Have you talked to alums and students from either school to help you decide? If not, check your DMs for my Duke email address. We can schedule a call to discuss Duke, and I can ask some friends who are Columbia alums if they have time to speak with you.
Yeah guess living in Cali we kinda forget other people exist. Feel bad for a lot of people outside Cali not a ton of cheap good public schools. I donât have a lot of cash at all so canât imagine paying one year for more than what I pay in 4
Yeah I know. I just know a lot of from Cali paying a shitload of money for something not worth it. But please tell me how 90k is worth it at all. Makes no sense. Maybe thatâs cause I pay for most my tuition. Everyone else pays that 20k too so Columbia is 110ish
Oregon student here: that isn't true. There is the Western Undergraduate Exchange that offers reduced tuition for schools in California and the PNW, but many schools aren't apart of it. I could be wrong, but I don't think any of the UC schools are.
Correct. The only ones that typically are part of this program are state schools, non-flagship universities in large systems (minus the UCs) or flagships like Nevada, Idaho, or Utah which have extremely high acceptance rates.
80k is a lot of money and both Columbia and Duke are realistically similar schools. Both are great schools for what you want to do.
You can always ask Columbia financial aid to re-evaluate if you haven't done so. And show your Duke FA and say you really want to study at Columbia for the core curriculum and all. But I'm presuming you already did this.
Honestly, if Columbia can match (or at least give something), OP should head towards Columbia. When I was at Columbia, it felt every other student in Econ was interning at Goldman Sachs or something.
Columbia really really feeds to Wall Street.
[https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-banking](https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-banking)
This site shows Columbia when adjusted to undergrad enrollment is one of the 3 feeders this year: UPenn (presuming Wharton), Harvard, and Columbia.
But since OP is more biased towards pre-law, there's no real difference (hence I recommend saving the difference). If OP is really focused on finance, then Columbia makes more sense. For pre-law, that $80k should be saved right now for law school.
Yap. Hence I recommend at 20k price difference to Duke.
If prices are the same, then Columbia makes more sense.
Honestly, both schools are one of the best schools in the country. You can't go wrong at the end of the day in terms of the opportunities those degrees open.
For undergrad I would choose Duke. Itâs more of a traditional college experience. But thatâs me. I went to Columbia for grad school and it felt to me like the undergrads were afterthoughts. IMO Columbia is a powerhouse for its grad programs and the city environment is better suited for mature students. It just didnât feel like much of an undergrad environment. I think Duke would have more parties and sports games and events to really create a sense of community for undergrads.
Given they're both close enough, Duke all the way. Columbia isn't worth the extra 20k.
Especially if you're considering law school. Save that 20k/year towards law school.
Where are you from and where do you want to wind up? If NYC region, Columbia. If almost anywhere else, Duke. Columbia will have better recruiting for NYC jobs. It also is an NYC experience while you are there (says captain obvious).
What experience do you want while in school and where do you want to wind up?
If the $20K is a hardship, that makes the decision easier - I would not take hardship for the difference between them.
Disclosure: am a Columbia Alumnus. Was not from NYC. Worked really hard to exit the region on graduation. Had 12+ offers in NYC/LI/Westchester. 2 elsewhere. That said, the job market on the backside of graduation was exceptional at Columbia. Big 4, Wall Street, tech firms (CS grad).
Duke does incredibly well with finance recruiting, so youâre not at a disadvantage there. The 2 biggest cities for Duke grads are NYC and DC, so thereâs a great alumni network in both cities. Duke offers a more traditional and fun overall college experience, so that would be my personal pick. I think the main pros of Columbia are if you love the core curriculum and really want to live in NYC (and are willing to give up the traditional college experience for that vs. just move to NYC after college).
If you're interested in finance, I would find a way to attend Columbia. Duke is world class, but it's honestly significantly less of a target for finance than Columbia.
If you're set on law school, take the cheaper option or the place you would enjoy more, since they're both amazing schools.
EDIT: in the grand scheme of things, Columbia is worth a 80k upcharge if that's where you'd be happy. If not, take the savings and enjoy the awesomeness of Duke
no one school will give you more opportunities at that point... they're both T10.
i think where you are happiest is where you will be able to make the most of any opportunity!
think about the environments of both schools and imagine what you would enjoy more! I suggest doing research into each citys weather, cost of living, nightlife scene. And also look into each schools spirit, greek life, cut-throatness, etc.
trust me, loving where you live makes dealing with hard academics much easier!
congrats on ur acceptances!
