<p>Okay…I go to Michigan (OOS tuition, there wouldn’t have been a tuition difference between the schools) and I have a lot of friends at NU, have spent time and partied there, etc. I am very familiar with both schools and can tell you that they are much more different than they are the same. I did not apply to Northwestern because I didn’t think it would be a good fit for me and I am extremely happy at Michigan, but I think NU is a great school and I always enjoy visiting my friends there.</p>
<p>If you are looking for a more academically focused ENVIRONMENT, then NU will be a better fit. In my time at NU, I have always felt that I’ve been in a very stressed environment. I think the quarter system has a lot to do with that, as well as just the general nature of the students the school attracts. The students really delve into their academic work and I have some friends that really enjoy this type of feel, but I also have some friends that wish it was a little more relaxed. NU students like to say that it’s a work hard play hard environment, but that is simply false. It is a work hard, play sometimes and in moderation environment.</p>
<p>At Michigan, the environment is much, much more focused on the “college experience.” Students are serious about academics, but on nights and weekends they go out a lot and support the Wolverines much more than is even imaginable in Evanston. The students in Evanston do support NU athletics and whatever, but having spent a lot of time at both places, I can tell you with absolute certainty that it doesn’t even compare to the rabid passion that Michigan students have for Wolverine sports. As far as partying goes there is also really no comparison. I was down at dillo day (NU’s biggest party day of the year) last year and had a good time, but it doesn’t even match a regular football saturday in Ann Arbor. Ryan Field does not belong in the same conversation as the Big House. I’m also in a fraternity at Michigan that has a good rep on both campuses (its considered one of the top frats at NU especially), and have been to a couple of their parties. They just aren’t on the level of frat parties in Ann Arbor. That’s just the way it is.</p>
<p>Now, I think the level of academic instruction is very equal at both schools. There isn’t going to be a difference in job prospects coming out of either school (especially Ross at Michigan which could give you a slight advantage over WCAS at NU). In fact, UM is more internationally renowned than NU in the most recent rankings ([World’s</a> Best Universities; Top 400 Universities in the World | US News](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/top-400-universities-in-the-world]World’s”>http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/top-400-universities-in-the-world)) due to the fact that the domestic rankings blatantly discount public schools and far too high of a premium on acceptance rate (which is dropping like a rock at Michigan now that they’ve moved to the common app). It should come down to whether you want a very academic environment or if you want a complete “college experience.” You can’t go wrong either way, but I could not be happier at Michigan.</p>
<p>One can’t make generalizations about whether “work hard, play hard” is true or not.</p>
<p>There are students at NU who fit that characterization and there are student at NU who don’t (some working hard and not playing hard and some, albeit fewer, not working hard and just playing).</p>
<p>The same can be said of students at UM (not everyone at UM cares about partying, much less UM FB or BB), except that since the no. of students is so much larger, that the “play hard” portion seems magnified.</p>
<p>And while both are excellent schools - I wouldn’t exactly say that the opportunities are necessarily equal.</p>
<p>UM is still a state school w/ its directive to educate students from Michigan 1st and foremost and thus doesn’t have nearly as strong of a student body as a whole.</p>
<p>The weekend fun partying atmosphere is far more prevalent at Michigan than NU. And just as many people get top jobs in ibanking and engineering out of Michigan as NU so, yes, the opportunities are essentially the same. If you work hard neither school will hold you back at all. As far as the student bodies go, yes Michigan has a higher acceptance rate but its also a much larger school so the top students are still comprable to any top private, you just have a lot more kids that go here. In a way I think it helps because it allows me to stand out a bit and still be among some really brilliant minds. Also I’m in the honors program at Michigan so essentially everyone I live with got into NU or comparable privates as well.</p>
<p>Again, that’s all relative to size - both the partying and students getting the “top jobs.”</p>
<p>Sure nos. wise, the no. of students from UM who get the top jobs is similar to NU, put %-wise, not even close.</p>
<p>It’s kind of like the dichotomy btwn Stanford grads and UCB grads and UCB has the strongest student body out of all the top flagship state universities.</p>
<p>As for partying, having partied at most B1G schools (including extensively at PSU which is known to be one of the top party schools, more so than UM - as well as at UW, UI, IU, IA and UM), there’s no real difference in terms of the frequency of the partying.</p>
<p>It’s just that at the state schools - there’s more of it in the sense that there are more places to go (much like how Chicago, being a larger city, has more bar scenes than a city like Boston).</p>
<p>I think UMich is a fine school, and no disrespect intended, but both of these statements are pure conjecture on your part, and as a UMich student you might not be an objective observer. D has found a perfect “weekend fun partying atmosphere” as an NU freshman, and if, as you say, just as many people get top jobs in ibanking and engineering (not at all consistent with recent rankings by actual recruiters, btw) that might imply that a far lower % of UMich grads get top jobs, since there are so many more of them. Just saying.</p>
