Duke University »

Admitting I go to Duke is sometimes hard—not because I'm ashamed of my school, but because I'm aware of the many naïve people who seem to have no idea what a great university it is. Many know it's in the East, but it's a rare person who can place it in North Carolina. Those who are familiar with Duke most often have been touched by its greatest emissary: basketball. "Duke? You don't look tall enough to play basketball!" Yeah, that one wears on you after a while. These people should be informed that (at Duke) there is, in fact, life outside of March, and not every Duke student affiliates him or herself with the Cameron Crazies. I must admit, though, that I have come to love joining everyone in the dorm commons room for all the away games. A note to readers: prior to enrolling at Duke University, I never sat through a whole basketball game.

Sports fanatic or not, Duke can and will meet your needs in all aspects of the college experience. In a national college poll, Duke was ranked number four in overall academics, just behind Princeton, Harvard, and Yale, and tied with Stanford. So, it's safe to say that Duke's keeping some pretty good company academically. Even more so, the University is fun, laid-back, and deeply entwined in its Southern roots. I was raised in the South, and I'd been longing to go back for a long time. Now, don't get me wrong—Duke is an internationally diverse campus. People come from all over the world, and this diversity is a cherished part of the Duke community. However, the weather, the accents, and the easy-going attitudes proclaim that, though this school will continue to grow in many ways, it has yet to lose its roots.

Most ofthis you must already know. If you're researching colleges, you've probably already come across rankings, descriptions of campus, and admissions and financial aid statistics. This book may give you a lot more of the same, but that is not exactly its aim. You will find more information about Duke than I ever knew existed before writing this book. There are some vital questions about everyday life answered here, and more importantly, a lot of student opinions have been revealed. So, it's best to take what you can find. If you're looking to spend the next four years of your life here, then you have every right to know how "real" Duke students feel about their school. This book will give you this information, and then some.

Good luck in your college hunting—and when the admissions letters come in, you should celebrate—and then feel free to thank College Prowler for making your decision that much easier.

Margaret Campbell, Author
Duke University

College guides written by students for students.

Duke University Students
Tell It Like It Is
Those who are familiar with Duke most often have been touched by its greatest emissary: basketball. "Duke? You don't look tall enough to play basketball!" Yeah, that one wears on you after a while. These people should be informed that there is, in fact, life outside of March Madness.

Academic Life: "The professors are, for the most part, amazing. They know their subjects inside and out but, better yet, they are willing to help you understand (piece by piece) what they know. The classes don't just skim over things, but rather, they make you go in depth and have you learn things that you just wouldn't learn in a standard lecture."

Greek Life: "Greek life here is actually fine. I never thought I'd get involved in it, but I'm very glad I did. There are no closed parties (except for formals and semi-formals), and there's no such thing as a guest list for frat parties. I don't feel like it dominates the social scene because you don't rush until second semester."

Local Atmosphere: "There are two colleges near Durham. One is 15 minutes away in Chapel Hill (UNC), and the other is 20 minutes away in Raleigh (NC State). There's also a cool museum in Raleigh. There's plenty to do in and around campus."

But you can't ignore basketball! These are the things you need to learn to fit in:
* Cameron Crazies What Duke students morph into once they enter Cameron Indoor Stadium.
* K-Ville Krzyzewski-ville, the village of tents created by avid students camping out for Duke basketball tickets.
* Tent Check There are random tent checks for thosewho do tent for games, to make sure everyone's there (the killers are the 2 a.m. tent checks when everyone stumbles into the bitter cold in their pajamas).
* Walk-up Line The line of people who didn't camp out for the basketball games.
* Grace When the temperature dips below freezing in K-Ville, campers are granted "grace" and allowed to head back home for the rest of the night.
Find out if Duke truly has something for you, straight from the students' mouths.

Visiting campus isn't enough.

Read our Duke University insider's guide and discover what it feels like to be on campus for 4 years.

Discover if Duke is Right For You.

The Boston Globe

The prospective college student's antidote to the Princeton Review doldrums.

	By the Numbers	1
	Academics	4
	Local Atmosphere	11
	Safety & Security	19
	Computers	25
	Facilities	31
	Campus Dining	36
	Off-Campus Dining	46
	Campus Housing	54
	Off-Campus Housing	64
	Diversity	69
	Guys & Girls	75
	Athletics	81
	Nightlife	89
	Greek Life	97
	Drug Scene	103
	Campus Strictness	107
	Parking	111
	Transportation	116
	Weather	123
	Report Card Summary	128
	Overall Experience	129
	The Inside Scoop	134
	Finding a Job or Internship	139
	Alumni	141
	Student Organizations	143
	The Best & Worst	148
	Visiting	150
	Words to Know	155