<p>I'm thinking about majoring in chemistry (but not pre-med) and was just wondering about how the compeition in the science departments at these two schools compare. I've narrowed down my list to these schools and I don't want to kill myself academically for the next four years. </p>
<p>Also, what is the atmosphere at Cornell like? I wasn't able to visit. I liked the atmosphere at Northwestern since it was kind of "nerdy" and people seemed approachable. I head greek life is big at Cornell... I'm not a party person. Any insight about these two schools will help.</p>
<p>I don't know how they compare but the chem dept at Northwestern is pretty strong. It just jumped 3 spots from 12th last year to 9th this year. They'd hired quite a few great young professors in recent years. In 2004, 3 junior professors from that department alone earned Career Award sponsored by NSF, one of the most prestigious awards for junior faculty. The school is one of the dozen research centers for nanotech in the nation and the chem dept, along with material science, leads the research. The research activity seems pretty vibrant. <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/observer/issues/2006/02/22/gates.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.northwestern.edu/observer/issues/2006/02/22/gates.html</a> two of the recipients are chemistry majors. NU is a school known for its "work hard and play hard" atmosphere instead of cutthroat competition or being a pressure cooker.</p>
<p>I think if you ask students at Cornell, nearly all would say that Cornell is a "work hard play hard" school too. Check other threads on this topic where Cornell students have responded to the stereotype label that Cornell is a school of cutthroat competition. My son, who is an engineering student at Cornell, has shared his notes with other students and helped others with homework and study problems, and other students have done the same for him. He has found a cooperative atmosphere not only with his engineering classes but also with his chem classes (207/208)-- which are the pre-med chem classes, I believe.</p>
<p>NU's chemistry department is really good. I think NU is one of the first research institutions to look at nanotech from a bottom-up perspective. Chad Merkin's lab is amazing. If you get a chance to work in his lab and get a recommendation from him, you are pretty much set for graduate school.</p>
<p>I don't know much about the undergraduate quality of chemistry @ northwestern, but I do know that the chemical education you get at Cornell is top-notch. The intro honors courses (for majors) is a tough weed-out course but you're pretty much set if you can handle it. The graduate department (research, etc) at Cornell is a little better than at Northwestern, but that's not important at this stage since you're not a graduate student. The chem professors at Cornell know how to teach. You will leave knowing your chemistry. The course offerings are also very impressive.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you get a chance to work in his lab and get a recommendation from him, you are pretty much set for graduate school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yea you can say that about pretty much any faculty at a good school.</p>
<p>Cornell has a nobel prize winner as a professor in its chem department..i doubt NU has that...most people would choose Cornell over NU for any science, hands down...bad move if u turn down Cornell in the hard sciences</p>
<p>Northwestern does have a Nobel winner. <a href="http://www.chem.northwestern.edu/faculty/awards/%5B/url%5D">http://www.chem.northwestern.edu/faculty/awards/</a>
The department is rising and three young professors won CAREER awards in the past 4 years.<br>
Both Cornell and Northwestern are ranked #9 in 2007 graduate ranking. But Cornell has no specialty in the top-10 while Northwestern has two--4th in "inorganic" and 5th in "theoretical", according to 2007 US News. As ecc pointed out, NU is one of the earliest ones to tackle nanotech research and is now one of the leading centers for that. With four collaborative centers, the research is very vibrant there. I personally just wouldn't pick a program that isn't any better but is in the middle of nowhere when I can live right next to Chicago and go to a school with better social life instead.</p>
<p>You can't go wrong with either school. It's too bad you can't visit Cornell to make up your own mind. Don't let the urban legands about Ithaca sway you though. I'm from a big city but one of my favorite places to visit is Ithaca and I would love to retire there when the time comes. Many Cornellians feel that way (I'm also a Wharton MBA, but I have no desire to retire in Philly!)</p>
<p>I would suggest you ask some Northwestern chem majors about the quarter (trimester) system. When I visited Dartmouth years ago, they compared their quarter system vs. Northwestern. At Dartmouth most students take 3 courses per quarter and at Northwestern (at least at the time) students take 4 courses per quarter. Before you know it, in a quarter system university you are taking midterms and finals. It goes by very quickly - The Dartmouth kids, for what its worth said that the Northwestern students are stressed for that reason. Try to call the admissions office at Northwestern and ask to speak to a student who is currently a chem major.</p>
