<p>I’m from Chicago, lived 5 minutes away from Northwestern, went to Duke, UPenn was my second choice, and visited Wash U twice (played in tennis tournament in Forest Park at least three times). (Never been to Rice so I can’t talk much about that). I’d say all are great choices and anybody saying one is a clear choice is biased. </p>
<p>Being from Chicago, I thought Durham would be a big negative, but honestly there is more than enough to do around campus and the city. It’s not like it’s in the middle of nowhere like Dartmouth or Cornell - it’s in a triangle of 1.5 million people. It’s not dull at all. There are plenty of great restaurants, bars, clubs, theaters, performances, etc. I will say, though, that it’s definitely beneficial to have a car or know somebody that does (I didn’t, but plenty of friends did). You spend the vast majority of your time on campus, so I personally would rather have a nice campus while sacrificing the surrounding areas. And getting to a place 15 miles away only takes 15 minutes! It’s amazing! Unlike Chicago, where going 8 miles on the L or driving on the Stevenson takes like 50 minutes. So, while stuff is more spread out, it’s quite easy from a time perspective to get there (assuming you have access to a car; there’s also a Robertson bus if you want to go to Chapel Hill, which is a great college city). </p>
<p>Oh, and by the way, in Chicago and Philly you can’t even get into a bar until you’re 21. So, while there are hundreds of possibilities in those cities, people underage often just party on campus anyways so it doesn’t make any difference. Unless you have a fake…or are a senior. In Durham, since it caters to a college population, anybody can walk into a bar/club. They just don’t get a wristband so can’t order alcohol, but can still partake in everything else. Evanston is the same way - all bars are 21. There was one (The Keg) that would often let in people underage, but it got busted. Chicago bars don’t need college clientele and would rather have people buy a lot of liquor. A bar in Durham can afford to let people pay $5 to get in so that they can hang out/party with other friends. (I realize major cities aren’t just for bars though, and offer other amenities, but just thought I’d point out this fact that often gets overlooked).</p>
<p>Having said that, I’ve been to downtown Evanston probably 1,000 times and I’d definitely say it’s a better city. Evanston and Durham do have some major similarities in that they’re like two cities in one - one “city” is fairly wealthy with a lot to do and one area is poor and run-down. In Evanston, though, the nice area is pretty much centered around the lakefront where Northwestern’s campus is since that’s the prime real estate so it’s more expensive to be there. And downtown Evanston is in that area too so it’s easily walkable. The “bad” part of Evanston is pretty much all west, so I guess Northwestern students aren’t as exposed to it since it’s not in their immediate vicinity. Durham, on the other hand, is more spread out and its areas aren’t as well defined. Southpoint mall is nice but is in a random location and there are some great restaurants in Durham as well as a new Performing Arts center. There are more “shady” areas closer to Duke’s campus so that’s why it gets the reputation, but if you choose your spots, Durham is quite a nice livable city with a lot of charm. Both cities are very racially diverse.</p>
<p>Based on people I know (which is at least 15) at Northwestern, they don’t go into Chicago very much at all, but I guess it’s nice to have the option. I’ll also say that it seems like Northwestern students are more stressed out since they have exams so often - due to the quarter system. Every time I talk to one of them, they have an exam coming up! Also the fact that they get out in June is terrible in my mind - I started working in a lab under a Northwestern Medical School professor at the very beginning of May for a summer. A Northwestern student finally joined me in mid-June. I was able to work for a full 18 weeks (and get paid), while the Northwestern student got 10 weeks. (I realize they start a lot later too, but getting out earlier gives you the advantage in the job/internship hunt). The quarter system (getting out so late and so many exams), people seeming stressed out, and it being 5 minutes away from where I lived led me to eliminate Northwestern from my list. But some people might like the quarter system and I can’t deny it’s a good college city.</p>
