I can't choose: Mizzou v. Wellesley v. Northwestern

Parents Forum
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<p>I’ve always found great threads on the Parents Forum and I would really like insight on my situation. The 3 schools are about as different as they can be but I truly like each of these schools. Here's some of what I want: Academically, I'm interested in English/journalism, psychology, and general humanities studies. I am almost positive that I’ll be attending grad school, not really sure what for though. I’d prefer a suburban or urban campus, or at least a legit transportation system for city access. Size wise, I'm not too particular but diversity is a big thing in my book (and not just racially either). I also like to see the students have a lot of pride in their school. I plan on joining choral and/or an cappella groups and some sort of writing outlet. </p>

<p>Here are my thoughts on each school: </p>

<p>Mizzou: If I attend I’ll be a Walter Williams Scholars in the Journalism school, which has the benefit of skipping some general freshman seminars and the ability to take some sophomore classes, a personal mentor, a $1000 internship at Washington Post or New York times, and really, just starting out as a big fish in a big pond. The program is really hands-on and the opportunities are pretty amazing, but I’m still not sure if journalism is definitely my future. If I pursue journalism though, I would want to have a strong background in whatever I plan to write, and though the J- school is amazing, the other schools in Missouri are just not up to par. I’m also a little worried about a large gap of academic achievement between me and the average Mizzou student and that I’ll become isolated. Also I am a little uncomfortable that the small percentage of minorities at Mizzou will isolate me as well (I don’t judge but I’m worried that some will). And even though the campus and Columbia is alright, I despise the fact that the town basically has a 50 mile radius of cornfields surrounding it. My AP credit would go pretty far here and also, even though money isn’t a major concern (my parents will support and pay for whatever school I decide on), one cannot ignore an $11,000 tuition (my Mizzou scholarships calculated into out-of-state tuition) vs. the tuition of private institutions these days. Just a drop in the bucket but still weight to the matter nonetheless: I have saved a spot in the non-binding housing and my roommate is probably ideal in my case and has been incredibly supportive and understanding with my dilemma. She says she’ll stick with me until I make my decision; oh the kindness of strangers <em>small smile</em>
I’m not sure how familiar people are with the program so here’s a small link Missouri</a> School of Journalism: The Journalism Scholars and Walter Williams Scholars Programs</p>

<p>Wellesley: I’m quite conflicted with this school, mostly because some aspects of Wellesley are unknown territories to me. The professors and the eclectic English classes basically could have emerged from my dreams. Same goes for the unbelievably gorgeous campus (Wellesley? No, no I think you mean Hogwarts). Choral groups are present and the MIT cross registration is a nice plus. The student body is definitely passionate and diverse, but I have heard both ends of the spectrum that Wellesley women become lifetime friends and also that they’re just cutthroat Drama queens. I was so turned off by how separate the college is from the town Wellesley, which if you have never been, is basically a haven of platinum blonde moms, SUVS, and children boutiques. I absolutely ADORE Boston though-- I love how the young population and modern life is intertwined with the incredible history, but it’s actually not as close as I though it was. And also, even though I plan on working hard in college, I also plan to play hard which I'm not sure is doable at Wellesley-- I’m not sure if I can balance a rigorous course load (maybe too rigorous?) and a normal social life; I would have to put an extra effort to meet guys and set aside spare time to venture out of the Wellesley bubble on a 40 minute bus ride to Boston/Cambridge. But I have some good friends going to colleges in the Boston area and I’m quite easygoing and love meeting new people (feel free to enlighten me about Wellesley social life though). Also when I think about it, if I was smack dab in the middle of Boston with boys galore, the temptation to party and not study might be too much for me-- I give in quite easily to temptations to socialize and have fun so maybe the restraints of Wellesley would do me some good. It’s quite interesting now that I think about it and wonder what others would think: Will Wellesley kill my social life or save my gpa? Basically my relationship with Wellesley is plagued with doubt, intimidation and “I don’t know if I can do it” because I don’t know if I’m so drawn to the school because I actually think I’ll click with Wellesley, or because Wellesley is just so different. </p>

