<p>I'm going into college undecided, but I'm looking at philosophy,political science, or something business related. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at Emory (plus my best friend is going there). I haven't visited Northwestern yet, but I feel like it might be out of my league-altough they must have felt I was qualified in some way since they let me in.</p>
<p>You are into two excellent schools. Congratulations!
For undergrad studies in philosophy and poli sci, I don’t think you can go wrong. For business, I think Emory actually has an undergrad business degree, and NU really does not, unless you knock your academics out of the park and get into the Kellogg certificate program. But I think that grad school is the place for you to worry about business anyway, given your interest in philosophy and poli sci, which suggests you want a great liberal arts education. NU’s econ department is excellent (probably superior to Emory’s), and they have a business organizations minor.
Now for the important consideration: where you’d be happier. You really liked the feel of Emory (forget about where your best friend will be on this issue; college is about making NEW friends). You should probably go visit NU, or you won’t be able to make a meaningful comparison. NU has a great atmosphere, a great location, and a reputation among academics that is a bit superior to Emory’s.</p>
<p>Three years ago I also had to choose between Northwestern and Emory. I also entered as a poli sci/econ/philosophy/history hybrid. I have since adopted a poli sci major with a possible minor in history. On the off chance that it helps, here’s what my decision boiled down to:</p>
<p>Student Caliber:
- the students at NU are just a tad bit more naturally intelligent and accomplished. Yes the avg. SATs are higher, but so are the extra-curriculars. At accepted student weekend at Emory, most students were choosing between Emory and GW, BU, or Tulane. At NU, I have friends who have passed up Duke, Penn, UChicago and WUSTL. It’s anecdotal, but NU gets a “different kind of student”</p>
<p>Diversity:
- I’m not talking about racial. Frankly, I put little stock in skin color creating anything more aesthetic differences. I’m talking about socio-economic and, more importantly, intellectual diversity. NU has top-notch programs in almost all disciplines. Top 20 engineering. #1 Journalism. Top 10 Communications. #1 Theater. You might not see the value of programs you will NOT be enrolling in, but it improves your experience. I have been challenged not just by professors and fellow Poli Sci kids, but also by theater majors and chemical engineers. Talking politics with a budding journalist or the economy with an Art History major is deeply satisfying. Likewise, I have picked up a lot of fun facts and interesting viewpoints from students of different majors who talk to me about their studies. I can’t say that Emory does not have this, but Emory objectively lacks the depth of top-notch programs that NU has.</p>
<p>Location:
Yes, Atlanta’s weather is infinitely better than Evanston’s (unless you hate the heat). However, Emory is in the middle of nowhere…to the extent that that’s possible in Atlanta. The one main drag is the extent that Emory has a college town. NU has Evanston, which is very much a college town. It’s a small city with a great environment that straddles the line between independent and Purple-driven in terms of culture. I also think that Chicago trumps Atlanta as a city. Weather notwithstanding Chicago has more job options, internship opportunities, concerts, shows, events etc. Atlanta is a great city, but I don’t think of it as college student-friendly as Chi-town.</p>
<p>I’m totally biased and never actually attended Emory, so take my comments with more than a few grains of salt. However, since our circumstances are/were so similar, I felt compelled to chip in.</p>