<p>I was accepted to NU and JHU and looked very seriously at (but ultimately didn’t apply to) Georgetown, so perhaps I can offer some perspective. DISCLAIMER: I’m currently a junior at Northwestern, so I’m naturally biased in that direction.</p>
<p>All 4 schools will challenge you academically, but Northwestern will give you the most “bang for your buck” IMO. Unless you’re applying for very specific programs (i.e. music or particular engineering fields), an undergrad degree from any top-tier school will mean generally the same thing, both in terms of what you get out of it and its impact in applying for jobs and/or grad schools. The biggest advantage Northwestern has over other top-tier schools (and a big reason why I chose it) is that it offers much more of the “college experience.” </p>
<p>There’s a decent social scene; greek life is big part of it but not to the point that you’ll feel socially isolated if you don’t take part. The campus setting is fantastic; suburban/light urban development surrounds it on three sides with Lake Michigan on the 4th; there’s not one, but two private beaches on campus (sure the weather’s only nice enough to use them for a month or two out of the school year, but hey); and there’s easy (and free!) access to downtown Chicago. The sports teams compete in the Big 10, and even though we may never compete on the levels of OSU or Michigan, we’re right up there with the rest of them; at the same time campus isn’t devoured by sports fans every Saturday, so it’s not imperative that you have the fight song memorized and know every starter on the football team by name. Finally, the whole university and most of the people around are filled with general Midwestern friendliness; for as competitive and prestigious as NU is, there are far fewer people here suffering from a “rectal-cranial inversion” than you might think.</p>
<p>One final point about the financial aid, full tuition from NU is a great deal. You may have a full ride from JHU and Cornell right now, but unless you’re planning on living on campus all 4 years, eventually that “full ride” will mean the same thing as “full tuition,” as you’ll be paying for off-campus housing yourself no matter where you go.</p>
<p>In conclusion: academically, all 4 schools are equally worthy, and while Georgetown, Cornell, and Johns Hopkins may have some non-academic attributes that are appealing, Northwestern offers the most comprehensive “college experience” of the 4 while still maintaining comparable academic and prestige standards. You may not partake of all the options Northwestern has, but it’s better than being left wanting. And since the financial burden isn’t drastically more for you, I would take as much advantage of the options available as possible.</p>
<p>Hopefully that gives you a little info on NU (I did say I was biased). If you’ve got specific questions or want to know more in general feel free to PM me.</p>