<p>You would be a rare person to choose Northwestern over Harvard. I was waitlisted at Harvard and would have attended had I gotten in. I did have an acceptance at a peer school, Yale, but decided against it in the end. As I mentioned before, I’m so happy with how things turned out and would choose Northwestern all over again. I had a fantastic experience and was and am extremely happy with my choice.</p>
<p>I do have to say that Harvard is not for everybody (I go here now for grad/professional school). It’s not explicitly cutthroat but it <em>is</em> competitive just because your peers are not only at the top (as you would find true at Northwestern as well) but also extremely driven to always be #1 or the next best thing. This kind of mentality has a significant impact on the atmosphere which is often inspiring but not always healthy. </p>
<p>At Northwestern, people are similarly topnotch and driven to excel but they have a healthier attitude towards achievement; they’re more concerned about doing their best and helping their peers do their best rather than always being the best in the group. Northwestern students seem to have an unspoken understanding that having a well-balanced life is important to them and ultimately what matters in the end. I think this mentality is a large part of why students at Northwestern were drawn to Northwestern in the first place. You would see this manifest itself in Northwestern’s vibrant but down-to-earth social atmosphere.</p>