<p>UChicago seems to be like the oddball on your list. It’s certainly a great school, but is a more “intellectual/independent minded” atmosphere and not as pre-professional. It’s more like Columbia in that regard. I’d say Duke/NW/Penn are fairly similar in their student body leanings/social atmosphere. I don’t know enough about Rice but I’d imagine its residence setup makes a significant difference (some may find it just what they were looking for while others may not). Wash U also has a nice academic/social blend, but I’d say it’s perhaps a bit more cutthroat from a pre-med academic perspective. Frankly, I’m not a fan of St. Louis either - I found it worse than Durham, but that’s just my opinion.</p>
<p>UChicago is located in a small pocket of a decent area in the midst of the south side of Chicago, which is pretty crime ridden and dangerous. As applies to any major city, you need to be smart, but going to UChicago doesn’t mean you’re in a great area with things within walking distance. I wouldn’t walk three blocks off campus - not good. I would MUCH MUCH rather be at Northwestern from a “where to live” perspective and ignoring academics even if you’re into cities. Getting to downtown Chicago from UChicago is about the same time as it takes to get to Lakeview/Lincoln Park from Evanston, where a lot of good bars and restaurants are located.</p>
<p>Penn is similar to UChicago in that it’s located in a more dangerous area of a major city, but I honestly like Penn’s situation a LOT more than UChicago. It’s campus is great and Philly is pretty accessible. The student body is also a lot more social/pre-professional which was appealing to me personally. </p>
<p>The reason I chose Duke over Penn was because of campus pride/unity/sports. Duke basketball really brings a sense of community to the school and people have great pride in their institution. There’s nothing like coming together for a common cause, plus I love basketball. I thought UPenn was also quite solid in this regard for an Ivy League school, but it’s not on Duke’s level. Northwestern is also decent as they have Big Ten sports, but having gone to Northwestern basketball and football games, it’s nothing like Duke basketball at all. Not a “everybody must go as a campus event” type deal. But having those sports at NW is certainly appealing in my mind. UChicago is weak in the school pride/sports department (much like Columbia), but the intellectual atmosphere does foster a sense of community if you can find your niche; it’s just not as natural as the other schools. I’d think Rice would be similar to UChicago in this regard due to the residential colleges, but again, I don’t know as much about it. Wash U is somewhere in the middle on this - no big time sports to bring the campus together but the campus layout is conducive to a sense of community. And Duke basketball connects you to the university for LIFE. You always feel a part of the school because basketball brings it to the forefront of your mind. Also Duke’s BME being so good also was a factor in my decision. ;)</p>
<p>Another thing that I personally didn’t really consider, but I’m glad Duke was positive in this regard is weather. I honestly think it’s almost as important as the surrounding city. While Chicago is great in the late spring/summer/early fall, in the winter, it’s like people go into hibernation. And you are in school for basically the entire winter while not being there in the summer. Durham is crazy hot in the summer, but throughout the school year it’s beautiful and people are out and about more. You’d think it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the quality of life/happiness, but people are MUCH more likely to walk around campus/community when it’s nice out and it leads to a more enjoyable experience. I love Chicago as a city, but in the winter it just sucks. Maybe it’d be different if I was in college, though, as I guess at least people can hang out indoors more often.</p>
<p>Really, though, all these places are great choices. You can’t go wrong. I was attracted to the academic/social balance of Duke and a beautiful campus with a great basketball program and sense of community, but others might prefer the more intellectual/quirky atmosphere of UChicago. I think NW/Penn/Duke are more similar, while Wash U/Rice/UChicago are the other grouping.</p>
<p>I think the differences are actually probably more exaggerated and most people would be happy at any of these fine institutions. Sorry for the length. Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!</p>
Plus, at least at my school, all the very top students who applied there as more of a safety got waitlisted, while those near the top but not the very top got in. Their admissions practice is just odd in my mind and people tend to think they play games to increase yield/decrease acceptance rates…although that has no bearing on the quality of the institution once you enroll so I guess it shouldn’t affect anything. I ended up not applying to Wash U, but hold it in very high esteem. Visit both and see what feels right. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.</p>