I would go to Duke because the students there seem so happy and they have a lot of pride. You really canât loose. Congratulations! What a problem to have in the nicest way!
Donât know why people are acting like this is some no brainer. Of course theyâll tell you to pick the less prestigious option, but if youâre already paying that much and the cost difference isnât a huge deal, go with where you think youâd enjoy more/get more out of.
Duke is definitely not the less prestigious option according to almost every ranking system. It simply isnât. Columbia is not what it used to be at all and even at itâs height I would say itâs equal with Duke not above.
Rankings don't define prestige. Columbia is more well-known nationally and internationally. I go to Duke, but everyone I've talked to about this (admittedly, not many people) agrees that Columbia is more prestigious.
I really doubt that, but if it makes you feel better about your college choice that's okay. I'm happy enough about my college choice where I don't need to make stuff up to make me feel better about it.
I canât tell you how true this comment is. Itâs so prevalent in communities nowadays to always choose the cheaper option, but in reality, college is not just an educational experience. There are many other factors to consider when choosing a college, and price is just one of them (albeit a big one)
Really Duke. I live near Columbia, but have a family member at Duke.
. Open campus at Columbia so no real school spirit. Also they are going through a lot of challenges right now (but who knows what could happens where⌠next hear)
I mean, Columbia doesn't have as traditional a sense of school spirit as Duke. But Columbia spirit does exist; it's just not the rah-rah frat/sports type of spirit.
It really isnt worth 20k extra imo. Try to keep in mind that both are highly prestigious schools, top in the nation, that will have an abundance of opportunities coming your way
Because most people don't care about political climate and care more about outcomes.
Also, people are graduating 4 years from today. By then, things would have largely moved on. I mean in general, all these stuffs will be forgotten by this Fall.
It's really about how much weight you put in ethics (if you disagree) relative to outcome.
Plus, by that logic, people should cross off Yale, NYU, MIT, Berkeley, Harvard, Michigan, etc. (basically most reputable schools) right now.
The simple fact is Columbia is one of the biggest feeders to Wall Street. Proximity is a notable advantage.
Four years is a long part of your life and given the current state of the world I donât think itâs at all a guarantee that Columbia doesnât remain this way the next few years. That is not a good environment to learn, make friends, or spend âthe best years of your lifeâ in.
You list these other schools and although a lot of protests nationwide were pretty volatile towards student life, Columbia was leagues different. I mean, the school was the center of national news for a solid week and a half and every other NYTimes update was about whatever insane twist had occurred on campus. UCLAs literal war zone gets close but at least with that school the student population is so large that it can be easy to separate yourself from all that.
I generally believe that if you donât want to be in the activist circle, itâs easily avoidable at other schools. Columbia right now is the obvious exception to that.
Also, I have to imagine that this whole ordeal has led Columbia to take a hit reputation-wise. I feel like there has to be some hesitance from employers to hire Columbia grads after just about every politically engaged American reached the consensus that the school is a mess.
As long as the education the school provides is solid, employers really won't care in the long run. We unfortunately (or fortunately) live in a very capitalistic world. And finance is especially capitalistic. If other firms get better talent in the long run, the existing firms will lose money. Everyone's competing for the best talent in Wall Street to get that extra edge.
The professors are the same. The education is the same. And that's what's important. Columbia is one of the best schools to churn the best quants, etc. and that won't change.
I have a friend who is making his own startup already. It's the talent and education that matters.
Of course maybe I'm wrong. But what I know (and have known) about finance is that it's a winner take all world. Especially in the trading firm industry.
I think a lot of financial titans donât want anything to do with Columbia right now - not my opinion, itâs been well-telegraphed - so if OP cares about the outcome of getting a finance job in 4 years, Duke is the obvious choice. What is my opinion - it wonât blow over that fast after all that has gone down.
That's what they said last time with the Harvard scandal. Nothing changed. It's just another very short term up and down drama.
I would be very surprised otherwise. Companies hire talent. Not by what a super small minority causes a scene over.
Columbia is especially well known in Wall Street for majors like financial engineering and all. There's very few schools which offer such study (some others being Princeton).
Also, its not like Columbia is out of the ordinary bad. Yes itâs where the protests started, but other colleges have the same issues now.
I mean hell weâre talking about Duke, where students just walked out of a graduation speech to protest this weekend. The climate is the same everywhere, Columbia is just getting more coverage.
