<p>so i got accepted to uchicago ea and thinking about applying to duke through RD
simply put, is it worthy applying?
which one is better (from your subjective point of view)</p>
<p>Whoa! I can't think of 2 more different colleges. Both are great for different reasons, but atmosphere-wise Duke is much more fratty, preppy, social, and sports are really important to students there. Chicago is the exact opposite in all those areas. Chicago appeals to really serious students who go to college to learn ABOVE ALL ELSE. Chicago is also known for it's grade deflation. You have to work really, really hard to get A's there. But as a result, Chicago is more well thought of in academic circles, and a degree from
Chicago will get you a big nod of recognition from Graduate schools, who LOVE Chicago students.</p>
<p>does everyone agree that chicago is exteremly HARD?? hows the atmosphere among students.. chill? tite? loose? fun?</p>
<p>Put it this way: I would never characterize Chicago as easy and I don't think anybody would. But it's probably different amounts of hard for different people who have different approaches to academics and are taking different classes.</p>
<p>I think I'd have a hard time characterizing the entire school because I've met many different people here, but I'd say that academics are very, very, very important for a very, very, very large section of the student body. That's what tends to unite students here. At the same time, though, different people have different ways of expressing how academics are important to them. Some people are going to spend a lot of time in the library. Some people are not.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say "hard"; I would say "fair". The grades you get are grades you deserve, not grades that get inflated. One thing I like about Chicago is that there is no social mold people have to fit. You can be a jock, a nerd, a hipster, a hippie, whatever without feeling pressure to be something else. This stems from the various social activities people partake in; there is not just one social scene! </p>
<p>That said, if you see yourself wanting a TRADITIONAL college experience (frats, sports rah-rah) then by all means, apply to Duke. It's a good school that would definitely provide an centralized social scene with a big fraternity and sports presence.</p>