<p>Northwestern: I feel like Northwestern is the safe middle ground between the two and I would get the more “classic” college experience. The school has a lot of strengths in different programs which would allow me to explore a variety of different things and also it has a great community sense amongst such a diverse student population. There’s also a lot of renowned extracurricular activities I’m interested in like the Meow comedy improv, a’ cappella groups, and the great student newspaper. There’s a lot to do and see on campus and I really like the DIY persona I see in the school. Also I feel that Evanston, though still highbrow, has more of a college-town feel to it than Wellesley and still has the proximity to a major city. I’m not sure how I feel about the quarter system: Since I have a problem with procrastination, it could be that the quarter system would help keep me on my toes and focused more on my academics, but you know, there’s also the possibility that I would just be unable to keep up with the workload. Also my schedule would be completely skewed from a lot of other colleges, and I know some Northwestern kids who get pretty lonely on their breaks. If people could give me more insight on the quarter system and academic workload for an English major in WCAS that would be extremely helpful. I have also been informed that since I’m from the Chicago suburbs, heading off to school in the Chicagoland area, you get somewhat confined to the Midwest after college, because of the lack of connections elsewhere; If anyone finds truths or faults in this matter, I would gladly appreciate it. </p>

<p>Didn’t realize my dilemma would be the same length as “War & Peace” so those of you who have taken the time to read through, I really really appreciate it. Northwestern probably seems the best fit for me, but I find Wellesley strangely alluring and am finding it difficult to leave behind. Mizzou’s offers are also quite difficult to ignore. So, tell me what you think and whether anything that I said or that you know is standing out to you. Feel free to enlighten me on anything you feel I have misinterpreted. Thanks!</p>

<p>Edit: Weather doesn’t really play a major factor (I’m from Chicago and boy, can I DEAL with funky weather), nor does the proximity to home really. I’d also like to note as I reread what I wrote, that the lack of doubt found in my writing about Northwestern may be due to the fact that I’m quite familiar with the school having grown up with it always around me-- I know the programs, I know the campus, and I know the general path kids go on afterwards; such familiarity does not correspond with Wellesley or Mizzou. And if anyone cares to know, my parents told me they will support whatever decision I choose, but I know they favor Wellesley over the other two.</p>

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<p>I am voting for Northwestern because you're not sure if you will go into journalism, Mizzou might not be the best fit. I'm also not sure that you <em>want</em> Wellesley as much as it seems that Wellesley represents something that attracts you. (By the way, if you were certain about journalism, I would say go to Mizzou. That's a beautiful opportunity!)</p>

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<p>You are so thoughtful all by yourself, that it's hard to add any meaningful advice.</p>

<p>Mizzou is good for journalism, but all your doubts about the rest of it are valid, and you have two better options. NW seems like a safe choice. If you want an adventure, you might prefer Wellesley. Either way, you can't go wrong.</p>

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<p>A friend's daughter chose not to go to Mizzou-J school for the same reasons you have. She wasn't 100% sure that journalism would be her path and the rest of the school just wasn't at the same level academically. Wellesley and NU would both be great choices. If you want to go out of your comfort zone, try W. If you want to stick with something you know well, go with NU.</p>

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<p>How did you decide in the past when faced with a significant choice, and how did those choices turn out for you?</p>

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<p>I am extremely familiar with Columbia. The cornfield radius is more like 100 miles, not 50. Columbia may have more going on than you think, but it is still a college town, not an urban area. It is two hours by car to an urban area.</p>

<p>On the other hand, there are many hiking and biking trails and lots of beautiful conservation areas nearby, so IF those activities are important for you, that could be considered a plus.</p>

<p>I feel like I should comment on your reservation about the quarter system. You mention that it may not be for you because you are a procrastinator. Whoa, whoa, whoa. You cannot make it as a journalism student or as a journalist if you do not cure the procrastination habit. I started college life as a journalism major; working fast and on the spot is the hallmark of the field, and late stories are dead stories. Procrastination = stress.</p>

<p>I think NU is the obvious choice for you, except that you want to see different places. Perhaps you can concentrate on arranging summer internships in coastal cities?</p>

<p>My many friends on the faculty at Mizzou will hate me for encouraging a top student to go somewhere else. There are a lot of very strong students at Mizzou, many (not all) of them in the J-school. But you are correct that there are also a lot of less serious students. I'm not sure that is a fatal problem, because it means you will stand out and be first in line for various opportunities. However, if you think it will bother you a lot, then it probably will.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

7

<p>"I have also been informed that since I’m from the Chicago suburbs, heading off to school in the Chicagoland area, you get somewhat confined to the Midwest after college, because of the lack of connections elsewhere; If anyone finds truths or faults in this matter, I would gladly appreciate it."</p>