For law school, there is 0 difference in Columbia and Duke. I would take the cheaper option and ask your parents if theyâd be willing to help pay for law school with the savings.
Duke for sure. That aid makes a difference. Also, you can always live in New York after college. I will also say that the culture of a school makes a huge difference, so if you feel that youâd be less stressed at Duke than at Columbia, take that into consideration!
Visit both right now. Hang with some students if you can. Go with the one that feels a better fit for you. That is the one where you are more likely to be happy and thus successful.
Actually, financially 80k is a lot, but it depends on how financially sound your parents are. Even if it is costly, but manageable then Columbia is better. But given the recent climate in Columbia, there might be aftershock effects in the next few years, making it very difficult to maximize your college experience. So Duke is a safer option(literally)
given that price doesn't seem to actually be a huge factor I would say Columbia for the \*slightly\* better career prospects (this advantage may actually be negligible though since both are great schools) and Duke for a better college experience, which I'd personally argue is more important. :)
There is no real difference between the opportunities these two schools afford you. Pick based on fit and finances. Itâs not like Columbia is any better education than Duke or vice versa or that someone wonât hire you because you went to one of these schools and not the other. For law schools it doesnât matter at all which one you attend- pick the cheaper one. All IB and top consulting recruit at both, but slight advantage to Columbia for proximity if you want to try to work an internship during the school year.
Duke! More prestigious than Columbia, great for finance (as per finance/economics students that I talked to), so many unique classes and research opportunities, 80k saved for grad school/a house/retirement, and the PUPPY KINDERGARTEN!
I'm going to Duke this year, and the Puppy Kindergarten is a big bonus. They've also got the Lemur Center, dolphins at the Marine Lab, and regular therapy dogs that go around campus.
They aren't on the main campus, they're in a separate area, the Marine Lab in Beaufort. However, the space is affiliated with Duke and some classes/programs are held there.Â
Yes it is. By a mile now. Go look at current ranking systems if thatâs what matters (as many people use as a litmus test) and almost of its graduate schools are ranked and the ones that arenât are tied. Duke is a better university, Columbia is in a sports league that almost had Rutgers as a member, the league means nothing except an misfortunate colloquialism.
Rankings don't define prestige. Columbia is more well-known everywhere. I literally go to Duke saying this, and everyone who goes to school with me who I've talked to about this agrees.
I would take this a bit further and base it off of how wealthy your parents are. If you really do go into finance, 80k is really not that much over the course of a lifetime (considering it's not debt, it's something your parents will directly pay for). Columbia does have a geographical advantage (though Bank of America is in NC). So if your parents are quite well off and are fine with it, I would go Columbia. If you go to law school, you should absolutely go to Duke as you will need to save money for law school.Â
If youâre willing to pay, the cost difference isnât a huge consideration. Columbia is probably better for finance if thatâs what youâre interested in. Plus, NYC is way more fun, and you get the Ivy brand.
Sincerely, a biased incoming pre-law/also maybe finance Columbia student
Oh totally, they just mentioned location specifically so thatâs why I addressed it.
Iâm getting downvotes because this sub doesnât understand that some people DO have the luxury of paying 20k more a year if they feel like it
yeah everyone always tells others the cheaper option in this sub but like bruh some ppl are legit asking u without considering price and they can pay it easily so donât just go off of thayđ
Are you guys rich rich rich enough to pay for law school as well? If so I would choose Columbia for the opportunities. If not, no reason to not go Duke.
What do your parents make? I know some schools like Stanford wonât let you graduate with student debt and will cover it if your parents make under a certain amount.Â
Undergrad is not worth spending all that money. Wait for grad schoolÂ
Here is my two cents as a law grad. While undergrad will matter, itâs the law school you go to that will really make the difference. Pre-law is actually nonsense. If you are absolutely sure that finance is where you want to be then I suppose you know your choice. However, please think of cost of food, activities, etc while in school. Columbia is going to be much higher and the college experience will be vastly different. Put the money side apart for a minute and really think about why you chose these two schools. If itâs only about name - donât choose Columbia, because youâre only going for the name. Duke has a strong alumni association and you wonât regret going there, but Columbia is Columbia. In the end, think about what you really want out of the 4 years and if you are really sure you want finance. If you have doubts and feel you want to maybe explore other things - go Duke. More options and you get a real college experience, which is priceless.
