<p>My S is deciding between Northwestern & UVA</p>
<p>it really depends on what your son wants to major in and what his career interests are
he also needs to find the school thats a better fit for him
both are great schools though</p>
<p>Visiting both schools will give him the best indication as to where he wants to go. As three6mafia pointed out, both schools are amazing, so I don't think he could really make a "bad" decision, but If he's interested in journalism in the slightest then NU is a no-brainer. </p>
<p>Another thing to consider, however, is the cost factor. As a public school, UVA is considerably cheaper than Northwestern.</p>
<p>Agreed that UVA is cheaper, especially if you're in-state. Along those lines, UVA is a state school. Therefore, the majority of students there did not have to work nearly as hard, or aren't as gifted, as your son. Getting into NU is hard for all students. For some at UVA they got good grades, good SATs, with good ECs, but nothing spectacular, because that is their state school. If you want him to be in an envrionment where everyone student is extraordinarily gifted, then Northwestern is the place to be.
While both UVA and NU have nice campuses (the quads v. the lake) and nice towns (Charlottesville and Evanston are both gorgeous), NU has CHicago, whereas UVA has limited access to any real cities.</p>
<p>I'm sure you would also consider the reputation of both schools. In that sense, Northwestern is certainly better; everyone knows that it is an elite school. This can be a substantial advantange to your son's future career.
In addition, UVA is a state school with 14676 undergraduates, whereas Northwestern is a private school with 8153 undergrads. The smaller the student body, usually, the better the quality of education you get.</p>
<p>yeah i mean the only things that would lead me to say anything in UVAs favor would be if:</p>
<ol>
<li>your son really wanted to go to school with his high school friends/close to home</li>
<li>northwestern's tuition was a big financial concern</li>
</ol>
<p>uva is really sweet though, there are probably other reasons to go</p>
<p>Thank you all for input. My son is going to visit NU tomorrow weather permitting. We are on the east coast and NU is not as well known as UVA. History/politics is his passion & UVA is perfect for that.</p>
<p>I would say that in New York Northwestern is more widely known than UVA</p>
<p>last time I checked, NU was one of the finest schools in the nation, how can UVA be more reputed than Northwestern ANYWHERE
but if u think ull be happy with this decision, go with it</p>
<p>Get a grip LaC. In the east Northwestern is often confused with Northeastern. UVa has a very high profile reputation and is hard to beat for history/politics. Links to DC are much greater with scores of UVa alums serving at high levels.</p>
<p>
[quote]
UVA...is hard to beat for history/politics
[/quote]
</p>
<p>How so when NU is actually ranked higher in history and poli sci?? ;)</p>
<p>barrons, and University of Wisconsin is as good as harvard??</p>
<p>barrons - "Get a grip LaC. In the east Northwestern is often confused with Northeastern. UVa has a very high profile reputation and is hard to beat for history/politics. Links to DC are much greater with scores of UVa alums serving at high levels."</p>
<p>Get a grip - most people who are "in the know" (not talking about the general public) know better.</p>
<p>Btw, the general public in the East thinks of Wisconsin purely as a "party school."</p>
<p>"Btw, the general public in the East thinks of Wisconsin purely as a "party school."</p>
<p>This is absolutely true in the mid Atlantic states.</p>
<p>With regards to east coasters recognizing UVA before recognizing NU, the issue is irrelevant. I was told to go to Rutgers (my state school) over NU by some of my teachers...who clearly were unaware what NU is all about.
In the words of Dr. Seuss (I think) "Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind".</p>
<p>When it comes time to get a job or internship, employers will prefer NU to UVA.</p>
<p>For history/politics, I would go to UVA.</p>
<p>Why do you say that? NU is ranked higher in both fields. But I don't know anything about those two and I guess there's probably something not reflected by published rankings.</p>
<p>yeah rankings aren't everything</p>