<p>Oh, that's not true. NU has a national reputation.
Unless you're absolutely 100% committed to journalism, I understand your concerns about Mizzou. I agree that NU is your safer choice, Wellesley might be putting yourself out there a bit more, but either way, congrats!</p>

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<p>LonelyFishbowl: I sent you a PM with some thoughts based on our family's experience and our son's decision to attend Mizzou for journalism. You express all the complicated pieces of your decision very well--and you remind me that at this moment, I would not want to be in the shoes of a high school senior! Each of your choices has pluses and minuses, and it sounds like you need to "meditate" (literally or figuratively) on this decision for a couple of weeks. Best of luck to you.</p>

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<p>LonelyFishbowl - Just reading your wonderfully thought out, concise post, tells me you are not going to have trouble ANYWHERE you decide to go. Although it sounds sort of corny, I would take a sheet of paper and write out the pluses and minuses of each and see what you come up with. Write down everything. That is how my younger D finally made a decision between 4 schools. Just seeing it on paper sometimes causes the truth to hit you between the eyes. Also, we have come to decide that a place is often what you make of it. They ALL have negatives - just which of the negatives would you better be able to tolerate.</p>

<p>My nephew is a freshman at Northwestern. He is freakishly smart - 2390 SAT on his one and only sitting, Presidential Scholar semi, NMF, etc. etc. and he says the quarter system at NU is just a constant deluge of difficult work. That being said, he does like when your break comes (winter holiday, spring break) you have no homework. THAT being said, he had no friends around during Spring Break and he will not get home until nearly mid-June. I always wondered how that would impact internships and summer jobs. I am sure many NU students do those things so I am guessing they have worked it out. He chose NU over CalTech and Harvey Mudd because he was not sure that science would ultimately be the way he wanted to go and NU would provide more choices. He seems happy at NU. I don't personally know much about this topic, but if you DID happen to decide on Journalism, I remember reading articles about unhappiness among students regarding the cirriculum - <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0215edit3feb15,0,6989035.story%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0215edit3feb15,0,6989035.story&lt;/a> (this is the best article I could find - I know there are better articles out there).</p>

<p>A friend of my D's is a journalism student at Mizzou and is very happy there.
She came from our mediocre public high school and was an average student there, so she finds the coursework challenging (she is also an athlete at the school). You concerns about having like-minded peers is very valid. There would be a few - just not in the numbers you would find at NU and Wellesley. The town of Columbia is actually very nice - a great area with shops, restaurants, etc. We often stop there for a meal when driving to younger D's school.</p>

<p>Another suggestions would be that you copy your original post and start a thread on the NU and Wellesly forums. Of course their responses would be one-sided, as you would expect, but you would get peole who are very tuned into those schools.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you - you have some fabulous choices and are probably the envy of many students on this site.</p>

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<p>Current Mizzou student here.</p>

<p>Let me be the first to say that I could not agree with you more. Mizzou DOES NOT have the reputation NU has at all. In fact, Mizzou was my safety school and the only reason I even applied was because my parents are both alums and the application literally took me five minutes to fill out (in retrospect, I wish I knew last year that I would be heading here--would have made my senior year so much better!). I ended up visiting, decided I <em>could</em> stand it if I absolutely had to go (my parents were essentially making me--it was all they would pay for, and I don't want lots of loans), and figured I'd give it a shot. I can confidently say that deciding to go here is one of the best decisions I have made. However, I am from St. Louis, and Mizzou's proximity to my home played a major role in my decision.</p>