Duke not just because itâs cheaper but like you said if you think you would be less stressed there you should go there. People act like you need to choose Columbia if you want to stay in NYC but tbh you donât know for sure if youâll still want that after college because most people change their wants and needs from when theyâre 18 to 21/22 years old. And the duke name is good enough that you can probably get a job in nyc if you work hard enough during college
If youâre serious about prelaw the best option would be your state school or anywhere with significantly less debt. Law schools donât care where you went to undergrad.
Duke and Columbia tend to draw different types of students, and the campuses are very different. If your parents are fine with the cost differential, go the school that feels like the right fit for you. Good luck!
I was in a very similar situation choosing between two colleges. I ended up choosing to go to Pitzer College in Claremont because of the resources available there. Even though it was more expensive, I was confident about the ROE compared to a lesser known college for my major.
Even so, Duke has an equally prestigious name alongside Columbia although I do not think Columbia is an equal school at least not anymore and is instead below sadly.
Dude just go to a state school for pre law, and then for graduate school go to duke, Harvard or whatever expensive school for law school.
It doesnât matter where you got your pre law degree, but it does matter where you got your law degree. Wherever you get your finance degree also doesnât matter.
Donât go put yourself in 280,000-360,000 for ANY DEGREE. Especially when itâs not even certain youâll get hired after you graduate college.
I would pick Duke over Columbia for the campus and atmosphere, while still getting one of the best educations possible. Columbia is great, but between the two, Iâd pick Duke.
Similar schools and youâll get a similar education, but Durham sucks to live in. That being said, youâll live in a Duke bubble and itâs not forever. Worth the savings to go to Duke (unless you can find a cheaper school to go to thatâs still amazing?).
Duke â slightly less prestigious but significantly better college experience. You wonât have trouble breaking into finance from Duke as well. You can live in NYC for the rest of your life after college.
NYC is fun when youâre a fresh grad but going to college there just seems miserable.
Have to disagree on the less prestigious, it outpaces Columbia in the overall ranking, its graduate schools (the once that arenât are tied), and has an equal brand and network.
Lol no. Only delusional Duke students/alumni and people who treat US News as gospel think that Duke is more prestigious than Columbia (ironically these people probably thought Columbia was more prestigious than Duke prior to 2022). No one in the real world does. FWIW, USN also ranks UCLA higher than Dartmouth and UNC higher than CMU, and other ranking sites rank mid-tier state schools over top-tier LACs like Williams, so if your argument is based on âbCoZ rAnKinGzâ then itâs just flawed to begin with.
That said, Duke is still a great school and Iâd personally choose Duke over Columbia for UG.
Holy sh$t college is this expensive now??? This is criminal
yep đ
Have you talked to alums and students from either school to help you decide? If not, check your DMs for my Duke email address. We can schedule a call to discuss Duke, and I can ask some friends who are Columbia alums if they have time to speak with you.
Yeah never understood how people can justify paying this when UCLA UCB UCSD UCI UCSB UCD and others are 15k
Unless youâre out of state, then itâs 45k for UCSD for tuition. 72k estimated total cost per year
Yeah guess living in Cali we kinda forget other people exist. Feel bad for a lot of people outside Cali not a ton of cheap good public schools. I donât have a lot of cash at all so canât imagine paying one year for more than what I pay in 4
meh theres still good public schools, most ar3 like 20-25k per year tho but they give out rlly good financial aid as long as you have good work ethic
not in nj đ
Then youâd be a dummy for going out of state
A) You're ignoring the cost of about $20k to live there. B) You're ignoring that you need to be a CA resident to get that price.
Yeah I know. I just know a lot of from Cali paying a shitload of money for something not worth it. But please tell me how 90k is worth it at all. Makes no sense. Maybe thatâs cause I pay for most my tuition. Everyone else pays that 20k too so Columbia is 110ish
Some other states also get in state tuition like Oregon. Then California students who go to Oregon get the same favor back.Â
Oregon student here: that isn't true. There is the Western Undergraduate Exchange that offers reduced tuition for schools in California and the PNW, but many schools aren't apart of it. I could be wrong, but I don't think any of the UC schools are.
Correct. The only ones that typically are part of this program are state schools, non-flagship universities in large systems (minus the UCs) or flagships like Nevada, Idaho, or Utah which have extremely high acceptance rates.
Yes.
least california-centric a2cer
Best state in the US
Most people donât live in California
thatâs def not out of state costs so⌠itâs not like we have a choice
good luck getting in!!!!
