<p>i'm choosing northwestern because it's a better fit for me. they're pretty much the same level academically or rankingly speaking; they just attract different types of students. chicago was my first choice for months, but fortunately i was deferred ea (i wouldn't have applied to any other schools i could have gotten into). i had to send in all the other applications, but i also realized that it wasn't the right place for me. i'm not that intensely academic - there are people for whom talking about physics and philosophy while drunk is a dream. i feel like northwestern combines everything that i really want in a school - it's got an actual campus, it's right near a city, it's got strong academic programs pretty much everywhere, it has fairly balanced distribution requirements (oh, yeah, i'm not too big on the core), and a diverse (i'm talking mostly ideologically) student body. i do have a tremendous amount of respect for the chicago undergrad education. (and yes, i did get into chicago rd.)</p>
<p>rankingly speaking.... nice</p>