<p>Probably for economics/applied math (eventually leading to some finance/business), each has pros/cons. I tend to like city life, but then again i hear dartmouths fun as well. MMSS makes me feel special, but im not sure how good/recognized it actually is (especially on east coast where i will/am living). Chicago, has reputation as a "no fun" hardcore academic school, not sure if i want that, and duke is ok, but nothing stands out. Plus, in terms of location its nowhere like dartmouth and i dont relaly like south. But, there's the whole D1 sports spirit thing going on.</p>
<p>Duke or Dartmouth should be your top choices IMHO if you want to work in New York City in finance. Go to Northwestern MMSS if you want to work in Chicago post-graduation. Take Chicago out of the picture completely since it’s recruiting prowess in finance is inferior to your top three choices.</p>
<p>Between Duke and Dartmouth…</p>
<p>BUSINESS PRESTIGE
Duke=Dartmouth</p>
<p>ACADEMIC PRESTIGE
Duke>>Dartmouth</p>
<p>LAYMAN PRESTIGE
Duke>>>>>Dartmouth</p>
<p>UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Dartmouth>Duke(more professors dedicated to teaching and mentoring undergrads)</p>
<p>CONNECTIONS TO FINANCE
Duke=Dartmouth</p>
<p>QUALITY OF LIFE
Duke>=Dartmouth(weather)</p>
<p>SCHOOL SPIRIT
Duke>Dartmouth(domination in D1 basketball and lax)</p>
<p>ALUMNI NETWORK
Dartmouth>=Duke(smaller school so perhaps more tightly-knit alumni network)</p>
<p>LOCATION
Dartmouth>=Duke(Hanover is beautiful IMO but Durham provides the modified city experience you are looking for)</p>
<p>FUN AND GREEK LIFE
Duke=Dartmouth</p>
<p>You can’t find two more evenly matched schools in the country. Do you like the warmth or the cold? Going to the beach and playing golf or hiking and skiing? Do you want to watch the nation’s best basketball program play in person during the spring or spend the spring semester doing something professional with the D-Plan?</p>
<p>Good luck with this tough, tough decision. Make sure you visit both schools!!!</p>
<p>My advice is to go to admitted students days at Dartmouth and Duke. Northwestern MMSS is a great alternative and a great program, but personally I would choose one of the first two. Personally, between both of these I would choose Dartmouth but I’m clearly biased. My argument is that the community elements and focus on undergrad at Dartmouth (in terms of study abroad programs, thesis research grants, intimate classes, access to office hours) plus the amazing recruiting because of the D-plan gives it the edge. But both are amazing schools, I just think Dartmouth is a more “special” experience.</p>
<p>^ Yes, Dartmouth must be a real “special” place when Hank Paulson, a Dartmouth English major (who happens to have horrible oratory skills), can go on to lead Goldman Sachs and the US Treasury.</p>
<p>For “mathematical methods in the social sciences”, the University of Chicago would have to be considered one of the very top schools in the country. We do not have reliable rankings for related undergraduate programs, but examine the USNWR (or NRC) rankings in social sciences and math to see how many of Chicago’s programs are among the tops in each field. Its famous econ department is tied for 1st overall (and 4th for econometrics behind Yale, MIT and Harvard.) Its Business School is #2 behind Wharton for Finance, 4th in Accounting, 7th in Marketing. Its Math department ranks 6th (behind Princeton at #1, then Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, and MIT tied at #2). In addition, Chicago is affiliated with the National Opinion Research Center, one of the country’s premier centers of social science research. It has one of the best student:faculty ratios of any school as well as a very strong focus on undergraduate education.</p>
<p>Now, if you think you would not like the atmosphere, that’s a perfectly good reason not to go there. These are 4 excellent schools so it is very reasonable to choose based on location or other personal preference. However, unless you have your heart set on working for a specific investment bank, and you know for a fact that it has blackballed Chicago graduates, I think it’s a little misleading to suggest that some deficiency in Chicago’s recruiting prowess in finance is a good reason to take it off the table. </p>
<p>Chicago’s Booth School of Business reports that a very significant percentage of its recent graduates were hired into financial services sectors, including iBanking. There must be some campus recruiting going on to support this level of hiring.</p>
<p>Yeah tk but at the undergrad level Chicago for some reason just isn’t up there. Through my own anecdotal experience in NY and in business (also as an MBA working in NY) and through most recruiting evidence Chicago just doesn’t do as well as Dartmouth and Duke. Northwestern is also a cut above in my experience.</p>
<p>“Take Chicago out of the picture completely since it’s recruiting prowess in finance is inferior to your top three choices.”</p>
<p>The Chicago presence on Wall Street will be smaller in part because of the skew in interest among its graduates. Lots more Chicago kids will head towards PhD programs. The correlate at Northwestern are preprofessional programs in Journalism, Music, Education, Theater, and Engineering - graduates of which, not surprisingly, choose careers in finance in relatively small numbers. Dartmouth will likely see the largest percentage of a graduating class (of the OPs 4 choices) seek employment at the southern tip of NY. But that doesn’t mean that graduating bedecked in green makes one any more likely to land a Gold(man) position than if oozing crimson, purple or blue blood.</p>
<p>All four schools will offer great opportunities to pursue a finance career and will also all offer a superlative undergraduate general education. I’m highly skeptical that any one school will open more doors for any given individual. But all have different tenors-locations-student bodies, probably Chicago most notably. Chicago’s core is also not a minor issue in decision making. I’d suggest you go where you feel you’d be most at home and most enjoy these next four years.</p>
<p>The reality is that schools do have different levels of access. Chicago does well but Dartmouth is almost at Harvard level. Its been that way for some time. And its not as if all Dartmouth grads are future finance people, Dartmouth also sends the highest percent of its grads to the peace corps of any school.</p>
<p>You cannot go wrong here. Where it matters, those four universities are equally highly regarded in both professional and academic circles. If one (or two) of those schools places more students into a particular industry or graduate program, it is entirely due to the fact that more students from that university seek such opportunities. In the eyes of recruiters and admissions officers, those schools are identical.</p>
<p>As such, I would go for fit. Dartmouth is rural, Chicago is urban, Duke and Northwestern are suburban. Dartmouth, Duke and Northwestern have pretty active social scenes with a large greek system. Chicago is more mellow. Academically, Chicago’s Econ program is extremely intense. Northwestern is also quite intense. Dartmouth and Duke are more flexible. </p>
<p>If cost is not an issue, go for fit. Either way, you cannot lose.</p>
<p>I think Alexandre’s post makes the most sense here. I would by no means take Chicago out of the picture, that notion is a bit ridiculous. My person choice would in fact be Chicago based on my own environmental preferences (all finances being equal of course). That said, I think it’s about where you feel most comfortable. I would certainly visit if you can. My order: Chicago, Dartmouth, Northwestern, Duke.</p>
<ol>
<li>for “econ/applied math”, MMSS fits the bill the most. It seems to be exactly what you look for and there’s no other program quite like it. Alexandre mentions “fits” and I honestly think it gives you the best “fit” academically.<br></li>
<li>MMSS automatically fulfills the pre-reqs for Kellogg certificate; you’d literally have one foot in the door for that program. I think having MMSS on the resume would make you stand out and having both would make you stand out even more. Unlike other NU undergrads, Kellogg cert students have their own career advising through Kellogg.</li>
</ol>
<p>^ I don’t doubt that. But the premise behind the program is that “most traditional undergraduate programs in the social sciences do not incorporate mathematical approaches in an organized and consistent manner”. I’m not sure this premise necessarily applies to Chicago. Depends on your major and focus I suppose.</p>