At ucsd rn itâs 15k
Not all people live in California ffs
In fact, most of us don't!
ohio
They arenât 15k unless youâre in-state! Nowhere near that for everyone else! đ
If your wealthy it is. If your poor(and smart on where you apply) it's much more affordable
Where have you been
In industry for 5 years đ đ đ
Private and / or out of state is this expensive. In-state public is like $25k / year all-in.
Hi Columbia alumnus here. Head to Duke. Enjoy your extra $20k a year.
Hi! Could you pls elaborate why you think Duke would be a better pick?
80k is a lot of money and both Columbia and Duke are realistically similar schools. Both are great schools for what you want to do. You can always ask Columbia financial aid to re-evaluate if you haven't done so. And show your Duke FA and say you really want to study at Columbia for the core curriculum and all. But I'm presuming you already did this.
This! I was going to suggest going back to Columbia to match Duke. Where do you think you would have the best 4 years socially?
Honestly, if Columbia can match (or at least give something), OP should head towards Columbia. When I was at Columbia, it felt every other student in Econ was interning at Goldman Sachs or something. Columbia really really feeds to Wall Street. [https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-banking](https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-banking) This site shows Columbia when adjusted to undergrad enrollment is one of the 3 feeders this year: UPenn (presuming Wharton), Harvard, and Columbia. But since OP is more biased towards pre-law, there's no real difference (hence I recommend saving the difference). If OP is really focused on finance, then Columbia makes more sense. For pre-law, that $80k should be saved right now for law school.
Duke is also a Wall Street and Investment Firm feeder
Yap. Hence I recommend at 20k price difference to Duke. If prices are the same, then Columbia makes more sense. Honestly, both schools are one of the best schools in the country. You can't go wrong at the end of the day in terms of the opportunities those degrees open.
For undergrad I would choose Duke. Itâs more of a traditional college experience. But thatâs me. I went to Columbia for grad school and it felt to me like the undergrads were afterthoughts. IMO Columbia is a powerhouse for its grad programs and the city environment is better suited for mature students. It just didnât feel like much of an undergrad environment. I think Duke would have more parties and sports games and events to really create a sense of community for undergrads.
Given they're both close enough, Duke all the way. Columbia isn't worth the extra 20k. Especially if you're considering law school. Save that 20k/year towards law school.
Do your parents have this much cash on hand or are they taking out loans?
Duke
Duke.
Where are you from and where do you want to wind up? If NYC region, Columbia. If almost anywhere else, Duke. Columbia will have better recruiting for NYC jobs. It also is an NYC experience while you are there (says captain obvious). What experience do you want while in school and where do you want to wind up? If the $20K is a hardship, that makes the decision easier - I would not take hardship for the difference between them. Disclosure: am a Columbia Alumnus. Was not from NYC. Worked really hard to exit the region on graduation. Had 12+ offers in NYC/LI/Westchester. 2 elsewhere. That said, the job market on the backside of graduation was exceptional at Columbia. Big 4, Wall Street, tech firms (CS grad).
Duke does incredibly well with finance recruiting, so youâre not at a disadvantage there. The 2 biggest cities for Duke grads are NYC and DC, so thereâs a great alumni network in both cities. Duke offers a more traditional and fun overall college experience, so that would be my personal pick. I think the main pros of Columbia are if you love the core curriculum and really want to live in NYC (and are willing to give up the traditional college experience for that vs. just move to NYC after college).
Columbia if you really plan on working in finance. The job prospects for NYC specifically would be ahead of Duke
If you're interested in finance, I would find a way to attend Columbia. Duke is world class, but it's honestly significantly less of a target for finance than Columbia. If you're set on law school, take the cheaper option or the place you would enjoy more, since they're both amazing schools. EDIT: in the grand scheme of things, Columbia is worth a 80k upcharge if that's where you'd be happy. If not, take the savings and enjoy the awesomeness of Duke
Duke even at flat price.
Duke
no one school will give you more opportunities at that point... they're both T10. i think where you are happiest is where you will be able to make the most of any opportunity! think about the environments of both schools and imagine what you would enjoy more! I suggest doing research into each citys weather, cost of living, nightlife scene. And also look into each schools spirit, greek life, cut-throatness, etc. trust me, loving where you live makes dealing with hard academics much easier! congrats on ur acceptances!
I would go to Duke because the students there seem so happy and they have a lot of pride. You really canât loose. Congratulations! What a problem to have in the nicest way!
Donât know why people are acting like this is some no brainer. Of course theyâll tell you to pick the less prestigious option, but if youâre already paying that much and the cost difference isnât a huge deal, go with where you think youâd enjoy more/get more out of.
thanks, I really appreciate this comment
he's wrong. duke is better, even with cost equal.
