<p>Looking at future opportunities. Would it behoove somebody to go to Northwestern that has no desire to be in the Midwest? Or if one wants to remain in California (Bay Area) as far as connections and future opportunity goes would it be better to go to a pretty good school like University of San Francisco or UC Davis?
Is the higher tuition at Northwestern worth prestige and employment far out of its region?
Thoughts?</p>
<p>also looking at the law placements after graduation, the graduates generally go…</p>
<p>Midwest</p>
<p>49%</p>
<p>Northeast</p>
<p>28%</p>
<p>West</p>
<p>16%</p>
<p>South</p>
<p>6%</p>
<p>International</p>
<p>1%</p>
<p>I do like Chicago, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t something I would want to do long term and have too many other things and family obligations to be in the SF Bay Area.
I suspect non law graduates might stay in the midwest/northeast even more but wasn’t able to find that kind of data.</p>
<p>Hi jdjdjdjd-
From my perspective…4th generation Californian/Bay Area…btw I supported the rationale my DD used to select the college she eventually matriculated.
DD felt it was important to experience other parts of the country, and broaden her horizons. She also wanted a college that would challenge her academically, and would have a student body that was intellectually stimulating. She had attended a large urban public high school, and wanted a college where she would interface more with the professors. She felt her ability to secure employment would be enhanced by graduating from a top tier university.
The two schools you have mentioned are not traditionally overlaps for NU. If you had mentioned Stanford, then I could better understand the quandary. DD, however, did not apply to Stanford, as it did not offer, in her opinion, the strong department in her area of interest that she was seeking…and it was in California.
Depending on your family’s financial situation, the COA may be the same as UC Davis…now which school do YOU feel is the best choice. No wrong answers-just what you feel “feeds your soul”.
G’Luck-APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>This doesn’t answer your question, but hopefully will provide some context:</p>
<p>I went to NU coming from the east coast with every expectation of returning east for work (or going elsewhere for law school and then going to NY, Philly, or DC).</p>
<p>I am a 2010 grad living and working in Chicago. I stayed not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Some (certainly not all) of my fellow 2010ers stayed in Chicago and I have quite a few friends a yr or two younger than me still in Evanston. i didn’t want to be far away from NU football games (I bought season tix), homecoming, or anything else that goes on at my fair alma mater.</p>
<p>In a few years, I might move back to the east coast to be with my family. I don’t know. We’ll see. I just loved the people, places, and things during my 4 yrs at NU that I am not ready to be a plane ride away from it. </p>
<p>To reiterate this is to neither scare you into thinking you’ll be “brainwashed” into staying, sway you into thinking that if you go to NU you will NEED to stay, or to encourage you to come to NU because everything is perfect out in Evanston/Chicago.</p>
<p>I am but one of the roughly 2,000 stories of the class of 2010.</p>
<p>It should be pointed out law school placement is completely independent of where you go to school and entirely dependent on your grades and LSAT scores. If all you care about is ending up in California at law school, go either place, study your ass off, and get a 4.0 and 170+, and enroll at whatever Law School you like.</p>
<p>Arbiter’s point is technically accurate, but a bit oversimplified. Three things to consider:
- Undergrad school has SOME weight. Not a ton. Not a lot. Probably not enough to cover for the fact that a student who gets a 3.0 at NU could probably get a 3.7 at State School U. But some. It isn’t ZERO weight.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Going to a better school will open up better opportunities for extra-curriculars, improve your writing, and indirectly improve your LSAT. This is a bit of conjecture on my part, but going to a school with top minds(both as profs and fellow students) will force you to step your game up. Greatness is the norm and the expectation. Your letters of rec will be written by pioneers in their field. Clubs will be more challenging and more numerous. (I’m aware that this is largely conjecture and somewhat conditional. I acknowledge my bias.)</p></li>
<li><p>You might not go to law school. I am but one example of a kid who came to Evanston swearing he was off to law school in 4 yrs. I have many friends who got jobs, decided to pursue a separate graduate degree, are on a fellowship, or are doing Teach For America. I can name about 10 people who are doing TFA and I didn’t even know what it was when I entered college. And yes, undergraduate school matters a LOT if you’re doing TFA. NU is one of the biggest feeders to TFA - supplying more members than many large state schools which should be beat us based on sheer numbers.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Do you guys think I have a better chance of getting accepted if I play ED and I am Asian from Southern Cali, as it adds some diversity to the school or does Northwestern not really care about that</p>
<p>Applying ED should give you a real boost but not because of diversity, because of ED. Asian from California? NU is about 20% Asian and more than 20% of undergrads come from the West/SW.</p>
<p>Asian adds diversity? That’s news. Unless you’re like, Malay, or some other less common (Japanese, etc.)</p>
<p>We are pleased to have a student at NU and love Chicago. We currently live in SF Bay Area and think it’s wise to travel and know other great cities and regions of the country and world. Why not? This is one of the benefits of living in this time. In past, going to college away from home was less typical.
btw I don’t see parallels between NU and UC Davis, either.</p>