<p>My top three schools (assuming I even get in).. which would you most and least want to attend?</p>
<p>most- duke, its got prestige and a good rep</p>
<p>least- UNC, - i think</p>
<p>I depends on what you want joewii. Are there financial considerations (are you in-state in NC)? What is your intended field of study? What do you want to do when you graduate from college? Is there an ideal type of setting that you are seeking? etc…</p>
<p>Most: USC, but Duke is really close. I’ve never visited so if I did then that could change my mind.
Least: UNC. I don’t want to go out of state to a public school</p>
<p>Duke>USC>UNC</p>
<p>For the metrics that I think are most important for UNDERGRADUATE study (top student peers, small classes, faculty focused on undergrads, deep institutional resources & willing to spend them for the benefit of undergrads), I think that Duke wins this comparison by a hefty margin. For all but North Carolina residents, I would expect Duke to win these cross-admit battles by a very large margin. For North Carolinians, however, the cost benefit of U North Carolina is great and probably a great spur to equalize this comparison. </p>
<p>The only caveat is that if you plan to live in Southern California post-graduation, then USC might be a better choice due to excellent alumni network. Duke and U North Carolina will also find a surprising degree of support in SoCal, but USC is far broader and deeper.</p>
<p>From a purely academic point of view, Duke is slightly better than UNC and UNC is slightly better than USC. However, in terms of atmoshpere and overall experience, I think UNC has the edge over Duke and Duke over USC.</p>
<p>Which USC? The one in LA or the one in Columbia? Most people are assuming you mean the University of Southern California, but since your in NC you could mean University of South Carolina. So are you aiming to be a Gamecock or a Trojan?</p>
<p>Duke > UNC > USC (either Trojan or Gamecock)</p>
<p>^ for basketball.</p>
<p>For football it’s the reverse.</p>
<p>UCB, for BB, Duke = UNC > USC.</p>
<p>^ Yeah, yeah, yeah…I was looking at this year.</p>
<p>However, my football statement is correct.</p>
<p>For basketball, UNC>Duke
For football, UNC>Duke
For social scene, UNC>Duke
For academic prestige, Duke>UNC
For location: UNC>Duke</p>
<p>Bottom line: UNC is more fun and has better sports teams, but Duke has the academic edge. </p>
<p>Not throwing USC in the mix because I’ve never been and don’t know a whole lot about it. Seems like it could be a fun school, though.</p>
<p>I want to rethink my order now.</p>
<p>Duke>UNC>USC</p>
<p>
I second that order, except I would make it </p>
<p>Duke ≥ UNC > USC</p>
<p>My personal preferences:</p>
<ol>
<li>UNC</li>
<li>USC</li>
<li>Duke</li>
</ol>
<p>ahh hahaha i was expecting there to be a general consensus, but it seems that everyone has a different opinion to offer, which is great! btw, i live in california and i’m referring to university of southern california.</p>
<p>for a good time
UNC = USC > Duke</p>
<p>for academics
Duke > UNC > USC</p>
<p>UNC’s incredibly selective OOS, but much less so in-state. It’s a great school, but you may be surprised to find your peers less motivated than you are as one of only 18% OOS-ers. Of course, I know several people cross admitted to Duke and Carolina who picked Carolina for financial reasons, so you can certainly surround yourself with brilliant kids if you look for them.</p>
<p>
I disagree. UNC compares well against USC. Test score differences of 20-30 points are virtually negligible, particularly since both have over 15,000 undergraduates.</p>
<p>SAT CR
USC 620-710
UNC 590-700</p>
<p>SAT M
USC 650-740
UNC 620-710</p>
<p>ACT
USC 29-32
UNC 26-31</p>
<p>Duke students are, by and large, more driven than their more relaxed Carolina counterparts. I am not entirely sure whether this is a good or bad thing, but generally Duke students are extremely ambitious and career-oriented. The academics at both Duke and Carolina are excellent, however, and both have intelligent students in spades.</p>