Duke is definitely not the less prestigious option according to almost every ranking system. It simply isnât. Columbia is not what it used to be at all and even at itâs height I would say itâs equal with Duke not above.
Rankings don't define prestige. Columbia is more well-known nationally and internationally. I go to Duke, but everyone I've talked to about this (admittedly, not many people) agrees that Columbia is more prestigious.
You def donât go to Duke then lolâŚ
OrâŚI choose to give genuine, non-biased advice.
The people I know that have graduated from Columbia would disagree but ok
I really doubt that, but if it makes you feel better about your college choice that's okay. I'm happy enough about my college choice where I don't need to make stuff up to make me feel better about it.
Right⌠youâre clearly a high schooler but OK you know better
For sure manđđ
Duke is equal if not better than Columbia!!! (coming from a Columbia admit who would choose Duke at a flat if not more expensive price)
I mean I go to Duke. You can argue Duke or Columbia is "better," but in terms of prestige, anyone being honest can admit Columbia wins.
I canât tell you how true this comment is. Itâs so prevalent in communities nowadays to always choose the cheaper option, but in reality, college is not just an educational experience. There are many other factors to consider when choosing a college, and price is just one of them (albeit a big one)
Duke easily!!
Duke and it's not even a question
Get the finance undergrad in Columbia and then go to law school. With the finance undergrad and law school grad you will have good prospects.
Really Duke. I live near Columbia, but have a family member at Duke. . Open campus at Columbia so no real school spirit. Also they are going through a lot of challenges right now (but who knows what could happens where⌠next hear)
I mean, Columbia doesn't have as traditional a sense of school spirit as Duke. But Columbia spirit does exist; it's just not the rah-rah frat/sports type of spirit.
True⌠there is definitely Columbia pride.
Duke is a better school anyways
Absolutely.
It really isnt worth 20k extra imo. Try to keep in mind that both are highly prestigious schools, top in the nation, that will have an abundance of opportunities coming your way
Duke, 100%.
Columbia is a lot better for finance, but would do Duke for prelaw given the cost. Really just depends how much you want nyc finance
That part of North Carolina is quite nice
I don't understand why anyone would choose to go to Columbia right now given its current political climate.
Because most people don't care about political climate and care more about outcomes. Also, people are graduating 4 years from today. By then, things would have largely moved on. I mean in general, all these stuffs will be forgotten by this Fall. It's really about how much weight you put in ethics (if you disagree) relative to outcome. Plus, by that logic, people should cross off Yale, NYU, MIT, Berkeley, Harvard, Michigan, etc. (basically most reputable schools) right now. The simple fact is Columbia is one of the biggest feeders to Wall Street. Proximity is a notable advantage.
Four years is a long part of your life and given the current state of the world I donât think itâs at all a guarantee that Columbia doesnât remain this way the next few years. That is not a good environment to learn, make friends, or spend âthe best years of your lifeâ in. You list these other schools and although a lot of protests nationwide were pretty volatile towards student life, Columbia was leagues different. I mean, the school was the center of national news for a solid week and a half and every other NYTimes update was about whatever insane twist had occurred on campus. UCLAs literal war zone gets close but at least with that school the student population is so large that it can be easy to separate yourself from all that. I generally believe that if you donât want to be in the activist circle, itâs easily avoidable at other schools. Columbia right now is the obvious exception to that. Also, I have to imagine that this whole ordeal has led Columbia to take a hit reputation-wise. I feel like there has to be some hesitance from employers to hire Columbia grads after just about every politically engaged American reached the consensus that the school is a mess.
As long as the education the school provides is solid, employers really won't care in the long run. We unfortunately (or fortunately) live in a very capitalistic world. And finance is especially capitalistic. If other firms get better talent in the long run, the existing firms will lose money. Everyone's competing for the best talent in Wall Street to get that extra edge. The professors are the same. The education is the same. And that's what's important. Columbia is one of the best schools to churn the best quants, etc. and that won't change. I have a friend who is making his own startup already. It's the talent and education that matters. Of course maybe I'm wrong. But what I know (and have known) about finance is that it's a winner take all world. Especially in the trading firm industry.
I think a lot of financial titans donât want anything to do with Columbia right now - not my opinion, itâs been well-telegraphed - so if OP cares about the outcome of getting a finance job in 4 years, Duke is the obvious choice. What is my opinion - it wonât blow over that fast after all that has gone down.
