Hi! I’ve got admitted to several schools and I’ve narrowed down my choices to Brown and Northwestern. I know one is liberal and open-minded while the other rigorous and pre-professional with regard to general academics, but I’m wondering which college could offer me a better undergrad experience, not only as preparation for career, but also in terms of community or somehow challenge? I’m quite flexible with future majors atm, probably will choose among applied math, econ and international studies. Can’t wait to get to know your advice!!! Thanks!
Really depends what you’re looking for. Northwestern is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous in the spring, with the lakefill and the beaches opened up (Chicago in the spring/summer is honestly an amazing place). As you get older and want to go out with friends into bars and shows and explore the nightlife of one of the biggest cities in the country, this might be valuable to you.
As far as Math/Econ i think NU and Brown are pretty close, but NU Math/Econ students will be more focused towards using those studies to get a job in consulting or finance, whereas more at Brown will probably wish to pursue grad school in those fields.
NU Social Scene is also somewhat more cliquish, because of Greek Life. I can’t speak for Brown, but the fact that there are 6 separate undergrad schools and large greek life involvement, you tend to get to know the people within your school/greek community better. But that being said, Greek life at Northwestern greek life is VERY different from greek life at state schools/Vandy/Duke. It’s much more inclusive and the people involved in it aren’t wholly dedicated to it, but are in it just as another activity that they enjoy.
If you also want to go to business school, NU undergrads generally fare better to admission to top MBA programs (Kellogg and Booth’s top undergrad feeder schools are both Northwestern), and have better prospects for jobs in the consulting and tech industries, and probably (but not 100% sure) finance as well.