<p>Definately not against partying! Just don't like the whole drinking for the sake of drinking sort of partying that often goes on around here is all!</p>
<p>And yeah, I know about UVA and Duke's basketball teams this season.. and I'd DEFINATELY have more fun at a UVA football game, that's for sure.</p>
<p>Cav, you've got 2 #5's ;) And I am visiting both in the next two weeks for sure. Also, UVA artsy? I actually haven't heard that before hazelorb, so it'd be awesome if you could comment on it! I'm not thinking I'll get a better education at duke... its just a peer group thing - though judging by the guys in my lab and everybody in my family who went to UVA, UVA is full if bright and forward-thinking people!</p>
<p>How are the class sizes at UVA in the sciences though?</p>
<p>UVA is definitely not artsy, although if you live with people in Brown College (a residential college dorm here) it's a different story. Brownies are generalized as weird (not true) and artsy people. Anyway, UVA's football game is characterized by tradition and school spirit. You see people drinking, and guys in ties and girls in pearls. Now, that's something you have to consider when assessing the 'fun' factor of UVA football games. Forward thinking? Perhaps, but students here are not as progressive as peer instituations, sadly enough. After all, UVA is sort of located in the south.</p>
<p>I said Duke seemed more artsy than UVA. I am used to the normal jeans+tshirt/sundress type attire people wear here, and when i went to duke they were wearing all these weird clothes and i was like uh.... i am glad i do not go here lol. i dunno if it was for a theme party (though, it was during the day) or a sports team/dorm theme, or whatever, but those crazily dressed duke people would be stared at here lol.</p>
<p>Haha. So so far, I realize that Cville > Durham. I guess I just need to visit and see where I feel better. Obviously academics are great at both... just making it harder for me, hahaa. I dunno if I could get research opportunities at duke like at UVA... is Charlottesville pretty isolated? Other cities nearby?</p>
<p>Well depends what you mean by isolated. Richmond's an hour down the road and Washington's two hours away. I live in Fairfax County which is near DC, and travel to Richmond frequently for personal reasons. Neither drive is very long, and both are pretty enjoyable. Much closer to major cities than Durham is. But I don't think students here who don't live near either place frequent (or for that matter ever go to) either city.</p>
<p>While I am most likely in the minority, I do visit DC a few times a semester. My best friend from college was 2 years older than me, and when he graduated he got a job in DC. I visit him probably twice a semester. I'm sure its the same for people who have close friends in Richmond/Washington.</p>
<p>If you're a current premed - any year - I'd love it if you could help me out with a few questions/concerns either over PM or here.</p>
<p>How's the premed advising? Is it hard to get personal attention with a large student body? (larger than privates) How accessible is the medschool/medical/clinical internships as an undergrad? Are professors typically friendly and helpful, approachable people? </p>
<p>Are premeds typically restrained from taking many fun/interesting classes due to premed track requirements/major requirements? Do they tend to help each other or is it more competitive? Like... the student body has to be warm/friendly (not like some premed feeder schools...) and I was wondering if the premeds at UVA are like that.</p>
<p>Of course, if it makes any difference I do have the echols/CSS programs.</p>
<p>wow, there are some pretty awful descriptions of the Duke social scene.</p>
<p>Duke is very preppy and not very Southern, where as UVA is VERY preppy and Southern. I have never, not once, heard Duke called artsy. I would say there are maybe 1 in 30 people here who are artsy. Duke is a very big jock/academic school. I don't mean that the students are bricks, just that Duke students, for the most part, love sports. Btw, Duke soccer had a much better season than UVA this year, and this has been the case the last few years. </p>
<p>Duke has great parties, awesome tailgates, and a good club scene. I haven't played beer pong since the first day of school, and I haven't sat on a single bench all year. (whoever made those statements must not have made it past the bus stop on West Campus). There are not a huge number of options if you don't like drinking or sports, but you can find ways to be creative. Chapel Hill has lots of opportunities, but Durham is in fact pretty dull. The frat scene is pretty big here and the social scene really revolves around Greek life. Frats/Sororities are pretty much the only ones that host parties. </p>
<p>If you don't drink, I'm sure you can find your niche. I have many friends who don't drink, but they often hang out or have to be creative if they aren't going out. Durham has options, but they are tough to find and hidden. </p>
<p>In all reality, Duke and UVA are more similiar than they are different. It's just that, as Duke students, we are smarter ;)</p>
<p>I have a close friend at Duke doing Pre-med and she said the advising there is awesome. Duke's hospital is on campus (like UVa) and she said there's always opportunities for research/volunteer/clinical stuff, and she said some professors give extra credit for those things. I get the impression her classes are small and professors are always willing to help, as are other students. As for classes, she's spending her time balancing her pre-med classes and other classes, all of which she likes. She loves Duke life, and the social life is pretty broad.
I personall love UVa, but she loves Duke more than any UVA friend can tell me, sooo. I would visit both campuses and go from there =)</p>
<p>"I get the impression her classes are small and professors are always willing to help, as are other students." That's not to say that UVA is the opposite, right?</p>
<p>Duke is better than every school in the South, period. Vandy, UVA, UNC, Wake, W&M, Davidson, Emory, Washington and Lee, Rice, Richmond, and Georgia Tech are no match for them in terms of undergrad bodies at least.</p>
<p>fengshuibundi: i was just trying to put in an opinion about Duke =P Both schools are almost exactly the same in undergrad education and have lots and pros and cons to them. The undegrad experience might be very similar as well. The OP's decision should be based on personal feeling/appeal to each school, IMO.</p>