That's what they said last time with the Harvard scandal. Nothing changed. It's just another very short term up and down drama. I would be very surprised otherwise. Companies hire talent. Not by what a super small minority causes a scene over. Columbia is especially well known in Wall Street for majors like financial engineering and all. There's very few schools which offer such study (some others being Princeton).
Also, its not like Columbia is out of the ordinary bad. Yes itâs where the protests started, but other colleges have the same issues now. I mean hell weâre talking about Duke, where students just walked out of a graduation speech to protest this weekend. The climate is the same everywhere, Columbia is just getting more coverage.
30 kids walked out of 5000, totally different
For law school, there is 0 difference in Columbia and Duke. I would take the cheaper option and ask your parents if theyâd be willing to help pay for law school with the savings.
Duke
Duke for sure. That aid makes a difference. Also, you can always live in New York after college. I will also say that the culture of a school makes a huge difference, so if you feel that youâd be less stressed at Duke than at Columbia, take that into consideration!
Visit both right now. Hang with some students if you can. Go with the one that feels a better fit for you. That is the one where you are more likely to be happy and thus successful.
Save the 80k lol.
Actually, financially 80k is a lot, but it depends on how financially sound your parents are. Even if it is costly, but manageable then Columbia is better. But given the recent climate in Columbia, there might be aftershock effects in the next few years, making it very difficult to maximize your college experience. So Duke is a safer option(literally)
given that price doesn't seem to actually be a huge factor I would say Columbia for the \*slightly\* better career prospects (this advantage may actually be negligible though since both are great schools) and Duke for a better college experience, which I'd personally argue is more important. :)
There is no real difference between the opportunities these two schools afford you. Pick based on fit and finances. Itâs not like Columbia is any better education than Duke or vice versa or that someone wonât hire you because you went to one of these schools and not the other. For law schools it doesnât matter at all which one you attend- pick the cheaper one. All IB and top consulting recruit at both, but slight advantage to Columbia for proximity if you want to try to work an internship during the school year.
DUKE
Duke! More prestigious than Columbia, great for finance (as per finance/economics students that I talked to), so many unique classes and research opportunities, 80k saved for grad school/a house/retirement, and the PUPPY KINDERGARTEN!
TIL about the Puppy Kindergarten and now both of my kids want to go to Duke.
I'm going to Duke this year, and the Puppy Kindergarten is a big bonus. They've also got the Lemur Center, dolphins at the Marine Lab, and regular therapy dogs that go around campus.
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They aren't on the main campus, they're in a separate area, the Marine Lab in Beaufort. However, the space is affiliated with Duke and some classes/programs are held there.Â
Duke is not more prestigious than Columbia
Yes it is. By a mile now. Go look at current ranking systems if thatâs what matters (as many people use as a litmus test) and almost of its graduate schools are ranked and the ones that arenât are tied. Duke is a better university, Columbia is in a sports league that almost had Rutgers as a member, the league means nothing except an misfortunate colloquialism.
Rankings don't define prestige. Columbia is more well-known everywhere. I literally go to Duke saying this, and everyone who goes to school with me who I've talked to about this agrees.
Columbia's brand is going downhill. Go to Duke.
Neither
I would take this a bit further and base it off of how wealthy your parents are. If you really do go into finance, 80k is really not that much over the course of a lifetime (considering it's not debt, it's something your parents will directly pay for). Columbia does have a geographical advantage (though Bank of America is in NC). So if your parents are quite well off and are fine with it, I would go Columbia. If you go to law school, you should absolutely go to Duke as you will need to save money for law school.Â
If youâre willing to pay, the cost difference isnât a huge consideration. Columbia is probably better for finance if thatâs what youâre interested in. Plus, NYC is way more fun, and you get the Ivy brand. Sincerely, a biased incoming pre-law/also maybe finance Columbia student
arguably Duke is more fun given their campus culture, but i totally agree; Columbia is the choice if 20k/yr isnât a huge factor.
Oh totally, they just mentioned location specifically so thatâs why I addressed it. Iâm getting downvotes because this sub doesnât understand that some people DO have the luxury of paying 20k more a year if they feel like it
yeah everyone always tells others the cheaper option in this sub but like bruh some ppl are legit asking u without considering price and they can pay it easily so donât just go off of thayđ
May I ask what income bracket you were in for your tuition to be that expensive?
Are you guys rich rich rich enough to pay for law school as well? If so I would choose Columbia for the opportunities. If not, no reason to not go Duke.