<p>Let me address some of the concerns I think you raised:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Journalism school: If you want to be a journalist, there really is no better place to go. "The first and the finest" has surrounded that portion of campus for quite some time. I'm sure you're aware of why the J-school is so highly regarded (controlling Columbia's newspaper, The Missourian, and Columbia's NBC channel KOMU are two major ones) and that it is celebrating its 100th anniversary next year so most facilities are getting a major facelift. There are SO MANY J-school students and I would easily say that 3 out of every 4 out of staters are here for the J-school. Should you choose to attend because you decide journalism is right for you, you will not be let down. And not that it really matters or anything, but one of the more regular male evening news anchors is extremely, extremely hot (obviously, this is not a valid reason for choosing a school and was meant humorously). WW scholars presents you with a great opportunity that, to me at least, would be difficult to pass up. I think this is where your dilemma is factoring in.</p></li>
<li><p>Columbia: To a kid from St. Louis, Columbia is right in the middle of town/city in my opinion. There is enough to do and many more opportunities than you probably realize (yes, it's a smaller town, but it is also a college town rich with jobs, entertainment, restaurants, etc). While Columbia is not Chicago or Evanston, I would hardly say it's podunk-y enough to consider it a major deterrent. Although many of the surrounding areas are rural, some of them are actually pretty cool and the size of our campus (which to my friends from smaller schools "is like a community in and of itself") means you don't really have to venture outside of Columbia that often.</p></li>
<li><p>Lack of top students: This was Mizzou's biggest turnoff for me. If I'm smart enough/well-rounded enough/fill-in-the-blank enough to get into my biggest reach school, why on earth would I "settle" for my only safety? Mind boggling. As totally cliched as it sounds, college is what YOU make of it. How did I take my state's school and turn it into a meaningful college experience? Easy. I surround myself with like-minded people and get involved (which is something a student like you would do anywhere). For me, this means taking Honors courses, getting to know administrators (I've got the dean of the Honors college, the vice chancellor for student affairs, the director of residence life, and the chancellor himself up to first-name-basis level, though I tend to still use their professional titles), finding a great internship at a cancer research lab (I'm bio major, pre-med), participating in Greek life (a great idea, if you're at all interested), taking on leadership positions (and being a member of the Chancellor's Leadership Class), and really immersing myself in Mizzou's culture. I've immersed myself in Mizzou's culture by going outside my comfort zone to make new friends (pleasantly surprising), taking graduate-level classes, going to as many home football games as possible (they almost take on a religious following), pursuing as many leadership positions as I can handle, and doing whatever else possible to put my tuition dollars to work. I am having a phenomenal time and do not feel like I have shortchanged myself in the least. If you are willing to work and forge your own path, you will find challenging courses and incredibly intelligent people. Not to puncture your ego, but to think you will be far and away academically better than all your peers is crazy. But if you are, wow!</p></li>
</ol>

<p>(As a side note, I was speaking with my leadership TA the other day about why Mizzou isn't nationally ranked higher than it is. Why isn't Mizzou, which shares many of the same facilities and depth/breath of programs as many other highly regarded state universities, ranked with them? Among other reasons, the one that I found most convincing is that Missouri lacks a second choice. Mizzou vs Missouri State/other MU schools is NOTHING like Michigan vs Michigan State or Virginia vs Virginia Tech, etc. Mizzou, as Missouri's major land-grant university, has an obligation to provide a college education to its citizens. If there were an alternative to Mizzou within the MU system, Mizzou would then be able to specialize and be more selective. At the present time, this is not the case.)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Feel in general: The sheer size of MU (Just shy of 28,000 students) means that there is something for everyone and you will not be alone. This to me was another huge factor--I came from a small high school and had no clue what it would be like to be surrounded by so many people. What this means is that you will be able to do literally whatever you want. Create your major, make a new club, play 20 RecSports--it's up to you, but no one will hold your hand. If you have the drive and determination to make a state school work for you, you will easily find yourself at Mizzou. </p></li>
<li><p>Price point: The pricetag for Mizzou is what in the end sold it to me. I can go here for slightly less than you would be able to after all is said and done (factoring in in-state tuition and merit scholarships), and to me being able to save many of my "financial eggs" for my "grad school basket" (or in my case, med school hopefully) is a huge benefit. I decided that with my type of personality, the odds that my undergraduate experience would be similar regardless of the school I chose was extremely high. It was pretty likely that I would pursue an Honors track, be a bio major pre-med, get involved, establish myself as a leader, and do research at any school I attended. Therefore, choosing the most economically-sound (read: cheapest) path was a good option for me.</p></li>
<li><p>Comparison to NU: I have yet to hear many negatives about Northwestern. As far as I can tell, it's only major drawback is that it's so expensive. NUs J-school is also top notch, and chances are that a degree from NU will hold more clout than one from MU. Is brand name important to you? If so, in my opinion go with Northwestern--that's a no-brainer. If you are at all interested in saving thousands of dollars and still getting an incredible worthwhile education, go to Mizzou. I can confidently say you will not be sorry. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I'm just realizing how long this is and doubt anyone but the OP will care to read the entire post! To lonelyfish, feel free to PM or IM me (kristin5792) any time if you want more MU insights.</p>

