Duke University

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Duke at a Glance

Location:
Durham, NC
Setting:
Mid-sized city
Control:
Private Non-Profit
In-State Tuition:
$38,741
Out-of-State Tuition:
$38,741
Room & Board:
$11,622
Full-Time Undergrads:
6,550
Part-Time Undergrads:
28
More statistics . . .
School Website:
www.duke.edu
Admissions Website:
www.admissions.duke.edu
Financial Aid Website:
www.finaid.duke.edu
Application Deadline:
January 2
Acceptance Rate:
19 %
Admission Difficulty:
Very Hard
Average SAT Scores:
2000–2290
Average ACT Scores:
30–34

Best Things

  • Cameron Crazies! (college basketball)
  • Caring professors
  • Duke Chapel
  • "Gothic Wonderland" (aka the beautiful campus)
  • More best things . . .

Worst Things

  • Catching the bus
  • Greek life with high school-style cliques
  • Some bitter kids who didn't get into Harvard
  • Loafers and pink shorts
  • More worst things . . .

Most Popular Majors

  • Social Sciences & Liberal Arts
  • Business
  • Business Management
  • Business Administration and Management
  • More majors . . .

Overall ExperienceWhat's This?

Duke students are generally very happy with their experience, but it’s not impossible to find students who imagine they’d be happier somewhere else. Great academics, a vibrant social life, and the beauty of campus make this school an easy choice for many. However, a lot of students are peeved by the top-down social programming they see coming from Duke’s administration to counter the fraternity- and sorority-dominated student programming. Students and the administration are still trying to find the right balance of power and a unified direction, but the friendships students have forged with peers and professors easily make up for whatever shortcomings they might perceive.

Duke is one of the top academic schools in the country, but that’s not its only hook. You’ll never see Harvard’s basketball team in the Final Four, or Yale students camping out for weeks to get sports tickets. Obviously, basketball shouldn’t be your major concern in choosing a college, but it is often used as an example because it typifies the difference between Duke and so many other top universities. There’s an emphasis on friends and fun here, and it’s important to consider these aspects as well as academics when you’re choosing a school. Remember, you’re choosing the place you’ll spend the next four years of your life, not just the name that shows up on your degree at the end.

Duke Student Reviews

Overall Experience at Duke University

cmorr1185

Physical Therapy '08

5.0
A+

Go to Duke!

Duke is great, fabulous school where the student study hard and play hard. I was a varsity athlete, club sports athlete, Cameron Crazy (camped out in K ville), dissected very cool animals for research, took a class in a cadaver lab, hung out in the sun and played Frisbee for hours, was in a sorority. I would go to Duke again if I had the chance!

Mar 20, 2012

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Overall Experience at Duke University

katieshp19

Neuroscience '15

5.0
A+

Fantastic

Wonderful student, dedicated professors, comfortable environment. I feel at home.

Jan 13, 2012

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Overall Experience at Duke University

gibberellingirl

Electrical and Electronics Engineering '12

3.8
B+

I Like It Here. Most of the Time.

I love Duke for a few reasons. I feel like my professors are immensely helpful and they really do care about what they are teaching, which is what I am here for first and foremost. I don't like that Duke is in such a small city with little to do. Since I don't have a car, I often feel isolated.

The other draw of Duke is the people--I really like my friends. They are not crazily ambitious or oppressively competitive, but there are some people here who make themselves stressed and busy just for the sake of being busy.

Aug 21, 2010

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