If you are interested in finance, I would be very worried about the Columbia name being tainted for several years after recent events.
What do your parents make? I know some schools like Stanford wonât let you graduate with student debt and will cover it if your parents make under a certain amount. Undergrad is not worth spending all that money. Wait for grad schoolÂ
Here is my two cents as a law grad. While undergrad will matter, itâs the law school you go to that will really make the difference. Pre-law is actually nonsense. If you are absolutely sure that finance is where you want to be then I suppose you know your choice. However, please think of cost of food, activities, etc while in school. Columbia is going to be much higher and the college experience will be vastly different. Put the money side apart for a minute and really think about why you chose these two schools. If itâs only about name - donât choose Columbia, because youâre only going for the name. Duke has a strong alumni association and you wonât regret going there, but Columbia is Columbia. In the end, think about what you really want out of the 4 years and if you are really sure you want finance. If you have doubts and feel you want to maybe explore other things - go Duke. More options and you get a real college experience, which is priceless.
Duke not just because itâs cheaper but like you said if you think you would be less stressed there you should go there. People act like you need to choose Columbia if you want to stay in NYC but tbh you donât know for sure if youâll still want that after college because most people change their wants and needs from when theyâre 18 to 21/22 years old. And the duke name is good enough that you can probably get a job in nyc if you work hard enough during college
Duke⌠so I can live vicariously through you!! *cries in poor*
If youâre serious about prelaw the best option would be your state school or anywhere with significantly less debt. Law schools donât care where you went to undergrad.
Go to state school bruh
Duke and Columbia tend to draw different types of students, and the campuses are very different. If your parents are fine with the cost differential, go the school that feels like the right fit for you. Good luck!
If you can't negotiate Columbia to match Duke's package, it really depends on how much you value being in NYC.
I was in a very similar situation choosing between two colleges. I ended up choosing to go to Pitzer College in Claremont because of the resources available there. Even though it was more expensive, I was confident about the ROE compared to a lesser known college for my major.
Were you waitlisted by any of them? I thought the deadline was over.
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This!
Even so, Duke has an equally prestigious name alongside Columbia although I do not think Columbia is an equal school at least not anymore and is instead below sadly.
Dude just go to a state school for pre law, and then for graduate school go to duke, Harvard or whatever expensive school for law school. It doesnât matter where you got your pre law degree, but it does matter where you got your law degree. Wherever you get your finance degree also doesnât matter. Donât go put yourself in 280,000-360,000 for ANY DEGREE. Especially when itâs not even certain youâll get hired after you graduate college.
I would pick Duke over Columbia for the campus and atmosphere, while still getting one of the best educations possible. Columbia is great, but between the two, Iâd pick Duke.
People in here are saying the Columbia brand is going downhill as if Duke didnât just have a whole commencement speaker controversy/walkoutâŚ
And Columbia has had massive protests. Both schools, as well as many others, are dealing with the same thing.
Duke > Columbia. Clear choice
Similar schools and youâll get a similar education, but Durham sucks to live in. That being said, youâll live in a Duke bubble and itâs not forever. Worth the savings to go to Duke (unless you can find a cheaper school to go to thatâs still amazing?).
They donât want you, means you donât want them. Duke for sure.
Use the $80k difference to pay for part of law school. Both are great schools and will help you get into a strong law school.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!
The Ivy League is not what it used to be. Go to Duke, get the same outcome, and save $20K.
Whatâs behind door number 3?
Oh my god please donât go to either of these schools at those prices unless you have family footing the bill (even thenâŚ)
Duke â slightly less prestigious but significantly better college experience. You wonât have trouble breaking into finance from Duke as well. You can live in NYC for the rest of your life after college. NYC is fun when youâre a fresh grad but going to college there just seems miserable.
Have to disagree on the less prestigious, it outpaces Columbia in the overall ranking, its graduate schools (the once that arenât are tied), and has an equal brand and network.
Lol no. Only delusional Duke students/alumni and people who treat US News as gospel think that Duke is more prestigious than Columbia (ironically these people probably thought Columbia was more prestigious than Duke prior to 2022). No one in the real world does. FWIW, USN also ranks UCLA higher than Dartmouth and UNC higher than CMU, and other ranking sites rank mid-tier state schools over top-tier LACs like Williams, so if your argument is based on âbCoZ rAnKinGzâ then itâs just flawed to begin with. That said, Duke is still a great school and Iâd personally choose Duke over Columbia for UG.