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<p>I'd be interested in each school's policies on transferring into either their english program or J-school once you're there. I'd wonder if I got to one school, and decided I wanted the other major, what are the possibilities I could transfer into it.</p>

<p>Also, if you do journalism, I'd make sure I understood what emphasis within the J-schools are available. My daughter would not consider NU because it didn't offer the journalism emphasis she was interested in, and so she chose Syracuse instead. While Medill is highly respected, its curriculum is different than that of many J-schools. Make sure you'd be OK with its emphasis and approach, in case you decide (and can) transfer in if you go there and decide that's what you want.</p>

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<p>Thanks, everyone has been giving such great advice!! I wish I could thank you all personally now, but I really have to get back to work (lol) so I would just like to say few things before I go:</p>

<p>kristen5792: Thanks for showing me a real picture of Mizzou from a student's perspective. I'll pm you soon.</p>

<p>midmo: Sorry I should elaborate on my statement about my definition of procrastination and the NU quarter system. When I work under stress, I work under the best condition which is why I put things off. Some may retort that this will be my downfall in college, but I have always met deadline and I always meet them well. I know it might not be the most favorable conditions, but it's how i've always worked, and will probably continue to work (that doesn't mean I breezed through high school just doing everything last minute though). I also wanted to clarify that I thought the quarter system, with less time to kill, would actually be BENEFICIAL due to my gravitation to work under stress. Debatable I know.</p>

<p>to teriwtt: Yes Medill recently renovated their entire curriculum-- I'm not sure if i like it or not, but I personally think that they're ahead of the J-school game as print journalism is slowly (and sadly) becoming more obsolete with the new technology these days. I also heard it's incredibly easy to transfer from Medill, but difficult to transfer in from NU's other colleges. I hope your daughter is loving Syracuse--they have an amazing program!</p>

<p>Also, just wanted to state that I think that all of these institutions are prestigious in their own way, and for that reason the name of the school doesn't add much weight to any side for me. </p>

<p>Ahh got to go!</p>

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<p>My older daughter faced the same dilemna a year ago--Mizzou and the Walter Williams Scholars program in journalism versus her other choice, the University of Maryland. Although Maryland has a very highly regarded journalism program, the opportunities in Williams can't be duplicated, and the cost savings would have been very significant. However, my daughter had many of the same issues with Missouri which you have identified--diversity, remoteness from a large city, quality of other departments aside from journalism, and gap between the upper students at Mizzou and the average student. In the end, after much thought, she decided to attend Maryland, where she is very happy. I think, and she does too, that she would have been happy at Missouri as well, but she made her decision and hasn't looked back.</p>

<p>There is no "right" decision here--you have great choices, and you'll do fine at any of them. Mizzou is a terrific school for a would be journalist, and the people there are very friendly and helpful. I grew up 6 blocks from Northwestern, and attended law school there, and it is a wonderful school set next to what I believe (admittedly as a homer) is the greatest, most liveable city in the world. Wellsley has a sterling reputation, and Boston is an exciting place to go to college. Rather than agonizing about your decision, pick the one which suits your gut and go there. FWIW, since college is the first time you really have a chance to live independantly, and the last time you get to do so without financial and/or family responsibilities, I'd opt to favor the four years where I would grow most as a person. Depending on your personality, that could be at any of the three schools.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>My own daughter has a similar dilemma, does she take a fellowship at a state univesity or enter as a regular student at an elite private college?
Money is a big factor for us, so our decision matrices may be quite different.
I have done quite a bit of counseling college students (I'm a prof) so let me take a crack. I'm a Chicago native who is on faculty at a SE college now, but I have lived all over the country.</p>

<p>Bottom Line: Think very carefully over which school wants YOU the most. Who will take better care of you? Who will make your four years of college the best experience? As a Williams Scholar at Mizzou, you'll be treated as royalty...dinners with university officials, showcased to visiting DVs, first shot at housing, at fellowships, at travel opportunites, at internships, and at registration. You'll probably finish in 3 years, with your AP credits. Your other two choices specialize in care and feeding of students, W more so than NU, but you'll be one of many. So my recommendation is Mizzou.</p>

