Northwestern vs. Michigan vs. Madison vs. Minnesota

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northwestern University
1

<p>I'm doing biomedical engineering, no chance for need based aid</p>

<p>Minnesota - worst academically, 15k, liked campus and honors program, feel like I'm a little too good for this school/All my work will be for nothing, worried about huge student body, 1 hour away from home.</p>

<p>Madison - better academically, 20k, campus too crowded, didn't like busy streets, don't like party atmosphere, 5 hours from home.</p>

<p>Michigan - better academically than both, 48k, again worried about size, campus ok, 11 hours from home.</p>

<p>Northwestern - around level of Michigan, 55k, like size, worried that people will all be geeks, worried about difficulty, loved campus, like Chicago, 8 hours away from home, like prestige/makes all my work in high school feel worthwhile, co-op program supposed to bring 50k-80k in income.</p>

<p>Do Michigan or Northwestern give Merit Aid? Which is best in biomedical engineering?</p>

<p>I really have no idea which to go into. I've been accepted to all but Northwestern, I think I have an 50/50 chance at Northwestern. This is the hardest decision of my life. Oh, and my grandparents are paying for half no matter where I go, so its not like my parents are going to run out of money, but they could be paying 30k for four years or over 100k.</p>

2

<p>Fine, I’ll take the bait. </p>

<p>Go to Northwestern. Your concerns about the other 3 aren’t going to change (if you go in feeling like you could’ve done better, then you will always feel that way). Your concern about NU is conditional (I fear that kids could be geeky). Unless you project onto people in the most absolute way, then there is a good chance that NU kids might not suck and could impress you socially.</p>

<p>There is no school on your list that will satisfy you. If donning the purple and chanting “state school” at the other schools when we lose by 3 in college basketball is satisfying, go for it. I am not saying that in a judging or sarcastic tone. I take pride in knowing that I went to a better school than virtually any of my friends from home or co-workers. It’s a badge of pride and rightfully so. </p>

<p>If NU will make you truly, deeply happy, then go for it. </p>

<p>My concern is that you appear to have done little research on the schools themselves. There’s nothing you wrote that I couldn’t tell you from reading News & World Report. have you visited? have you been on campus/talked to students/talked to professors?</p>

<p>Now go on the Minnesota board and get them to convince you that their Honors program is exclusive enough that its worth it.</p>

3

<p>I visited all 4 and plan to visit all of them again. I am really struggling to find which is best in biomedical engineering. I know they are all pretty good, except I’m not sure about Minnesota. I liked the MN honors program because it created a smaller environment at a school with over 50k people, but I don’t think it is that much better academically. The main reasons I like Northwestern the best are prestige and size. </p>

<p>And Northwestern has been better in football than MN and Michigan the last couple years, not that I care. And arn’t tickets to games free?</p>

4

<p>NO WAY! Free tickets? haha… I thought Michigan was better for biomed by the way.</p>

5

<p>That’s what my tour guide said… But maybe he meant other sports.</p>

6

<p>Football season tickets included for free (not really free, but you don’t pay). NU has one of the best BME programs in the country/ world. They also have an auto enroll 5 year masters in BME if you have, I think, over a 3.5 in your senior senior year and want to (no GRE required). You can find info on the website of the program.</p>

7

<p>“co-op program supposed to bring 50k-80k in income.” ??? Northeastern?</p>

8

<p>The NU coop bringing in 50k-80k puzzles me as well!
I would take Madison if I were you but it really depends. If your end goal is a career in Finance, then go to Northwestern and excel.</p>

9

<p>NU has an engineering co-op program. but 50-80k isn’t that tremendous a salary for a strong credentialed nu engineering grad.</p>

10

<p>Madison: Best compromise. Further from home, great academics and college town, cheaper. </p>

<p>Engineering is egalatarian when it comes to pay. An NU and Wisky engineer will be paid the same. If the out of pocket costs between the two options are that great, you will not recoup your investment, ceteris paribus.</p>

11

<p>UCB know’s what he’s talking about.</p>

12

<p>I have degrees from Michigan and U of MN. And I would go to Northwestern if I were you based on what you have said above :)</p>

13

<p>What characteristics of each school’s bme program should i look at to determine which are best?</p>

14

<p>You should wait until you get accepted at NU. There’s no need to over-analyze at this point. I second what UCB said anyway. Take that from two prof engineers.</p>

15

<p>Can I assume I will not get any aid at Northwestern if our EFC is higher than the cost?</p>

16

<p>Yes .</p>

17

<p>no… NU does not give merit aid</p>

<p>No… UM is not as good as NU, even at football</p>

18

<p>I’d say U of M or NU. I think Michigan offers merit-based aid, but I don’t believe NU does. Is it true that the co-op program at NU brings in that much $? So it basically pays for tuition in itself?</p>

19

<p>Oh, and both Michigan and NU have great engineering and Pre-Med programs, so I think it’s a win-win either way. I have the same exact problem, choosing between these two schools. Michigan’s in-state, and probably at least comparable to NU, but I just LOVE Northwestern and would absolutely love to attend. Ughhh.</p>