of fit, not rank and FOR HIM, I think that was best. You'll live for 4 years on a campus with a student body in a town in a region of the country. How that feels to you will depend less on US News rankings than the intangibles you mentioned in your first post. And, of course, Tufts is a very highly regarded school by any measure. Visit Duke, then go to Tufts. JMO. And no way would I recommend that you take on additional debt to go to Duke. NO WAY!</p>

17

<p>It's hard to state specific things because as you said I haven't visited it, but there's very little reason to think I wouldn't love the campus on a visit, I've never actually hated any campus and Duke is known for its beauty.</p>

<p>There are many things that Duke clearly has the edge in. Academics and prestige, as you mentioned, along with school spirit and a big athletics prescence that tufts doesn't have. I'm probably biased towards tufts in this discussion when i shouldnt be because I've visited there and I've met people going there, though those two things should not be deciding factors if I love it at duke and I will in all likelyhood if I attend there. I can easily meet new people and develop an attachment to the area once i visit, but some of the people i've met at tufts are great and I would have to start over, though having only met some of them twice, once, or never, that should be no reason at all to pick tufts over duke.</p>

<p>it's just hard because i already love so much about tufts.</p>

<p>The two biggest issues i think are the north v south weather and culture and the quality of academics for what I want to do.</p>

18

<p>beth - I won't have time to visit Duke before I make this decision, which is very unfortunate. And Duke is giving me a new offer that will most likely come close or pass what tufts is offering.</p>

19

<p>Talk with more Duke students. I think if Duke surpasses Tuft's financial aid offer (or even matches it) then that would be a good option. Tufts is in Medford, not Boston. Close by, yes, but you will likely not go into Boston every single weekend. Durham is fairly close to Chapel Hill, which I believe is relatively liberal. I assume the Duke student body would have a large liberal faction. I know liberal New Englanders who love Duke (I wouldn't be among them, but you said Duke seems ideal in many ways). </p>

<p>I would not go into more debt for Duke, but if their financial aid offer meets or matched Tuft's, I would strongly consider it. I think seeking out Duke students (particularly liberal ones from your area) and asking them would be a good start.</p>

20

<p>That is unfortunate. I have lived in Durham and Chapel Hill and worked at Duke, though this was 30 years ago. Durham was not a great town at that time and I haven't heard anything since to change that opinion. That said, I think neither Durham nor Chapel Hill feel as "Southern" as the rest of the area because the students are from everywhere and many people from "elsewhere" have migrated to this area. If Duke gives you an equal or better financial offer, I would suggest you give some thought to city versus town, climate and course offerings. Others may disagree, but I think it's very hard to judge "fit" without a visit while students are on campus and a visit to a class. I hope soozievt pops in here since she went to Tufts and I did not. You do, at least, know that Tufts feels like a good fit for you. You don't know that about Duke--and believe me, I'm sure Duke is a great school.</p>

<p>This kind of thread is what bothers me about kids staying on wait lists. They've already come to love an RD school and then something else pops up on the radar screen at the last minute. Unsettling.</p>