<p>Warblersrule86--I'm really curious about the major that Chicago excels in but Duke doesn't offer. How interested are you? That to me might be the deciding factor. </p>
<p>But, if the finances are going to be too burdensome at Chicago, perhaps that is just going to have to be the deciding factor. As OneMom points out, if you excel at Duke, than you would have a good shot at a transfer to Chicago (or elsewhere) in a year or two if you find that Duke just isn't going to get you where you want to go.</p>
<p>My daughter attends the University of Chicago and is very happy there -- can't imagine herself anywhere else. That said, money is an important issue when making college decisions. Personally, unless the major that Duke does not offer is your for-sure passion, I would choose Duke. It's a wonderful school and you are lucky to choose between two such fantastic options. Chicago is great, but there is a lot to be said for graduating with less onerous debt. </p>
<p>In all honesty, last year when my D was applying we told her that she could only attend Chicago if the money was right. Her second-choice school (Emory) offered a full tution scholarship. We told our daughter that we would not pay big dollars for Chicago with the Emory offer on the table. Fortunately, Chicago offered an equal scholarship. I can tell you with certainty, though, that we would not have paid the difference had it not worked out the right way. You are in a similar position, choosing between two excellent institutions. My advice is, go where the money is -- Duke.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the posts, everyone. I've been reading them and thinking it over, and Duke really does seem to be the best choice. My main love is biology, and Duke has an awesome biology program. It really did come through for me on financial aid as well. NELC would have been a second major or a minor, so it wasn't terribly important. For curious people who didn't know about it, here's some info about [url=<a href="http://humanities.uchicago.edu/depts/nelc/%5DNELC%5B/url">http://humanities.uchicago.edu/depts/nelc/]NELC[/url</a>]. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Okay, I was going to guess something like that. Yep, that would be a good Chicago major. Anyway, sounds like you have made your decision and are okay with it. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>Good luck, Warblers. I think you are making a smart, considered decision. And you know how I told you that my D can't imagine herself at any school other than Chicago? I bet she would have said the same thing if she'd been at Emory! Best wishes for a happy college experience.</p>
<p>That's a hard choice, especially as both are such excellent schools. I'm a big fan of Chicago, but if finances are truly an issue, you can't go wrong with Duke. Remember to consider that even if living expenses are the same in both places, you'll have to fly to Chicago, which is a significant expense (add around a 1000 dollars to your tuition each year).</p>