<p>Okay, I'm trying to narrow down my application list, and these three schools I'm really considering. I haven't visited any, but I have talked to people and read about them so I wanted to see what more people think.</p>
<p>These three schools are all in/near a city, so location doesn't really matter. </p>
<p>JHU: I hear the food isn't very good and that there is a general lack of focus on the undergraduate student body. My friend who did a summer program there found the campus 'boring'. I'm really interested in their IR program, but if these things are true, that could really affect my decision. </p>
<p>Northwestern: I'm also really interested in the arts, so Northwestern seemed like a great school. I also like the suburban environment. However, I hear it is surprisingly cut-throat and competitive within the school.</p>
<p>U. Chicago: 'Where the fun goes to die'. Since I have a friend at U. Chicago, I know how much work they do, but it sounds like they do also have a lot of fun. I hear the student body is a little off-beat and weird, which isn't necessarily a bad thing to...a certain extent...</p>
<p>Since these schools are kinda out of my way, if anyone who has visited or knows anything more could reply it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I'll chime in about Chicago, but I should also mention that JHU and NU were on my radar too, so I don't think you can go wrong.</p>
<p>As far as offbeatness, I think you will find a few people who are offbeat in a really amazing and wonderful way. You'll also find people who turn you off a bit in their offbeatness. You'll also find people who are not offbeat at all.</p>
<p>"Cutthroat competitive" just doesn't fit NU culture. After all, Kellogg is the school that pioneered the emphasis on teamwork in MBA curriculum and it became a model to follow for other schools, including Harvard.</p>
<p>As a follow up to post #3: Northwestern's law school also encourages team work & people skills. In fact, the law school at Northwestern University is the only major law school that requires interviews for all applicants so that applicants' interpersonal skills can be evaluated. Also, don't confuse a goal oriented work ethic with competitiveness. In my opinion, JHU students are more competitive with one another than are Northwestern students. If you are pre-med, then give all three a serious look. If you are not pre-med, then you might want to limit your travel to the Chicago area. As an intended biology major, you may also want to consider Rice University in Houston, Texas if you can deal with the weather (high heat & humidity).</p>
<p>Regarding Hopkins: Yes, the food used to be terrible but the administration recognized that and made significant changes--new vendor, new and/upgradedfacilities, much better menus. The situation is now much better. Is it a gourmet restaurant? No, but now it will be on par with its peer institutions. </p>
<p>Lack of focus on undergraduates? I have the feeling that you spoke to someone who went there a long time ago. Sure, Hopkins is a research university so undergrads are not the only focus but that is equally true of Chicago and Northwestern. Hopkins has spent a ton in recent years specifically to improve the undergraduate experience. You really need to visit. </p>
<p>The campus is boring? Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I think (and I'm not alone) that Homewood is one of the most beautiful urban campuses around. The campus is mostly Georgian archecture set in a park-like environment. Chicago, on the other hand, is collegiate Gothic (as is Northwestern). Both styles are nice and neither is boring. </p>
<p>All three are good schools and comparable in many ways. One way in which they are not comparable is the field you want to study. There are five schools in this country which, as a group, are head and shoulders above all others in international studies: Hopkins, Georgetown, Princeton, Columbia and Tufts. Sorry, but Chicago and Northwestern aren't close in that field. If you wanted to study economics--I'd give Chicago the edge; business--I'd choose Northwestern. But international studies is an easy call.</p>
<p>Yeah, I'm stuck between IR, econ, and political science. </p>
<p>Thanks for clearing a lot of this up. These were all things I had heard from other people, so this helps a lot in giving me a more accurate view of the colleges. </p>