<p>Dawn, is there a question you wish to pose to the group?</p>
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Caltech is not “famously bad” for the humanities, any more than Chicago is “famously bad” for engineering. Its offerings are limited, to be sure, but what it does offer (e.g. economics) is extremely good. </p>
<p>Your comment about Yale is embarrassingly ignorant. Yale is top 10 in biology and math, nearly top 10 (#11) in geology and physics, and top 15 in chemistry…not exactly weak.</p>
<p>Incidentally, your comment about Duke being good at everything applies just as much to Chicago.</p>
<p>Yale is, like hippo2718 said, a well-rounded and excellent school. There’s nothing that indicates that Yale is only strong in one area. On top of that, U of C and Duke are sister schools…nearly everything that U of C has, Duke has. </p>
<p>In another sense, how many schools can boast that they’re “good at everything”? How many schools can tell their students that they will succeed in a world-class environment in whatever major they’d like. On top of world-class academics, Duke has also been known to put forth a very strong pool of medical school applicants. To me, Duke has one of the best science/research programs in the nation, if not that world.</p>
<p>So, you can look at it two ways, Duke can give you a great education whatever you choose to go into and should it be the sciences, you’ll be set (so long as you work diligently). </p>
<p>Duke is unique, because it is good at everything. There’s nothing wrong with being the jack of all trades.</p>
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<p>Define “one of the best.”</p>
<p>[Rankings</a> - Chemistry - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-chemistry-schools/rankings/page+2]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-chemistry-schools/rankings/page+2)</p>
<p>[Rankings</a> - Earth Sciences - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-earth-sciences-schools/rankings/page+2]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-earth-sciences-schools/rankings/page+2)</p>
<p>[Rankings</a> - Physics - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-physics-schools/rankings/page+2]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-physics-schools/rankings/page+2)</p>
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<p>True. Yale is superior to Duke in all of these academic disciplines. Keep in mind that these are some of Yale’s “weaknesses.”</p>
<p>Yale’s “weaknesses” >>> Duke’s “strengths”</p>
<p>Seems like interesting guy has only one interest.</p>
<p>He just doesn’t like Duke =P</p>
<p>Lots of schools have great academics. Whether or not a person goes to Duke or Yale or University of Chicago or University of Wisconsin is not going to make that person successful or unsuccessful. If you look at the recent Forbes list of billionaires many didn’t even finish college, and certainly most didn’t go to Ivy League schools or Duke or Swarthmore, etc. </p>
<p>So pick your college based on where you can get the academics you want and where you want to spend 4 precious years of your life. Having lived in New Haven much of mine, I couldn’t wait to get out. I love the beauty of Duke’s campus and the wonderful weather and the college spirit and seeing people smiling. I like being around so many happy, positive people.</p>
<p>Yale is a fantastic school - no question it’s one of the best in the world- but New Haven is not for everybody. And Duke is not for everybody, and University of Chicago is not everybody, etc.</p>
<p>Once you spend time at these schools you get a better picture of the intangibles that go into making a great college experience. Facing facts, at the undergraduate level you can learn the same amount of econ or whatever at any good school. And there will be tons of smart people at all of them, and you’ll probably make friends at all of them.</p>
<p>hippo2718 , thanks for telling me. to tell the truth I know not so much about schools, I judge them by my impressions only.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Duke University student THE-QS World University Rankings](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQv1L2LS9fs&feature=player_embedded]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQv1L2LS9fs&feature=player_embedded)</p>
<p>She addresses a lot of the reasons kids come here.</p>
<p>Here’s another video by Duke :)</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - This is Duke.](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaW_zLBxL2s&feature=fvw]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaW_zLBxL2s&feature=fvw)</p>
<p>God I love my school hehe.</p>
<p>Why did this thread stop in 2009? I really like this thread. Learned a lot about duke and how you choose your college.</p>