Duke vs Notre Dame

Not a mental question at all. ND and Duke are both targets for IB, its not like youre choosing between IU and Harvard. If you cant get break in with either school, then at that point its on you.

Deleted 

I'm a freshman at Duke and actually made this exact decision. It honestly comes down to risk management, and not just in academics.

Grading: Haven't really seen much grade deflation is here so far. Assuming you would be in Trinity, most balance their Econ courses with humanities or distribution requirements which are on the easier side. Many upperclassmen in Trinity I know looking at finance have a 3.7+, but then again that could be selective bias. Also, I would look into the "the Mendoza Curve" where I believe the Department sets it to where the class average falls between a 3.0-3.4, and I have heard of things being curved down significantly. Also, everyone at Duke is super collaborative which cannot be said with a lot of peer schools.

Weather: Not sure where you are coming from, but the weather at Duke is amazing. I'm from the South so this was a major factor in comparing the two, but you may enjoy the cold (it was snowing on my trip during spring break) so this may not matter.

Socially: This is the biggest difference if you ask me. With ND, you are placed into a residential hall, which could be amazing or rough depending on your luck. There is no Greek Life, so you are stuck with this group for most social interactions. However, most alumni I spoke with loved this, but it's not for everyone. Housing is also single gender and they have parietals in place. At Duke, while they are trying to move to a residential model mirroring Rice/Yale, the fraternity scene dominates whether administration likes it or not. Club sports are also a factor and can drive social outings. We also have Shooters which ND does not. Overall, I would say the social scene leans much heavier toward Duke unless you love the idea of single-gender residence halls and a stricter experience.

Networking: I'd say everywhere you look Duke is an undisputed target. However, ND fluctuates with some calling it a target, some a semi-target, and generally receives more "hate" than Duke. However, the alumni networks of both are amazing, and some even hold ND in such high regard that if you talk with the right person/firm, you might be held in highest regard. In my experience, I've met a ton of upperclassmen with return offers and summer offers to top EBs and BBs and haven't seen as much directly to buy-side. We also had a competition for upperclassmen sponsored by Duke alumni at Centerview Partners where the top finishers got a first round interview.

I'd say unless you have a very compelling reason to choose ND, I would advise picking Duke. In fact, if you want a real college experience, I suggest it wholeheartedly because I do not know any other college on its tier that has the basketball scene, Greek Life, and generally social atmosphere that Duke has. Before the comments, all my friends back home go to SEC schools so of course I know it's not on the same level with social scene, but relatively it dominates peer schools aside from maybe Dartmouth. ND is the riskier pick for sure, but if you are a perfect fit, you would have no problem choosing it.

Feel free to PM me with specific questions. Also you have this under the Business School forum and you’re likely to get more responses if you move it to a specific industry like IB or PE.

Duke.

I'm a senior at Notre Dame right now. I would strongly encourage you to come to Notre Dame. This thread does a great job pointing out all of the great things about going to ND. If you haven't made a decision yet feel free to PM me if you have any questions about anything specific

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/school/why-you-should-consider-no…