newgrad2015 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Hello All, I have offers from Duke University and University of Colorado Boulder for Ph.D. in Mathematics. I am having a difficult decision. Which program is better? Could you share some of your thoughts? Thank you very much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoDUDE! Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I don't know which program is better in mathematics, but I would much rather live in Boulder than most places on Earth. The campus and city is fricken awesome. gliaful 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gliaful Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 What really matters is what you're interested in studying, and if your interests are represented well at these schools. If you're looking for objective rankings of these schools, see here: http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124743/ It looks like Duke is stronger in the areas this survey looked at, but the survey is also nearing 5 years old. Additionally, consider the locations of these schools. I assume both programs have offered you funding -- have you looked at the cost of living in Boulder and Durham? Boulder is beautiful and is great if you're outdoorsy. I have never been to North Carolina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidwesternAloha Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I live near Durham. I would never opt to live there if I had the choice. My colleagues who attended Duke have nothing good to say about the school other than they went because it had a good name. They had also spoken to me about feeling unprepared for writing and communication skills after obtaining their PhD's from Duke. IsleofBlue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juiceboxrampage Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I don't know anything about math, but I live in Boulder, and it's gorgeous here. I know many, many people who chose to come to CU Boulder solely for the location and none of them have been disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorydance Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Duke is a top 20 mathematics program, go there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinchik Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 I live near Durham. I would never opt to live there if I had the choice. My colleagues who attended Duke have nothing good to say about the school other than they went because it had a good name. They had also spoken to me about feeling unprepared for writing and communication skills after obtaining their PhD's from Duke. This surprises me - I visited and have heard nothing but good things about the program. While I understand that the people that I met at the recruitment/interview weekend are supposed to present the school in exclusively a positive light, I've met people at other times that say that they loved Duke. Either way, unless you go visit and see the area, you won't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allinduetime Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 I don't know much about the Mathematics program, but I grew up in North Carolina and know a few people who went to Duke for undergrad. From my observations, people have strong reactions to both Duke and Durham: either they love it or...they don't. I think there's some new, interesting things happening in Durham, but it would definitely be different from the outdoor lifestyle of Boulder. blinchik 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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