So I have 2 days left to decide between Duke or Amherst. I think they are on equal footing academically, but Duke probably has a better social life. Can anyone comment on the social life at Duke v. Amherst?
Also which school places better into finance? Duke definitely sends more people to wall street but on a per capita basis I think Amherst blows Duke out of the water. Thoughts?
| +162 | The "Not So Obvious" things that get you a return offer? | 19 | 34m | |
| +90 | Is my life over after not getting GS? | 20 | 1h | |
| +61 | Best IB group on the Street | 26 | 5m | |
| +52 | BIG FOUR ARE PARADISE | 13 | 11h | |
| +46 | Thoughts and tips on how to speak like an investment banker. | 24 | 1h | |
| +41 | Tell me one good reason why Jefferies isn’t going to be a top bank in the next 5 years | 22 | 1h | |
| +36 | UBS Outlook | 28 | 22h | |
| +35 | Georgetown Placement for 2024 and 2025 | 21 | 6d | |
| +31 | Highest Paid Bankers in Toronto? | 50 | 1d | |
| +30 | How to deal with egotistical team? | 6 | 2d |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
I think my username says it all. Feel free to PM me.
social life at Amherst is....well...lacking. Duke in a landslide
i would tend to agree- similar academic standing, and both will get you into IB no problem so long as you grind however, duke seems more fun by a mile amherst isn't exactly popping, though you have the consortium
Dook.
Terrible advice all around with everyone focusing way too much on the social aspect.
It really depends on what sort of environment you want to be in. Everyone touts the social / Greek life / sports at Duke, but a) that's not a good fit for all students, and b) my impression is at a place like Duke, being Greek or an athlete probably plays a huge role in your getting BB internships.
Figure out which category you belong to and whether you'd thrive more in a fratty place like Duke or a more intellectually rigorous place like Amherst. You'll find a BB job either way.
I have seen way more Duke alumni on the street than Amherst. although both are well represented
Duke has about 6,500 undergrads and Amherst has about 1,800.
I went to Amherst and am pretty unfamiliar with Duke. In terms of finance, if you do well at either place you'll have no problems. That said, I think Amherst is a tier above Duke on the academic front (obviously biased). I never found the social scene lacking, although the women weren't as attractive as I would have liked and I'm sure Duke kills Amherst on that front. I went out most weekends and always had fun. I'm not sure that a bigger school would have made the parties any better. Drinking can only be so fun.
Also, Amherst has a great alumni network. That's something you probably won't appreciate now but, boy, can it pay dividends. Duke's is obviously be a lot bigger but I don't know if the alumni look out for each other as much.
I'm happy to answer other questions about Amherst.
The truth is that you will have more fun at Duke. Division 1 sports brings the campus together, whereas at NESCAC schools--sports generally divide the campus. Because they're small schools, it seems like there are a lot of athletes. Also, half the athletes at NESCACs are normal people, and the other half think their mere presence is a gift to the world and can't get their heads out of their asses. In short, you can have fun at both schools, but it's easier to have fun at Duke and the ceiling for fun is higher.
With regards to sending kids to finance. I have seen so many Amherst/Williams people on the street for such small schools, and I have heard many go back to campus to speak/recruit. Not every BB recruits at Amherst, but it's not difficult to get an interview with Amherst on your resume + a good GPA. I would argue it might be easier to land interviews since there are less kids gunning for those positions from LACs than Duke.
To sum it up, you will probably have more fun at Duke. However, I think Williams/Amherst are regarded as more elite institutions than Duke. You will have great recruiting opportunities at both schools, but Amherst may have a slight edge. Can't go wrong here
Fuck Duke. That's my contribution to this thread.
NESCAC speaks truth about sports and social life at Amherst. The sports teams act as the frats since there aren't any except for 2-3 underground/off-campus ones that play almost no role in social life.
Is the attractiveness of girls at Duke really that much better than Amherst?? With a sub 10% acceptance rate now, it seems like Duke is following in the footsteps of schools like UChi and the top ivies, which are seriously lacking in student body attractiveness.. Not trying to get into an argument about the correlation of attractiveness vs. intelligence, but the type of people who get into a school like Duke and Uchi these days are the valedictorians with a 2300+, and how many of these types are actually attractive/ exceptionally socially competent? What i've noticed at these types of schools is that the few attractive people are almost always legacies/athletes. Amherst on the other hand is 40% varsity athletes and has the consortium of Smith and Mount Holyoke (all girls schools) who come to amherst to party, so I feel like that would balance it out. Thoughts?
Yes.
40% seems like a stretch, but nonetheless it's still a high percentage. Smith girls and moho's do go to Amherst to party, but I wouldn't call it a substitute--it's something though. Just because there are 2 adjacent all girl's schools doesn't mean you will be knee deep in pussy every weekend. You can have fun at both schools, but it'll be a different experience. Amherst is a safer bet if you think you're a little less outgoing because LACs do such a good job at fostering a sense of community.
freshman at amherst-- from talking to my friends at other schools like duke, columbia, stanford, berkeley, etc....so glad i went here
pm me
I never ran into that many Smithies or MoHos. The other schools have a negligible impact on the social scene. Or maybe I just never got out that much...
Qui qui nostrum pariatur architecto est velit. Deserunt facere perspiciatis quos corrupti dolorum.
Ut saepe voluptatem qui. Voluptatem illum quia impedit nihil dolore necessitatibus alias. Et nemo doloribus sed et pariatur. Quo et suscipit tenetur aspernatur.
Quia et a enim officiis ipsa dolore molestiae. Est voluptatem ut est. Eveniet deleniti sunt optio corporis velit architecto sunt. Veniam reiciendis fuga minima voluptas illum dignissimos.
Incidunt perspiciatis fugit incidunt possimus doloremque qui doloremque. Quo eius repudiandae et quo nesciunt nam id voluptatem.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...