<p>For a long time historically, quite the opposite was true. Every supreme court justice through 1990 had gone to one of Harvard, Yale, Stanford or UChicago law school.</p>
<p>I'd go to Chicago law if I were accepted. :)</p>
<p>I have been professionally affiliated with both schools. Both are excellent and are populated by excellent students. Each, however, is different from one another. If it is the pursuit of intellectual inquiry that is at the heart of one's goals, UChicago has few, if any, peers. It permeates the school, and defines its culture and student life (see <a href="http://iotu.uchicago.edu/levine.html%5B/url%5D">http://iotu.uchicago.edu/levine.html</a>). It is this embodiment of intellectual inquiry that provides the basis for UChicago's prestige. It implies not that one is smarter, or have met a more stringent selection processes, or has worked harder, it does imply that one has thought and has embraced thought as central to one's life. It is a prestige quite different than that found elsewhere. At times it is a benefit, at other times it may not be. It is a particular asset in applying to grad schools, and is increasing sought after in this (somewhat overstated) post MBA era.</p>
<p>NW does indeed have a preprofessional focus where one will find engineering and applied mathematics, journalism, and drama schools, all absent from UChicago, and all outstanding. NW's prestige comes from its many fine programs and the careful attention to detail it has taken to assure the preparation of its students for their life after college. This is not to be undervalued and few can claim to do as good a job. Employers, professional schools, etc. know the NW student can step in a make a difference.</p>
<p>However, many accomplished intellectuals can trace their origins to NW and many accomplished professionals to UChicago. Hard work and fun can be found at both, though somewhat different at each.</p>
<p>I don't know about law but in the business world, greater number of Fortune 500 CEOs went to NU than Chicago for undergrad. NU is one of the top-10 schools in terms of this, schools like HYPS are there too, but no Chicago! Wisconsin is another school in the top-10. I am not suggesting one is better than another just because of this but it does make MomofWildChild's claim that Chicago=HYP in terms of "getting you the same doors" look very weak. I met quite a few UC alums and they are smart but I don't see them being leaders. It's funny how they are all so smilar. But then I am talking about only 6 or 7 people, so I can't say they are representative but they did fit the rumored stereotype. In today's business, you can't just be booksmart to be successful; you need to be able to socialize, interact with others, and be a team player...etc. Oh, I was told ability to talk about football/golf can help too! ;) </p>
<p>In terms of Nobels, lately, Chicago hasn't been as productive as they had before, as far as producing winners whose work is closely associated with Chicago goes. On Chicago's website, they claim some "recent" winners but looking deeper reveals that Chicago doesn't really deserve the credit for most of them. For example, Edward C. Prescott, winner of Econ in 2004, was a visiting prof for 1 year (78-79) and a prof for another year (98-99). Chicago used to have top departments in every science but these days, while their physics and math are still very strong, I don't think that's the case anymore for bio/chem. In fact, their chem is ranked out of the top-10 by US News despite the fact it had Willard Libby as the Nobel winner long time ago (1960). History can only get you so far. NU's chem, on the other hand, is moving to an opposite direction and ranked in the top-10 for the first time last year. One of the most exciting areas is nanotech and NU was awarded as one of the research centers in the nation, thanks to its strength of material science/chem combo. This is not surprising to me; with science research getting increasingly multidisciplinary, depts at schools with good engineering departments are probably in better positions. Chicago may still be more prestigious academically but not by large margin like some Chicago alums imply. Times have changed like others have pointed out.</p>
<p>idad: Bravo! Nice summary. Much better than what I did.</p>
<p>Sam Lee: Sorry. You're a homer.</p>
<p>"My law degree is from Chicago."</p>
<p>Keyword: LAW DEGREE, no one here is saying NU's law school is better than chicago's, or any of their grad schools, for that matter. We are talking about undergraduate education.</p>
<p>"Isn't Northwestern a Big Ten school?"</p>
<p>What conference is Stanford in? Do you really think athletic conference has anything to do with academic quality? Being in a certain athletic conference does not automatically group that school with the rest, come on, use your head.</p>
<p>You can talk about your opinion all you want, but if you look up statistics, northwestern clearly does better with job placement at the undergraduate level than university of chicago.</p>
<p>Tarhunt,
No need to take cheap shots at others. I didn't even respond to your messages. By calling me or others "homers", you are saying I am (or others are) biased. That's different from saying my argument is biased or wrong. Perhaps you should read this: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem</a></p>
<p>You guys attach too much importance on the brand name of your undergrand degree. It's pretty funny. A year after you graduate nobody is going to care where you went to college; they're going to want to know what you can do for them and look at your job performance. And btw, you know those studies that show the income gap between college grads and high school grads? Well they also determined that there is no income gap or any remote difference in salary dependent on WHICH college you went to.</p>
