<p>Since I want to do International Affairs, everyone says I should go to Macalester, but I don't know what avenue I want to take in International affairs yet. So some people say I should go to Northwestern since I can explore and your undergrad education is broad anyway and I should just go somewhere for graduate that focuses more on international affairs. Meaning, Northwestern's name alone would allow me to get into pretty much any graduate school I wanted. What do you all think? I'm torn.</p>
<p>Both names will serve you equally well in grad school applications, it is one aspect of Macalester that the college stresses heavily. Working in International Affairs at Mac pretty much gets you a big fat gold star, the department is well respected nationally.
But Northwestern and Macalester are VERY different campus environments, and as both are fabulous schools, I think it is more important to focus on what type, size and location of school you want.
And of course, if money is an issue, you seem to be well set here ;)</p>
<p>Oboe is giving you good advice! Don't worry about what will happen four years from now. Pick the school where you think you will be happiest. A satisfying college experience isn't about name recongnition--it's about finding an environment that suits you and expanding your mind amongst people who are friendly and supportive and fun.</p>
<p>I spent several days visiting some friends at Northwestern last year, and I very much agree with iplayoboe that the two schools have very different atmospheres.
First, Northwestern is a large university and Macalester is a small college. You won't have lecture classes here and you'll recognize most of the people you see around campus. Any size has positives and negatives, but you need to think about whether you want the anonymity (and freedom that comes with it) of a large school versus the community of a small one.
Northwestern also has a very big greek scene, and Macalester has no frats or sororities. Do you want big parties? Do you want to rush?
Northwestern is near a larger city, but is outside of Chicago, whereas Macalester is in the middle of the Twin Cities. Do you want the resources of Chicago or the access of Minneapolis and Saint Paul?
These are just some things to think about. I really recommend you visit both places, because you'll see that they're very different.
Also, you can focus on internationalism in a lot of different departments here, so don't feel limited by not knowing what you want to do. You'll have plenty of time to figure it out.</p>
<p>yeah...so ive decided on NU</p>