<p>Hey guys,
I was recently admitted to Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and Uchicago. Now, withstanding the utter difference in curriculum of the two schools (my major is still undecided) I was wondering if you guys could help me with some of my major concerns.
One, im concerned Chicago's just too nerdy and that I won't have any fun while I'm there. I obviously want to focus on school, but having fun is important for me. Two, I'm wondering if there's any difference in prestige between the two schools, especially with the Murphy institute helping out NU. Third, I was looking at schools in cities more, and I was wondering if NU has any of that sort of feel (I'm assuming no, and I've heard trips to Chicago are rare). Finally, I just want to know what's great about Northwestern - I'm leaning that way, but want to make the right choice.
Cheers.</p>
<p>A significant thing you should consider is that there is no engineering program at UChicago, since you mention how you were admitted to McCormick, so I’m assuming you’re pursuing an engineering career.</p>
<p>I’m pretty undecided at this point - if i go to mccormick, ill be a biomed major, and if i go to uchicago itll probably be a chemistry major. the engineering isnt a dealbreaker for me. Thanks for answering :)</p>
<p>^Our chemistry is awesome and ranked higher. So either way, academically, you can’t go wrong with Northwestern.</p>
<p>McCormick will keep you pretty busy though; not sure how much fun you will have. </p>
<p>By the way, you may want to read this piece: <a href=“Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon”>Delays keep Proof from silver screen – Chicago Maroon;
<p>Prestige? No difference.</p>
<p>Fun? Even engineers have fun. Workload the hardest with GPAs the lowest but most forgiven by employers - job prospects still the best, and that takes a lot of the pressure off. No med or law school apps, IB/consultancy job GPA cut-offs, to think about (unless, even as an engineer you veer off course in those directions). </p>
<p>City? Wide range of use of Chicago by students. Freshmen generally stay close to home. Most upperclassmen use the city a fair amount, anywhere from once or twice a month to several times weekly. Getting back and forth by public trans/NU trans very easy and cheap. UC may be in the heart of very urban Chicago, but there’s little in Hyde Park recreation-wise and transportation to parts of the city you’d want to hang out is equally accessible to them from the south, us from the North.</p>
<p>… and I’ve heard trips to Chicago are rare.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, my D is a freshman Theatre major and she and her friends go in to Chicago frequently – often for classwork! The city is easily accessible and many students take full advantage of it, even while enjoying the benefits of a lovely lakeside campus in Evanston.</p>
<p>UChicago isn’t as nerdy as it was 10 years ago. Most of the people there are extremely socially capable to the extent that, say, Harvard students are. Northwestern students like partying more, but I wouldn’t say that makes them any more socially capable.</p>
<p>Strictly within Chicago, UChicago and Northwestern are regarded as near-equals. Outside of Chicago, UChicago has the stronger name brand. In some cases, especially internationally, the difference is considerable.</p>
<p>Although Hyde Park doesn’t have as much to offer as Evanston in terms of “fun,” it’s closer to downtown. You can get from Hyde Park to Michigan Avenue in 20 minutes. You can do no such thing from Evanston.</p>
<p>^Right, but NU can get there in 30-40 minutes, and we have a MUCH shorter time getting to all the fun north side neighborhoods. There are no fun south side neighborhoods.</p>
<p>Fun northside neighborhoods? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Well, if the whitebread, hipster atmosphere is your thing, then by all means.</p>
<p>I was thinking more Argyle, but your response was the sort of condescending snobbery that’s reflective of UChicago’s image, so well done.</p>
<p>(My mother is a UChicago alumna, so this is more light hearted ribbing than anything).</p>
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<p>Actually, recent data doesn’t support this assertion. Northwestern recently ranked #6 worldwide among CEOs at leading companies in a list of schools where they most heavily recruit, while UChicago ranked #10. ;-D </p>
<p>[Education</a> - Image - NYTimes.com](<a href=“Education - Image - NYTimes.com”>Education - Image - NYTimes.com)</p>
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<p>I have NO real info on this, but a funny anecdotal story. Before visiting D at Northwestern during Family Weekend this year, S, DH and I spent a couple nights in Chicago and went to Second City one night. About 1/3 of the audience was sorority girls from Northwestern. They were extremely mature, friendly and generally impressive (and I say this as someone with a bit of an anti-Greek bias). About 1/3 were students from UChicago, and honestly if the folks from Second City had tried to play nerds onstage they could not have done a more stereotypical imitation. Our S had planned to apply to UChicago, but that experience wiped it clean off his list and moved NU higher on it. ;-D</p>
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<p>Outside of Chicago (at least in the US), NU has the stronger name brand due to playing Div I sports (tho UoC probably has the edge among academics).</p>
<p>^UChicago is actually not well-known in its own city oddly enough. Its prestige is definitely stronger outside of Chicago than within it.</p>
<p>^ I was trying to be generous, after all, the Wildcats are Chicago’s Big Ten team!</p>
<p>By car, without traffic, 30 minutes from Michigan and Superior to the Northwestern arch. We did it Sunday night by taxi (and the taxi driver was driving so slow, it was driving me crazy!)…</p>