<p>At Cornell, most students take between 15-16 credits + phys ed. There are 3 and 4 credit courses so it depends how you mix it up, but most students in Arts and Science take three 4-credit classes + Freshman writing seminar which is 3 credits. (Total 4 courses for a semester - don't count phys ed - it's fun and a stress reliever). </p>
<p>Some freshmen come in with a ton of AP credits and choose to take 12 credits.</p>
<p>I am a chemistry major at cornell right now, so I guess I will be biased. The course offerings here are impressive. The faculty is impressive. You often learn about something, then you realize the guy teaching it to you is the one who discovered it. A very modest guy, of course. They say there are alot of opportunities for undergraduate research here, though I haven't tested that myself yet. The number of chem majors here are small (around 20-30 per class), so you get alot of chem major identity. Also, if you're into the social scene, there's a chem frat here (I know, I know).</p>
<p>Sam Lee, do you go to Northwestern? And what is your major? I'd like to probe the basis for your statement that Northwestern has a better social life than Cornell? Are the studies easier and therefore leave more time for leisure activities?</p>
<p>
[quote]
I personally just wouldn't pick a program that isn't any better but is in the middle of nowhere when I can live right next to Chicago and go to a school with better social life instead.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Who gave you the idea that Cornell's social life ain't vibrant. Cornell's got a campus which is larger and more beautiful than NU. There 700 odd clubs and organistaions, Reasearch in every field and a vibrant clubbing scenario too. Having over 13000 othe UGs makes findings friends of ur like easy. If you call that a poor social scene, may god help you. As for being in the middle of nowhere...Cornell students don't need to leave campus for fun, they have all they want on-campus...u don't need to travel 10miles for recreation.</p>
<p>I find it interesting how you (Arjun) can speak with such confidence about a variety of issues at Cornell when you haven't even visited or taken classes at the school</p>
<p>
[quote]
I find it interesting how you (Arjun) can speak with such confidence about a variety of issues at Cornell when you haven't even visited or taken classes at the school
[/quote]
</p>
<p>one needn't be physically at Cornell to realize these. The more you immerse yourslelf in ignorance, the more you fail to realize certain basic truths.</p>
<p>Well, I'd say Northwestern got a more diverse social life. I can give you some examples. First of all, it got Chicago and that alone is signficiant. My friends and I would go there for art meseums, alternative movies, dinner at Friday nights, and dim sum in Chinatown on Sunday mornings. You can't say that when your school is in small town. Some people are totally happy with social life entirely on campus but I personally like variety. I came from Hong Kong; I always like big cities and I get bored easily with small towns. Not that every one goes to Chicago often for fun but it's available if you want it. Northwestern got one of the best theatre and music programs and there are quality performances every week. Saturday football is another popular thing to do during the fall. The excitement was unbelievable when the team upset powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan. It's nice to have a football team to follow; I live in LA now and there were around 60 of us in a sports bar watching the Sun Bowl against UCLA at the end of last year.</p>
<p>I never thought I'd see a Northwestern chemistry troll, but stranger things have happened. </p>
<p>For those in the know, Northwestern, although a strong school for chemistry, is not considered a top 10 school. Cornell is. If you want to talk about individual subfields, then Cornell is very strong in theory, physical, and materials. A lot of the work is done in conjuction with the CCMR and the new Nanotechnology building. I don't know much about the other fields, but I'm told that they are strong in chemical biology as well although weak in inorganic. Citing USNWR science rankings is laughable.</p>
<p>But enough about the graduate program. From first-hand experience, I know that the undergraduate chemistry education is top-notch. The courses are well-organized and the professors do a fantastic job of teaching. The chemists are generally pretty chill and laid-back from my interactions with them. It's very easy to get involved with undergraduate research. I found both the professors and grad students to be extremely friendly and helpful.</p>
<p>A couple of my friends that went to Northwestern complained about the social life. Apparently after your freshman year, everyone falls into their clique and you are stuck with it for the rest of your college career. Ithaca is a rural town but you'll find yourself either on campus or in the immediate area around it. It's a fun place for an undergrad to spend 4 years. Ask anyone else on this board. It's also a beautiful place.</p>
<p>Last time I checked, US News graduate rankings are based on surveys from people in the know! Oh, perhaps you can refrain from calling people names like "trolls" when they are just posting what US News just published? By the way, do you forget NU's materical sciences is consistently one of the top-3 programs? I hope you don't even bother to deny that. That's why the school has been so well-positioned for nanotech research. By the way, I never said Cornell's isn't great; I think the chemistry programs for both schools are pretty even at least at the undergrad level.</p>