<p>Child accepted into both Northwestern (McCormick) and Cornell (engineering). Her current plans are for Chem E.</p>
<p>Academically, they look thisclose -- anyone have thoughts as to the plusses and minuses of each.</p>
<p>As an NU student heading to Cornell for grad school next year- NU undergrad experience is better, the community is smaller and more intimate, the location is INFINITELY better, athletics, food, weather…</p>
<p>In terms of published rankings, they are very close in chemical engineering. Cornell is 2 spots higher in US News (13 vs 15) while in 2010 NRC ranking, NU has better 5th-95th percentile range (8-20 vs 12-40). Northwestern has a pretty well-established CO-OP program (as many as 6 quarters). </p>
<p>I am biased but I think the location, Big Ten athletics, performing arts scene…make NU the slightly better choice. I can’t see myself living in the middle of nowhere for 4 years but for others, it may not be a big deal.</p>
<p>"I can’t see myself living in the middle of nowhere for 4 years but for others, it may not be a big deal. "</p>
<p>More than “not a big deal”, some may prefer it. For example here’s a post JHS made on the U Chicago sub-forum:</p>
<p>" Anyway, the point is that Chicago and Cornell represent different ideas of how to package an elitist education. Not many people are going to like them both the same, or close to it. I have a cousin from rural Minnesota who got his BS at Chicago and his PhD at Cornell. He respected Chicago, but never loved it; he loved Cornell and Ithaca from the first day he set foot there, and it was hard to get him to leave. My daughter thought Cornell was objectively the most beautiful campus she had seen, and she had absolutely no interest in going to college there. She loved Chicago."</p>
<p>So, different strokes.</p>
<p>My D2 grew up partly in Manhattan and the rest in the suburbs. She originally went to college in Manhattan and transferred to Cornell. She prefers her life at Cornell. She loves Ithaca.</p>
<p>I myself have lived in Chicago (not Evanston), Ithaca, and Manhattan, and loved each in their own right. But as a starving student with not a ton of money I enjoyed lving in a college town. It’s beautiful there. And what they had was geared to me and my budget, and it was enough.</p>
<p>Especially given that I was working my butt off a lot of the time, as a science major there. As a chem e there you will probably also be working your butt off. And from what I gleen from D1s friends who went there, it will be no different at Northwestern.</p>
<p>If it were me, I would just go to the one I think maybe I’d like better. But I would also first take a look at curricula and at the course offerings in fields of probable interest. Keeping in mind that you may ultimately choose to do something other than Chem E.</p>
<p>Congratulations though on two great admits, what a luxury to have such tough choices to make.</p>
<p>I just typed a huge reply and then went to look if you listed where you live and I lost the whole thing. I will try to replicate!</p>
<p>From a location point of view both schools are much more similar than you might think. First, NU has more students from the midwest, Cornell students are overwhelmingly from the northeast and NY metro area. My daughter (NY) had to learn that midwesterners speak much more slowly and when there is a pause she shouldn’t respond but wait a moment or two and the person speaking will continue. She learned this when a few friends accused her of always interrupting them!</p>
<p>Most kids don’t get into Chicago very often, Evanston really has most of what they want which is the same for Ithaca. Both towns basically exist for the students so they have most anything a college student could want. Ithaca is a bit more liberal and has more “mom and pop” and craft shops, Evanston has more “mall” shops. Both towns are walking distance to the campus and have an ample supply of off-campus housing within walking distance.</p>
<p>The weather is crummy in both places! In NU you have the lake/beach right on campus, in Cornell the lake/beach is a short drive away but you have the gorges on campus and they are amazing (even after they’ve tried to reinforce the bridge against jumpers).</p>
<p>NU is a trimester, Cornell a semester. There seem to be less vacation days at Northwestern but when you are off you have completed your term so there’s no schoolwork hanging over your head (except Thanksgiving but I believe it’s reading week when you return). The trimester also allows you to take more classes each year including the option to double major, or double minor, or just take classes outside your major that you might be interested in. </p>
<p>Northwestern is a smaller campus and has less students than Cornell but it’s not small in any respect.</p>
<p>I think that’s all I can offer. Your daughter has two really great choices and I know how difficult that can be, we were there two years ago!</p>