Northwestern vs. University of Michigan

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

<p>Hey all, </p>

<p>I'm a prospective Electrical Engineering major for both U of M and Northwestern. I know Northwestern is ranked around 13th or 14th place whereas U of M is ranked around 6th for EE. My question is: should I choose the better program or the better school? Better school in the sense that Northwestern is more prestigious and smaller, and I'm assuming roughly equivalent in terms of the resources available for Engineering majors. </p>

<p>Any input would be greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>There both great choices Id say pick the one you like better don’t just pick off prestige</p>

3

<p>Nortwestern is smaller, but it is not more prestigious. In terms of overall prestige, Michigan and NU are roughly equal, but in terms of reputation among Engineers, I would say Michigan has the edge.</p>

<p>I agree with dddsss17, go for fit!</p>

4

<p>If you’re instate then definitely Michigan.</p>

5

<p>You should probably visit. But if you’re in state for one, go to that one.</p>

6

<p>kevycanuck, Northwestern is private, so it does not matter if he is a resident of IL. I also doubt that he is a resident of MI or he would have mentioned it. I think cost is a non-issue.</p>

7

<p>In the Northwestern thread he says that he’s from California.</p>

8

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>Yes, I come from a conservative Asian background in Silicon Valley so I won’t be getting much aid anywhere. Cost won’t be an issue, but rather fit/prestige/vibe etc. I’m confused as to whether which school would have more opportunities for Engineers. I know Michigan is a much larger school, would that be detrimental in terms of opportunities available? </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

9

<p>How I’d rank preferences: if one is significantly cheaper, go with that one. holding cost of attendance equal, i’d personally choose northwestern. chicago > detroit. evanston is nice town as well.</p>

10

<p>“chicago > detroit.”</p>

<p>Ann Arbor > Evanston.</p>

11

<p>Ann Arbor =/= Detroit</p>

<p>Detroit + 50 minute drive to the west = Ann Arbor</p>

12

<p>^ i think we all realize that.</p>

<p>all im saying is that it’s good to have a nice city to be able to go off campus to.</p>

13

<p>feathr, choosing NU over Michigan because Chicago is a nicer city than Detroit makes little sense. College students will spend most of their free time on or arround campus. Let me assure you, there is a lot more to do on and arround Michigan’s campus. As for Chicago, I found it relatively easy to make my ways there 1-3 times/term. It is just a 4-hour drive, 5-hour train trip or 45-minute flight.</p>

14

<p>Mistasuggs, Michigan is larger than Northwestern, but it has a wealth of resources and programs to make up for its size. Programs such as UROP and the MRC, as well as a larger faculty, go a long way. Both schools will offer similar academic and professional opportunities. If you feel one of those schools is better suited for you, go for it. I think visiting the two campuses before making your decision would make sense.</p>

15

<p>Visit is a must. I am old :slight_smile: Don’t try to plan the next 20 years of your life and career at 18. Your career may take unexpected twists and you may end up doing something something unrelated to your degree. You really can’t lose with either choice so pick the one that looks like the most fun, where you fit the best, one that you will remember. Both degrees will open most career doors so don’t sweat the rankings. Now if you were considering that tattoo filled cesspool that is “The O$U” I would have different advice.</p>

16

<p>

Remember, this is the Michigan forum so you’re getting a biased and overexaggerated view of the school in relation to Northwestern.</p>

<p>Here’s what NRC, the authority on graduate school rankings, has to say about Northwestern Engineering:</p>

<p>Applied Math #4
Chemical Engineering #6
Civil Engineering #8
Electrical Engineering #8
Materials Science #4
Mechanical Engineering #2
Industrial Engineering #1</p>

<p>In addition, it has one of the most well-established co-op programs out there. Also, the undergrad program puts strong emphasis on design and early exposure to real engineering. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/undergraduates/curriculum/engineering_first/about.html[/url]”>Undergraduate Study | Academics | Northwestern Engineering;

<p>NU is a founder of Design for America. Students have won quite a few engineering design awards at the national level.</p>

<p><a href=“http://designforamerica.com/vision/our-team/[/url]”>http://designforamerica.com/vision/our-team/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.segal.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/[/url]”>DESIGN INNOVATION - Segal Design Institute, Northwestern University;

<p>On top of that, NU is #3 on the list of colleges with the highest number of graduate school alums who are top officers in companies that recently filed for public stock offerings (IPOs).</p>

<p>[Find</a> and Connect with Wealth Today | Request Free access](<a href=“http://www.equilaratlas.com/articles/neos-at-ipos.php#5]Find”>http://www.equilaratlas.com/articles/neos-at-ipos.php#5)</p>

<p>Northwestern: 14
University of Michigan: 5</p>

<p>They’re both good schools but I can’t see what Michigan can offer you but NU couldn’t. Northwestern will open a lot more doors in the investment banking and management consulting world if you’re an engineer than a Michigan Engineering degree will.</p>

17

<p>"Here’s what NRC, the authority on graduate school rankings, has to say about Northwestern Engineering:</p>

<p>Applied Math #4
Chemical Engineering #6
Civil Engineering #8
Electrical Engineering #8
Materials Science #4
Mechanical Engineering #2
Industrial Engineering #1"</p>