<p>That is, the average salary of Harvard grads is the same of State U grads. Not that money = success, but I'm sure some of you petty morons on here believe it is so there you go. But anyway, we're not even comparing Harvard with a flagship; we're comparing NU with UC for chrissake! Academically and reputationally the same, with the difference being that UChicago has a barren social life or no-fun atmosphere. </p>
<p>Isn't college supposed to be the best years of your life? Or do some of you young automatons yearn to get on the hamster wheel already? Personally, I'd pick Northwestern for undergrad.</p>
<p>The studies I've seen show that people who were accepted into Harvard (or another top school), but chose to go to a State U end up making the same. That's not the same as the avg Harvard grad vs avg State U grad. Plus, many jobs are off limits to State U grads. If you want to go into something like management consulting, you pretty much have to go to one of ~ 15 schools or you vitually have no chance. </p>
<p>So, you say a year after you graduate, no one is going to care where you went to school. This is partially true (alumni networks still last a lifetime). However, for certain jobs, if you don't go to one of a handful of schools, you're not going to be able to get the job in the first place. </p>
<p>I would agree with you that bickering over UChicago vs Northwestern is meaningless since they are close enough academically that not choosing based on fit instead is ridiculous.</p>
<p>elsijfdl - You better learn to read what people are actually saying or it isn't going to matter WHAT school you go to. Get your head out of your a$$. My opinion had nothing to do with law school. Unlike you, I am capable of understanding written words and am quite aware that we are discussing the prestige of the undergraduate degree. My opinion is different from yours. Deal with it. Prestige isn't going to get you very far anyway, so don't worry about it.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild - you come across as a very arrogant and rather rude person. It might be beneficial for the image of U of Chicago on this board if you stopped making bland statements in its favor.</p>
<p>How can I be arrogant and rude and make bland statements at the same time?
I'm just responding in kind. I get tired of the lack of reading comprehension and occasionally can't resist pointing it out. Consider it a learning experience.</p>
<p>MOWC:</p>
<p>Well, if you are suggesting that</p>
<p>"Chicago gets you in the same doors as does HYP. Northwestern gets you in the same doors as Michigan and UCLA."</p>
<p>is the same thing as</p>
<p>"All I am saying is that the general perception, in my opinion, is that UChicago is a more prestigious school than Northwestern."</p>
<p>then I don't think that is a simple matter of other's reading comprehension.</p>
<p>Just for fun. I happen to be with one of the largest law firms in the US. Numbers of lawyers with undergraduate degrees from selected schools:</p>
<p>Harvard: 43
Yale: 36
Princeton: 29
Chicago: 37
Northwestern: 42
Michigan: 38
UCLA: 23</p>
<p>I don't know which is better but i would like to share my own experience with badman89 .I'm also an international student and back in 2005 when i started doing some researxh about univesiyies the only thing i was concerned was prestige i was obsessed with rankings..So i applied to the most prestigious universities in Canada.Ok in july 2006 i flew to toronto to visit University of T to get to know my future school and it was a Catastrophe i hate it (too big , no school spirit, most student lived out of campus.....) botton line because i was so obsessed with prestige i forgot to take in consideration othe important factors like social life, size, location , faculty ratio........
So please don't let the prestige blind you.</p>
<p>"elsijfdl - You better learn to read what people are actually saying or it isn't going to matter WHAT school you go to. Get your head out of your a$$. My opinion had nothing to do with law school. Unlike you, I am capable of understanding written words and am quite aware that we are discussing the prestige of the undergraduate degree. My opinion is different from yours. Deal with it. Prestige isn't going to get you very far anyway, so don't worry about it."</p>
<p>listen to you, you're a mom getting in arguments and swearing at 19 year-old kids on an internet forum</p>
<p>Wesdad- what does that prove? Northwestern turns out a lot more undergraduates than does UChicago. Current numbers are 7826 at NU and 4400 at UC. Of course there are going to be more NU grads around.</p>
<p>I am sorry I got sucked into this thread, and I'll take my leave now. I generally avoid any discussions of "prestige" since it is such a stupid reason to choose one school over another. I always thought I would have hated UChicago for undergraduate school (although I think it is better now) and Northwestern would be a lot more fun.</p>
<p>I have always considered them equals, but NU seems much more fun.</p>
<p>"Wesdad- what does that prove? "</p>
<p>he said "just for fun"</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, many accomplished intellectuals can trace their origins to NW and many accomplished professionals to UChicago. Hard work and fun can be found at both, though somewhat different at each.
[/quote]
I agree with this part of idad's post. College is, after all, what you make of it. I attend a "pre-professional" university, but I chose to choose classes and peers who share my ideals and breadth of interests. Good grief, at a school with a student body as large and talented as Northwestern's, you're going to find plenty of serious intellectuals- especially since the OP is considering majoring in philosophy. </p>
<p>Northwestern : Chicago :: mixed fruit : peaches (i.e. hard-core)</p>
<p>northwestern : chicago :: harvard : oxford</p>