<p>^Exactly. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. I guess if you like looking at the sheer size and total, you’d like UMich and you’d like how “as many” UMich grads are, say, at Harvard law school…etc. But then if you look at the “rate”: it’s not the perfect combo as some may think. For example, their med school placement rate is just few percentage points higher than national average (at 51% only); perhaps many should have put more time on MCAT/schoolwork instead of partying.</p>
<p>Which is exactly why I said the atmosphere at NU was more focused on schoolwork than UM’s full college experience. You guys seem to have a huge superiority complex for some reason, I’m not bashing NU at all, just pointing out the strengths and weaknesses I’ve seen with extensive time spent at both schools. And yes, the percentage of NU students AS A WHOLE getting top ibanking jobs is greater but when you realize that everyone going into ibanking at UM is coming out of Ross where class sizes are only 400 and only half of those people are looking into finance, many of which are still going for consulting instead of baking, you realize that if you get into Ross Michigan is just about as good a school as any for these very competitive jobs.</p>
<p>As far as your daughter finding a fun weekend atmosphere, I did not say it didn’t exist at NU. I’ve spent my fair share of weekends in Evanston and know what goes on there, but I can say with complete certainty that parties and greek life at NU don’t really compare to Michigan. Dillo Day was not as crazy as a regular football Saturday in Ann Arbor.</p>
<p>It’s really hard to compare a school like NU to a huge state school like Michigan where thousands of home state kids just dream of going there. I would think of course it would be insanly crazy with all that instate pride - I mean over 60% are instate. I’m sure it’s great fun.</p>
<p>But to me it’s just plain stupid to try and compare the atmosphere at a michigan football game to one at NU. If that’s what you want to compare - compare michigan football games to other huge college football teams like Oklahoma, Florida, etc.</p>
<p>In the end when making a decision on where to go to college - that should be a minor factor - and academics should be the most important factor. Michigan has some great programs, and so does NU, and there’s really no reason to bash either school.</p>
<p>^^At NU, people probably feel less pressure to go to the games. To you, greek life at NU isn’t greek enough. To others, NU’s greek is just right. If people were looking for the kind of atmosphere and football craze at places like UMich, UFlorida, or Alabama, they wouldn’t have come to NU at the first place. It’s a bit presumptuous of you to hint that MomCares’ D would have more fun at UMich. Maybe she would be turned off by the wilder version. </p>
<p>Also, we don’t have superiority complex. We are just tired of all that cherry picking from UMich fans <em>on NU board</em>. You used Ross to compare NU and then used UMich collectively for football…etc. You pointed out how there are “as many” smart students there at UMich. Well, what about the flip side? There are plenty of “less academically inclined” students there too. To many people at the elite private research schools, “full college experience” definitely got nothing to do with State-U football. Heck, at least NU has a decent football program when compared to, say, Princeton. But I would never say NU students enjoy fuller college experience.</p>
<p>Alright, folks, I’m an alumna of Northwestern (UG) and Michigan (Grad). Although both schools are members of the Big Ten Conference, Northwestern and Michigan cater to different populations. It’s like comparing apples to oranges: Michigan’s undergrad population is 27,000 on a spread-out campus whereas Northwestern’s undergrad population is 8,100 on a compact campus. </p>
<p>Michigan is a great fit for extroverted (“love being around people”) personalities, students looking for the ultimate college experience (sports traditions + strong school spirit + strong academics), and in-state students with decent-to-excellent financial aid. Often, Michigan is cheaper for out-of-state students than peer private schools. Ann Arbor is a good college town with plenty of things to do, and the Division of Student Affairs works hard to provide student leadership and organization programming. Larger campus also means there’s so many opportunities to get involved but you must find them on your own. It is NOT great for introverted (“prefer small crowds”) personalities, underrepresented minorities (I know I will get hate for this, but there is room for improvement in this area), and in-state students with no funding (I say this because sometimes other universities can offer better financial aid packages). Lastly, Michigan offers majors in every field you can imagine; most students will eventually find their academic niche.</p>
<p>Northwestern is a great fit for introverted and semi-extroverted (“will hang out in crowds but prefer small groups”) personalities, and people with decent-to-excellent financial aid packages. It is a more rigorous academic environment (due to the quarter system and other related factors). Students can take more courses on the quarter system to enrich their education, and NU offers top-ranked undergraduate programs in niche areas like journalism and communications. The smaller environment also makes the campus less overwhelming, and campus housing is guaranteed for four years (you won’t feel forced to live off-campus). It is easy to join student clubs and seek leadership opportunities. Evanston is a decent college town but the downtown area is more geared towards couples and families enjoying the restaurant scene. Someone looking for the ultimate college experience may be disappointed with Northwestern. The school spirit is less prevalent but easy access to Chicago and the lakefront makes up for it.</p>
