Pls help old or current student, or parent.
And he is still on Duke and Dartmouth waitlist. Can we change? should we wait for Duke( getting late)
COA NW is $3400 plus work study, Brown $2700 no work study for freshman
As a parent, I have my worries too for NW. 3 semesters, off holiday periods( summer and spring) from sibling and family, short Christmas holiday breaks, and Chicago weather, very very cold, am African African
Might need to take a loan for NW he is a QuestBridge finalist
Brown is more slow pace and Ivy. better jobs connection after college
Yes am quite ignorant but still a very worried parent so kindly go easy on me
Brown is not more “slow paced”. Did he just get off the waitlist there? Otherwise it is past the decision point and you should stop looking back. Don’t be fooled by the Brown open curriculum, too – they are pushing hard there as well.
Has he visited both schools? Are federal loans already in his aid package?
He will make plenty of connections at Northwestern, and he can get warm clothes. I would not worry about that.
I don’t think that Brown would be slow-paced at all. And if he declined his spot at Brown, it is highly unlikely that the place and the scholarship will be available a month later. Unless he just got in off the waitlist, Brown is in the past. I imagine he had good reasons to choose Northwetern. Once you make a decision you need to look forward and stop looking in the rear view mirror.
@ happy1 and @kimfuge88 Okay. of all am most worried of the 3 semesters as it would be difficult to manage the period. we didnt think through properly.
We just hoping Duke will come through as it has 2 semesters and warmer. but wait is just too long
What is covered in one year of college is covered in one year, some places divide the material into two semesters, other places divide the material into three quarters or trimesters. The total workload is essentially the same.
I’ve taken classes at places with semesters and at places with quarters/trimesters. The only difference that I found is that with quarters/trimesters, you have finals three times each year, and so are forced to keep on top of things a bit more than in the semester system. But to be perfectly honest, that is a GOOD THING!!! Especially for someone with a tough major like engineering, The student can’t slack off at all in engineering, and the quarter system will reinforce that. And, if the student does have trouble with a given class, that difficulty will be identified a lot sooner, and can be dealt with a lot sooner, than in a semester system.
Northwestern is not enough colder than Brown so as to make that something to worry about. Your son would need essentially the same winter wear at Brown as at Northwestern.
If your son is truly interested in getting a spot back at Brown, he should call admissions immediately, tell them of the change of heart and hope a waitlist position is still open. Schools like to protect their yield, so they may find him a place. If not, then he can move on knowing he did everything possible to correct his error.
I do agree with the above posters that your worries are baseless–Northwestern will provide great opportunities and the weather at Brown is not much different than Chicago.
Sorry, but people who say that the weather at Brown is comparable to Northwestern have never lived through a Midwest winter or felt the lake effect of the wind off Lake Michigan when the weather report is 6 below and will feel like 20 below. It can be brutal, but you get the right clothes and bundle up and deal with it. This Northern California wimp was able to handle it when his parents moved us there when I was in high school, so I can personally attest that it’s not fatal, but I totally understand your concern.
I also think Northwestern is a fantastic school and every bit the equivalent of Brown (or more). And, I don’t see anything in your post (or any of the responses) that indicates your son was incorrect in thinking it the better program for what he wants to study.
It is the same amount of work, just sliced differently. I think your worries are unfounded, and Northwestern is stronger in his major (meaning he will likely have better connections if he sticks with that major – but Northwestern really will provide strong connections in any major). Even if he is off the waitlist at Brown, I don’t know that switching will be an advantage for him.
don 't make decisions about college on the basis of vacation timing. Northwestern has as good if not a better reputation (academically-not necessarily in other way) than Brown although both are outstanding.
You haven’t explained why you think Brown is an option now. Did he get off the waitlist? Otherwise a school that competitive has probably given any open spots away already. His COA does not seem that high – summer work could cover it. Or if he has not taken his federal loans as part of the aid package, that should be okay to do given his major.
Is that COA per year or per term? I’m guessing maybe the latter? That could add up. Have you compared transportation costs between the two? That’s something that people often overlook – and it adds up too.
Hasn’t Questbridge made its decisions? Or is there still a chance of money there?
I get the impression that Ivy as much better for job placement. like i said earlier am a mum quite ignorant about these schools. I just want the best for my son
my son was on waistlist with Harvard too but just got released.
he was finalist for Gate Mill Scholarship and didn’t make the final 1000 scholar.
Just too many disappointments
A QuestBrigbe finalist but didn’t make the Match
he worked really hard despite his health challeges and hearing isuess (does not hear on right ear) but didn’t hit any one of his major goals
3.956 GPA
97.9%
missed Val and Sal because of some un-correctable transferred result from 1st semester 9th form a another country
attended 4 high schools because of family situations
No 1 best graduating student academically but overall 3 of 277
Star Student, CTE student of the year
accepted in 12 colleges but not the very ones he wanted. Really tough luck.
GTech, Vanderbilt, Emory, Rice, Tuffs, UNC Chapel Hill, UC Riverside, UMD College park. UGA, Mercer Brown and Northwestern. He wanted Harvard, Duke or Yale
But we have to look forward after this weekend
@AboutTheSame, I’ve lived through winters in both Chicago and New England, and while winters in Chicago are no joke, winters in New England will have long brutal stretches as well, so there’s really no difference there.
Also, COA is usually calculated for the year.
To the OP: As others have mentioned, your fears and assumptions are pretty unwarranted. COA is the only legitimate issue, but there, the key is what is left after subtracting grants from tuition and R&B for the two schools? Different schools calculate COA differently.
There are thousands of kids out there who would give their eye teeth to have his options. I hope he knows that. In his field, I do not think that Brown has any advantages over Northwestern. I hope both of you will be happy with the final choice. ATS
sorry just seeing see posts @AboutTheSame COA for NU is for the year @intparent We have Duke more on our mind now, but Brown sound cheaper and more affordable. He was accepted at Brown not on waitlisted
