Duke (Duham) vs. Wash U (St. Louis)

Okay so my boyfriend who has recently been accepted to both Duke and Wash U is having to make a choice! I was wondering if anyone lives in Durham or St. Louis and would be willing to share their experiences about the cities with me. Also, if you have a preference for either school let me know why! We are both in the process of selecting the cities but we don't really know which city/school would be the best! All comments are appreciated

[Tenacious_D]

DH and I visited St. Louis when he had his interview at St. Louis. I liked the city overall but I couldn't see us living there for 4 years (personal preference). The crime rate was a little too high for me and I wanted more of a city feel. Defnitely some nice parts..the local supermarket (Schnucks) freaked me out. When I went in to buy a drink there were two security gaurds at the door for the check cashing place.

This is going to sound so prissy but during DH's interviews, I went to a nail salon Spa in the area and talked to a lot of the local crowd to get a feel for the city. I got to kill two birds with one stone.

I would suggest going with him to revisit weekend before you decide.

I would second what Danielle said about the possibility of a second visit. Maybe you guys could use your spring breaks to check out one or both again?

On the academic front, you're comparing two high-powered / research heavy schools (but you knew that).

On the demographic / living side, you've got a lot of contrasts. I can't speak to specifics of St. Louis but it's a long way from Durham.

In very general terms, here are some notes about Durham. Relatively low cost of living. The entire area (RTP - Research Triangle Park -- which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) has more of a university / research focus. Though Raleigh is the big city and the capital it will be dwarfed by the urban environment of St. Louis (don't know if that's good or bad). But St. Louis will be a different pace of life (not that there aren't things to do in the Triangle).

I think it would be good for you and your boyfriend to return to one or both places (outside of the interview environment where he probably didn't get to see much of either city).

And in general, the Triangle is a pretty safe place but don't be fooled thinking you're immune to crime in Durham especially. You need to know where you're going in various parts of Durham. Durham has a fairly high per capita murder rate / gang violence so you want to shed any notions you may have of Durham being Mayberry.

[fluffhead]

We visited wash U for residency interviews. I used my veto power to push it to the bottom of the rank list, even though my wife really liked the school, because I really hated St. Louis.
It absolutely depends on your preferences though. I think Durham would be a cool place to live for a few years.

thanks for the feedback. he has second look weekends coming up at the end of this month for both places and we plan on going to each. this is good for me considering i've never been to either of the places. i think for myself, i would rather live in St. Louis...only because I've grown up in Memphis TN and lived/currently living in Knoxville TN....so I prefer larger areas like cities.

my boyfriend on the other hand (i think anyways) prefers Duke...not Durham but Duke to Wash U. he says their curriculum is one of a kind (getting out in 4 years instead of 5 b/c research) as superfical as this sounds i think he also likes the "name recognition" that comes along with Duke. even though both schools are in the top 5. to me, it doesn't matter what other people think about what school i go to....and i think Wash U would grad anyone (who was in the medical community) attention.

hopefully our visit to both places will help us decide more. i also think financial aid/scholarships will play a big role in which school he decides on as well.

thanks again for the input

Take this for what it is worth because it has been a while. A good friend of my cousin went to Wash U and graduated about 7 years ago. It was intensely competitive to the point of some students sabotaging each other. I know that is a big accusation to make, but I heard about this over the course of a few years from her and she isn't one to exaggerate.

However, it wasn't so bad that she was running from the place, either. She did end up staying there for residency. I'm not sure if that was her top choice or not or what factors went into that decision (significant other, etc). I haven't asked specifically, but I think she felt like she got a good education but could have gotten the same elsewhere with a little less heartburn.

NMH- you bring up a VERY good point that my boyfriend has actually mentioned to me. how at some schools, especially the TOP ones, there is a lack of community...or friendly community. he has mentioned things being VERY competitive to the point where students WANT their classmates to do bad. i find this very disturbing but it IS a factor that is important to consider. thanks for brining it up!

Again, it's been 7 years, and things change, but this was worse than other top programs. You're right that it is something to expect but I think some places are better than others -- as with so many things in life!

Another FWIW, in terms of day to day living, I think I would choose the Durham area over St. Louis. It's been ages since I have been in St. Louis so not much comment there. But, I LOVE the area around Duke. *sigh*

i'm glad someone does prefer durham!! that makes me feel better

I would prefer Durham too but I'm not the most informed about St. Louis.

Welcome! Even though DH & I are Carolina fans :> , my vote is for Duke (as if I even get a vote.) Although there are some seedy parts of Durham, the Triangle in general is a great area to live. Most of the nearby communities boast surprisingly low crime rates. I especially love Chapel Hill....beautiful!

Oh, and another plus for Duke...there is a Costco just down the road.

Enjoy your second look visits!

hehee. costco...i like that! i just need SOME kind of civilization your baby is so cute!! i'm jealous


thanks for the kind welcome! YAY for Cali! i'm going there next week!!

[Phoebe]

I vote for NC for no other reason than I don't like St Louis. DH was offered a job there after fellowship, but I didn't like the crime rates or the city.

Jennifer

you guys are really helping me! before i posted this i had posted the same question on SDN and most people said St. Louis. it's great to get a good number of people say they prefer the Durham area. it seems like people on SDN tend to be those not in long term/serious relationships so it's good to know that people who have children/married prefer NC. Chapel Hill is VERY close and I actually might attend UNC for graduate school. thanks again for the input!

I've only driven through St. Louis en route to Kansas City, so can't comment there. My BIL went to Duke and loved it, and dh and I visted once with fond memories.

As far as the competitive thing goes, I'm sure Duke is AS competitive if not more than Wash U. This is one of the places that boasts a divorce rate of higher than 100% for their surgical residency. It is nothing if not competitive.

Good luck with your decisions.