<p>Overall, I think Michigan and Northwestern are similar academically. However, their environments are different and it’s up to you to decide which place is a better fit. I felt more “at home” at Northwestern, and never regretted my decision.</p>
<p>I agree with much of what you’ve said (D spent last summer at UMich), but can assure you that most NU Theatre kids do not fit your “introverted and semi-introverted” profile!! My observation is that most NU kids are very self-possessed, so they rarely fit the “in your face” profile. Around 1300 NU kids just spent 30 hours in a very intimate Dance Marathon party, so I don’t think most of them hate large gatherings. ;-D</p>
<p>I’d also say that kids w/o financial need have gotten FAR better merit-based FA packages at UMich than at NU (though I’ve heard that NU’s need-based FA is fantastic). </p>
<p>Also - not sure when you were in Evanston, but I’ve heard people say that it’s a MUCH better college town than it once was. D now prefers it to Ann Arbor.</p>
<p>“Also - not sure when you were in Evanston, but I’ve heard people say that it’s a MUCH better college town than it once was. D now prefers it to Ann Arbor.”</p>
<p>First, I enjoyed my years in Evanston. I visited the area back in 2009, so it may have improved a lot since then. I guess it reminds me of an upper-middle class suburb of Chicago that happens to host a highly-ranked private university. As a whole, I think Ann Arbor is more student-centered than Evanston (including free public bus fare for U-M students, faculty and staff.)</p>
<p>^Actually, Northwestern is a great fit for the extroverted too. NU is still pretty big compared to LACs. I think mid-size universities like NU, Penn, Vandy, Stanford, Duke…etc are great fit for wide range of personality types.</p>
<p>^ I didn’t mean to imply that Northwestern wasn’t a great place for extroverted people (that’s why I used the term “semi-extroverted”). I’ll admit my response about personalities was biased towards my group of friends who fell in the “semi-extroverted” category at the time, meaning that they were outgoing and charismatic but they also cherished their “alone” time. Some were theater majors, so I’m going by my experiences. </p>
<p>I also agree that mid-sized universities offer the perfect balance to meet a wide range of people.</p>
<p>While USNR ranks UofM ranked at #28 and Northwestern at #12, many other rankings report the opposite. QS rankings report UofM 14th in the world and Northwestern 24th in the world. Similarly, THE ranks UofM at 18th and Northwestern at 26th. Now do these rankings prove that one school is better than another? Absolutely not! The differing ranks only prove that as you get to the top of the list, the rankings become exceedingly subjective. The fact of the matter is that University of Michigan and Northwestern are peers, and any difference in actual quality is negligible. Where you end up choosing to go should be based on how well you fit into the campus and not a bunch of hooey rankings.</p>
<p>Northwestern’s international reputation is growing but still lacking with regards to some of its private school peers. Michigan’s prestige at the undergrad level is often attributed to the prestige of its graduate programs. This is similar to Stanford in the 70s (before Stanford beefed up its undergrad program).</p>
<p>Well, we don’t pretend to be Harvard or Stanford but your standard may be a little too high. </p>
<p>I came from Hong Kong and finance/commerce reigns supreme there. People in the knows definitely know Northwestern, thanks to Kellogg. I am sure that’s true for other major financial hubs. If you are talking about the laymen, well, it doesn’t really matter what they think in this country, let alone those outside. All I know is NU undergrad is one of the only dozen targets for Bains, McKinsey, AND BCG; NU undergrad is also one of the only few (<5) tragets for Booz & Co. Reputation is the least we should be worrying about, regardless whether it’s NU or UMich or other peers. </p>
<p>Note: “targets” mean schools for which companies hold events AND interviews. They do not include schools for which companies just show up for info session, job fair, or set up an onlilne resume drop.</p>
<p>^I definitely don’t hold Northwestern to that high of a standard. You’re also a bit off for Booz, however. I have several friends who are consultants at Booz and help out in campus recruiting. They recruit at more than just 5 (including Princeton, Rice, Harvard, Columbia, Texas, Wharton). It’s also expected they recruit at Northwestern since the founder graduated from NU. Additionally, Booz is known to focus on MMSS NU grads and not just general NU grads compared to some of the other schools.</p>
<p>I’m also very familiar with MBB as I work at McKinsey now as an associate. I’m therefore well versed in the finance/consulting prestige game. While Northwestern does get recruited on campus for McKinsey, so do Georgia Tech undergraduates. </p>
<p>You’d have a better idea of NU’s perceived value by elite consulting firms if you were privy to the applicant to offer percentages. While Northwestern does well relative to Berkeley and other top state schools based on my experiences during interviews there, it doesn’t do as well as say Duke or some of the ivies.</p>
<p>^Let’s just assume your assessment is right. That’s still pretty good. There are quite a few private peers that are not “Duke or some of the Ivies” and NU does better than them. But I am not gonna name them to avoid another round of tiring NU vs __ .</p>