<p>Why look at graduate rankings when the USNWR has undergraduate rankings?</p>

<p>On top of that, NU is #3 on the list of colleges with the highest number of graduate school alums who are top officers in companies that recently filed for public stock offerings (IPOs).</p>

<p>According to your link, MIT, CMU, Cornell and GT also don’t do well. Clearly this source is not very telling.</p>

<p>“They’re both good schools but I can’t see what Michigan can offer you but NU couldn’t.”</p>

<p>That’s consistant with what has been said on this thread. That does not mean NU is equal to Michigan in Engineering, but Michigan’s advantage is negligible.</p>

<p>“Northwestern will open a lot more doors in the investment banking and management consulting world if you’re an engineer than a Michigan Engineering degree will.”</p>

<p>Not true. Both engineering programs are equally recruited by IBanks and MC firms.</p>

18

<p>

But Alexandre, aren’t you the one who thinks that the USNWR undergraduate edition is grossly incompetent? So why you trust the graduate edition? I’m not a huge fan of USNWR but it’s the best we’ve got and a good place to start a college search I suppose.</p>

<p>The National Research Council on the other hand is an expert on various academic offerings and how they manifest themselves in America’s universities. Trusting USNWR over the NRC is like choosing your local newspaper’s food guide over Zagat or Michelin when comparing restaurants.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>No, it just means that these 4 engineering programs are very traditional in nature and are not as entrepreneurial as Stanford and Berkeley (Silicon Valley), Harvard (Zuckerburg, Gates, need I say more?) or Penn (Jerome Fisher program which is a combination of engineering and technology).</p>

<p>By the way, you can’t look at a ranking with strong biases already in place. It seems like you have a certain heirarchy of undergraduate programs, engineering programs, law schools, med schools and business schools in mind and you refuse to change your mind no matter what the rankings show you.</p>

<p>This is not what an educated person does; he adapts with the times and information presented to him. Maybe Georgia Tech and CMU aren’t as innovative as you think they are…</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>L.E.K. Consulting
<a href=“https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi[/url]”>https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi&lt;/a&gt;
I see Northwestern in their dropdown box but where’s Michigan?</p>

<p>Booz & Company
[Northwestern</a> University](<a href=“http://www.booz.com/global/home/join_us/at_your_school/northwestern_university]Northwestern”>http://www.booz.com/global/home/join_us/at_your_school/northwestern_university)
Again, NU is a core target school for Booz but where is Michigan?</p>

<p>Interestingly enough, the founder of Booz & Co. Ed Booz graduated from Northwestern.</p>

<p>Oliver Wyman
[Oliver</a> Wyman Careers- Apply Now](<a href=“http://www.oliverwyman.com/careers/16.htm#]Oliver”>http://www.oliverwyman.com/careers/16.htm#)
Again, NU is a target school for OW along with the usual suspects and UVA. There’s no Michigan in sight here either.</p>

<p>The list could probably go on and on but this is a good stopping point. Northwestern clearly benefits tremendously from its connection to Kellogg and there might be no better school on this planet to get a MC job than NU besides Harvard, Yale and Stanford.</p>

<p>Neither school’s engineering division will get you a bulge-bracket IBD offer. You have to be in Ross at Michigan or MMSS/Economics at NU.</p>

19

<p>“Remember, this is the Michigan forum so you’re getting a biased and overexaggerated view of the school in relation to Northwestern.”</p>

<p>As opposed to a biased underappreciative view of the school in relation to Northwestern by Duke graduates.</p>

20

<p>"But Alexandre, aren’t you the one who thinks that the USNWR undergraduate edition is grossly incompetent? So why you trust the graduate edition? I’m not a huge fan of USNWR but it’s the best we’ve got and a good place to start a college search I suppose.</p>

<p>The National Research Council on the other hand is an expert on various academic offerings and how they manifest themselves in America’s universities. Trusting USNWR over the NRC is like choosing your local newspaper’s food guide over Zagat or Michelin when comparing restaurants."</p>

<p>My issue with the USNWR is with its flawed methodology. Only the USNWR undergraduate Engineering rankings, as well as the USNWR Peer Assessment Score are 100% based on expert sentiment, which is why I think they are reliable. And by the way, Zagat is not reliable!</p>

<p>"By the way, you can’t look at a ranking with strong biases already in place. It seems like you have a certain heirarchy of undergraduate programs, engineering programs, law schools, med schools and business schools in mind and you refuse to change your mind no matter what the rankings show you.</p>

<p>This is not what an educated person does; he adapts with the times and information presented to him. Maybe Georgia Tech and CMU aren’t as innovative as you think they are…"</p>

<p>MIT, CMU, Michigan, GT and Cornell are no longer on the cutting edge and are living in the past eh? LOL! An educated person knows the difference between a reliable study and BS.</p>

<p>Finaly, the three MC firms you listed all recruit at the Michigan COE, though not as heavily as McKinsey, Bain or BCG. I repeat, NU’s McKormick does not open more doors in IBanking or MC than the Michigan CoE. The list of companies that actively recruited CoE students can be found in pages 11-14.</p>

<p><a href=“http://career.engin.umich.edu/annualReport/engin/Annual_Report1011.pdf[/url]”>http://career.engin.umich.edu/annualReport/engin/Annual_Report1011.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;