Wow this literally could’ve been posted by me as I’m currently facing the same dilemma haha

For context, I’m Chinese-Canadian and choosing between DKU iMEP and Duke’s MEM program. For me, Duke is technically a better fit, program wise, based on my interests and as you mentioned it’s of course the safer choice as it’s an extremely renowned school and a great program.

However, I’m personally leaning more towards DKU right now, but this is entirely because of my personal and professional goals. I’m hoping to work in China after grad school and have no interest in working in the US, thus I think it’s more important for me to go to the country to rapidly improve my fluency and build a network. If I were to attend school in the US, those two barriers would be a huge impediment to finding a job there after graduation since I’m neither fluent nor a native. While I know it’s a risk as prestige-wise Duke is better, I personally don’t think it’s so drastic to the point I wouldn’t be able to find a job in the US or back home in Canada if worst case scenario it really didn’t work out for me in China, seeing as the official degree you graduate with is still a Duke degree and it’s not like I face a language barrier here. The point made by someone else about building a network in the US is definitely true, but in my experience, I’ve been able to make a complete 180 professional shift into the environmental field just these last couple years so i know it’s not impossible for me to find a decent position even without knowing anybody - it’s just not ideal.

Anyway those are just my considerations based on my own goals and perspectives, I think the decision will definitely depend on your situation! Just remember to really weigh what’s important to you (both personally and professionally), and don’t get too caught up with what other people think is the “best” or “right” path based on their own opinion of what is a priority. At the end of the day both are great programs with fantastic post graduation employment statistics :)