<p>I do have a bias. :) I went to Mizzou for my M.A. about ten years ago; it is a great university in a classic college town of wonderful livibility. Traffic and expenses and urban stress will be a joke compared to Chicago. I liked Columbia better than Champaign, but not as much as Ann Arbor, if that helps. Mizzou is one of the few universities with a regular TV/radio station and newspaper, not a "college" one, which is one reason their journalism majors get such great jobs upon graduation. </p>

<p>I can't speak to Wellsley, other than first hand knowledge that it is a beautiful campus, but so is NU and Missouri. Wellsley is an elite East coast liberal arts college, with all the benefits and liablities that brings with it. If you're from money, the social and values issues probably won't be a problem for you. If you're more middle class, it might be difficult.<br>
At Wellsley, you'll be treated as one of many, but as a small elite school, that isn't so bad. I don't know your stats, but if you think you fall in the lower half of applicants to Wellsley, then your care and feeding will probably be different then if you're one of the chosen ones at Missouri.
I know Northwestern well; I turned down entry there (a while ago!) to attend a small Midwestern liberal arts college. I have returned there many times for work and pleasure, since my family is still in Chicago. I did not go to NU because my only way to pay for it was to do Navy ROTC, and I didn't want to take that path. Northwestern is a great school in a fabulous location. It, like Mizzou, also has a fabulous Journalism school, although if you did not apply through that school initially, you may have your work cut out for you to get in as a transfer student. Northwestern has a weird schedule, by the way, it starts late in Sep and finishes in June, which means you'll miss a month in fall and summer seeing old friends, if that's an issue. But if you live in the Chi area, then they can come see you at NU. They also give you a whole week off between classes and finals, which is very nice. </p>

<p>Well, I too, am getting to War and Peace length, so I'll close by wishing you all the best. And if you decide on Mizzou, then hit up Mom and Dad for a new car!</p>

15

<p>Notes from a parent of a Wellesley student. Your assessment is keen. Wellesley College is distinctive academically, architecturally, geographically, and socially. That mix (while good for my D) is not right for everyone. In terms of the caliber and character of the students, my D's assessment is they are accomplished and incredibly articulate. No complaints about drama queens. Social life? I know she goes to Boston and Cambridge once a week (each) and seems to visit friends at MIT and Brandeis and elsewhere. There is a greater separation of social versus academic activities at Wellesley than probably occurs at a co-ed school. Whether that is good for a particular individual or not is hard to say. Have you stayed overnight at any of the schools?</p>

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<p>Doc makes a good point. I would add that part of the "incentive" to go to Mizzou from my parents was that with the money they'd save over sending me to UVA they would be happy to pay for anything college-related that I wanted to do. Maybe you could strike a deal similar with your parents?</p>

<p>Hence, I'm spending next summer in Europe. Should be fun to check CC from the Mediterranean, don't you think? ;)</p>

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<p>One thing our tour guide told us when we visited Mizzou is that it's fairly easy to establish Missouri residency. You have to live there for a year (over a summer) and earn something like $2000. At that point, you're eligible for in-state tuition. She said a lot of the J-school students stay over that first summer to do this. Caveat: this is just what we heard, have not verified it - but it could be a factor in your decision.</p>

18

<p>
[quote]
When I work under stress, I work under the best condition which is why I put things off.

[/quote]

In that case, you'll love the quarter system ;)</p>

19

<p>OregonianMom is correct in that establishing in-state residency is relatively easy in Missouri. It does require you live here over a summer and make $2000+ on your own, and you can even be hired by the University as a Summer Welcome Leader (no small feat--very competitive application/interviewing process) which is designed to give out of staters the necessary time/income to become instate for the following year.</p>

<p>However, I've heard conflicting things about establishing residency and the fact that you may or may not have to be declared financially independent of your parents. This could be a problem for you because chances are any kid of health insurance you have is through your parent's provider, and if you are no longer a dependent of them then you may be ineligible for benefits. Something worth checking further into, that's for sure!</p>

20

<p>I strongly suggest leaving the Chicago area, you can transfer back into it but it will broaden your horizons to leave (having the world come to you is not the same as leaving for exposure to people from other places). Northwestern is more conservative than liberal in outlook from my understanding- take into account your political and other leanings. Another big decision is public versus private for the overall feel (btw, kristin5792-regarding Missouri, UW-Madison is highly ranked and it has no competition instate). Rank your priorities, even if you did so last fall, and then see where each school falls in the list for your top ones. Lastly, no matter which school you choose, you will not make a mistake- each school will teach you somethings about yourself as well as the academics. Good luck.</p>