<p>Why should I pick Princeton over Duke (objective answers please). I am interested in the sciences, either BME or ChemE. I have been accepted to, but have discounted for various reasons: UGA, Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Naval Academy, West Point</p>
<p>After extensively reviewing both schools, I am looking for a good third party argument.</p>
<p>I will post the opposing argument on Duke's page.</p>
<p>Why should you pick Princeton over Duke?
If you even need to ask this question, just go to Duke</p>
<p>^ haha
pigs, go to PRINCETON! like for sure</p>
<p>Regarding pigs: I don’t understand the comment, internet writing can have many connotations</p>
<p>Is it that I seem to have made a decision and I should go with my gut, or is it that you think Princeton is so highly ranked that Duke should not even come into question?</p>
<p>Please clarify, because my first impression was the latter, and I would not like to assume that you are a snob.</p>
<p>^^^That’s bull%&#…Princeton isn’t for everyone.</p>
<p>Hopefully, someone will give @oneweektodecide some objective and helpful advice.</p>
<p>@oneweektodecide…pigs was being the Princeton snob that you thought.</p>
<p>You might want to opt for some southern hospitality.</p>
<p>^ Or perhaps pigs was being facetious, and you’re just being the stereotypical ignorant Southerner. </p>
<p>Works both ways doesn’t it :)</p>
<p>Let’s go ahead and let the inevitable North v South bickering die down. I am really looking for OBJECTIVE argument, not the generic stereotyping of Northern jackasses and Southern hicks</p>
<p>@oneweektodecide…looks like Jersey is making your decision really easy!</p>
<p>^^^^You sound like a class act…either school would be lucky to have you.</p>
<p>Hopefully, you will get the advice you are seeking.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>I thought the second line of my post made it quite obvious that I was not being serious… </p>
<p>Anyways OP, Princeton is heavily concentrated on providing a quality undergraduate education and is consistently ranked as one of the top schools in terms of undergraduate education quality. Obviously Princeton is extremely prestigious being both part of the Ivy League and the “Big Three” of HYP, and USNWR consistently ranks it as the number one University in the nation (tied with Harvard). Without even considering an area of interest, I think Princeton would be an obvious choice unless Duke is providing significant merit money (Robertson).</p>
<p>If you look at admissions stats, Duke and Princeton admit a very similar range of students and Duke is ranked #2 in BME by USNWR while Princeton is on the recovery for its Chemistry program (though it is opening a brand new facility for graduate study). I feel like Princeton often gets too far of a ride solely based on its name.</p>
<p>Just adding to the argument…</p>
<p>Looking at admissions stats, you can see quite a disparity in admissions rates. A 9.9% acceptance rate at Princeton for the Class of 2012 and a 22.4% acceptance rate for Duke’s same class, and I seriously doubt Duke applicants are more self selective.</p>
<p>However, you’re right in saying that Duke’s BME is ranked higher than Princeton’s, but I think the difference in overall undergraduate education overshadows that gap.</p>
<p>Pigs, you might want to rethink your advice. After all, YOU’RE an engineering major, and you have to remember Princeton classes are curved.</p>
<p>do you have any preference as far as sports are concerned? However questionably they arrived at it, Duke did just clinch their fourth national basketball championship. Depends on what your looking for in your future school, although a great sports life could be a plus for you. good luck with deciding!</p>
<p>^^^Duke’s admission rate for Regular Decision applicants was 13 percent.
[Duke</a> Offers Admission to 3,372](<a href=“http://news.duke.edu/2010/03/admissions2010.html]Duke”>http://news.duke.edu/2010/03/admissions2010.html)</p>
<p>And SAT/ACT are very similar. Duke actually admits more students in the top 10% of their class than Princeton (though the difference is quite small).</p>
<p>This is where I don’t understand the assumption that HYP are so much more prestigious than other school, in fact, that assumption is almost a negative factor for me.</p>
<p>^ That’s RD only as you have already noted. I believe Duke’s overall acceptance this year was around 15%? Princeton’s acceptance rate this year was 8%.</p>
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<p>Well, if everyone assumes that HYP are more prestigious than Duke, they inherently must be (that’s the definition of the word). Diction aside, Princeton is certainly more selective than Duke – not by a lot, however.</p>
<p>You seem to be tending toward Duke (unless you’re just trying to provoke some healthy debate), and if that’s the case, don’t let us persuade you; there are too many individual factors for the decision to be made externally. Do not, though, choose Duke just to make yourself feel as though you weren’t persuaded by prestige. Schools aren’t born with great reputations; they earn them (as Duke and Princeton both have).</p>
<p>In case you care: In your situation, I would go with Princeton.</p>
<p>So, regardless of percentages, the main argument is that I should go to Princeton for the name, not a greater social scene, not better food/sports/housing, not a better program in my field of study? Is it all just name?</p>
<p>I’m so confused!! What do curves and engineering have to do with it?</p>