Hi all!! Just got confirmed as questbridge finalist today.
I am debating between NU and Brown for ranking 1st and 2nd. I am drawn to these two schools for their flexibility – nu has tons of certificates and minors and allows you to make your own concentration; and brown has the open curriculum.
I am inclined to majoring something like a comp+econ track and maybe some focus on business. And I think nu might be a pretty good fit for me, but idk Brown enough to make a final call.
I also ranked Upenn,Standford, Yale, Vanderbilt, and Duke
Upenn was at the top, but I might withdrawing it since after researching further, it seems way too pre-professional and they make you decide on major/school during application; and it gives off a very cut-throat vibe lol.
Standford is 3rd- I would love to go there especially the weather is much nicer and Ill prob be less depressed with the sun lol. The only thing is that its gigantic comp sci department seems scary and i think they are not as flexible as nu/brown
Any insight regarding their differences in city/ diversity/ sports scene/ weather/ sports scene/ and maybe even dorm/facilities(gym…) … would be nice
For NU students/recent alumni -
how close is nu experience really like what the school promotes?
Brown allows you to create your own concentration as well via the Independent Concentration program, as do most T20s. The two are quite different in terms of curriculum: Brown’s much more student-friendly with no +/- grades, failing grades not being recorded on your external transcript, no GPAs, take any class S/NC (Pass/Fail etc.) NU’s equally strong as a research university, but classes will be much more intense as they’ll be covered in shorter time (this doesn’t apply as much to year-long sequences such as intro chem or calc.)
Keep in mind that the Questbridge process benefits YOU as the applicant: there’s no advantage to ranking Brown higher than Stanford or vice-versa. Rank the schools based on whether or not you could see yourself there. The following page provides some helpful info: https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match/rankings
I will note that Stanford has one of, if not the top undergraduate CS program in the nation so keep that in mind. I’d consider ranking MIT as well if interested in CS, as your admission would not be binding there and you’d still be able to consider other schools.
“And I think nu might be a pretty good fit for me, but idk Brown enough to make a final call.”
First off, congrats on being named a finalist for QB, that’s a great accomplishment!
Did you get a chance to visit either before covid? What do you mean when you say you don’t know enough about Brown - you didn’t visit, or don’t know some undergrads there you can talk with about the experience?
For comp sci/econ, I’d probably lean to NU, especially if you’ve been there and feel comfortable with the campus.
“The two are quite different in terms of curriculum: Brown’s much more student-friendly with no +/- grades, failing grades not being recorded on your external transcript, no GPAs, take any class S/NC (Pass/Fail etc.)”
Sure, but for CS or Econ, they’ll have to take most of their classes for a grade and if they’re applying for a job or grad school, will need to report a GPA. The P/NC option is a good one of course. Anecdotally, I know a Brown student who was a pre-med and he said he had to show grades for every class for med school. So the P/NC wasn’t an option for him.
Another vote for NU here - I have several Wildcats in the family and they’ve all been very happy with their choice. Gorgeous campus with a diverse and vibrant student body, tons of interdisciplinary study opportunities including certificates from the Kellogg School of Management (you mentioned business) in Econ, finance and MIS. They recently announced a major in Artificial Intelligence too. NU also has Division 1 sports that Brown does not, which I think is an important part of the college experience. Good luck with your application!
Both have NCAA Division I sports, although Northwestern is in a Football Bowl Subdivision conference (Big “Ten”), while Brown is in a Football Championship Subdivision conference (Ivy League).
I expect CarnegieDad meant that NU’s school spirit wrt to sports is very high. Brown’s not so much.
I know few people from Ivy League schools who have raved about a high level of sports/school spirit (mostly in hockey), while many NU students and alums see this as an integral part of their experience.
NU has, on average, a higher caliber of talent across most of the sports as well.
Please don’t @ me with examples of athletic success and school spirit at Brown, I know there are/have been examples of good athletes and teams. Just overall, not at the level of NU.
As a junior at Brown right now, I say Brown all the way. I know it’s challenging to decide, but I think by far the most important aspect of whatever school you go to is the culture and the learning. Brown is incredibly welcoming, encouraging, engaging, and fun. If you are a very avid sports fan and want that as a major aspect of your college experience, it might not be for you. But, the open curriculum really cannot be ignored. It means that in my three years here so far I have not taken a single class I did not want to and that every one of my peers felt the same way. It means that your classes are more engaging and the student body is so much happier. If you want to more know about Brown feel free to ping me
