I have to admit that even I was won over by @WWWard 's argument, and I’ve always admired NU and encouraged the OP to go with NU. I think the most persuasive is the daughter who chose USC over Princeton, which I’d like to see happen more often, not because I have anything against the Ivies, but because for so many here it’s a knee-jerk reaction: accepted at Ivy, must attend Ivy. It also speaks highly that USC beats out Princeton (for a certain type of student, of course).
I suspect that USC with a full tuition scholarship might beat out a full pay offer from Princeton, but otherwise would need more specifics in order to judge that decision.
Also, the Northwestern Mafia is well known in Hollywood because the first female head of a major motion picture studio was a Northwestern graduate. Even The Hollywood Reporter ranked Northwestern’s theatre & acting program at #2 behind Julliard & ahead of CMU & NYU. Not sure where USC ranked.
@hapworth In my daughter’s case, her picking USC over Princeton was not an easy decision. She charted out as I recall around 12-14 key decision-making factors to her… everything from weather/climate to majors/minors/courses available to how she perceived herself fitting in, etc. Having an older sister already there at USC of course aided in her decision. But to be honest, in her case, USC simply won on the merits as to how she ranked her priorities & pro’s vs con’s.
I agree with you… too many likely cave in to external pressures and attend an Ivy or Stanford, etc. without digging much deeper into the ideas of wants, needs, fit, etc. In her case, only maybe an admission to Yale or Brown (which did not come) may have swayed her away from USC. Both of my daughters actually had USC ranked as 3rd behind Yale and Brown… and overall, my two daughters applied to a whopping 32 colleges between them (17 and 15).
Moreover… they are both fully content with their decisions to attend USC. Ultimately, that is the key thing. If I had a do-over, I certainly would have not attended JHU, for example. You only get one shot at college… so choose wisely and avoid buyer’s remorse later 
@publisher Admittedly, my NU analysis is limited to my daughters’ research and my own experiences with friends who went there. Unfortunately, their recaps of life there and their overall college experience seemed far too similar to mine at JHU. And I simply hoped for more for my daughters than what I went through.
As for Niche… I do believe that surveys from students and alumni are of worth… or at least more to consider. NU ranks closely behind USC at #21. A+ also as an Overall Niche Grade. Others…
Academics A+, Value A+, Diversity A, Campus B+. Athletics A+, Party Scene A-, Professors
A+, Location B+, Dorms C, Campus Food B+, Student Life A+, Safety B
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Agreed, but something tells me that @WWWard 's D is not in this situation? Maybe he’ll offer details. It was his overall post that felt solid. After all, I know nothing about USC except from college football. I know a bit more about NU (I’ve been on its campus!), but really, again, it’s mostly college football (Go Cats!). Sure, @WWWard is biased, but he knows this, and the OP, I think, is looking to hear strong arguments in USC’s favor. I ignored the Niche data.
The OP wants to study journalism, a strength at NU. But young people change majors. I guess @Cubbybear , if USC, as a school, is what is most important, then that’s where you should be and you’ll either make the journalism thing happen there or else find a different area to study. If journalism is an absolute, and it pains you to turn down NU, then you know that your planned field of study is more important than a preference of one fine school over another.
No, @Cubbybear , we are not helping you very much, only making you more confused.
As for cost of attendance… Princeton would have been cheaper than USC, if that’s what you were asking, @publisher
Not quite what I was asking. Just suggesting that the only reason I can think of to choose USC over Princeton is COA without more specific information.
As to OP’s situation, his/her posts read as if OP is more concerned with a vacation than a career. Although that may seem harsh, I am basing it off of OP’s posts.
@Cubbybear : Have you visited Northwestern ?
@cubbybear, I have family members who went to both schools and know current students at both USC and NU. Full disclosure- S applied and got into USC but has decided against matriculating at USC, and he did not apply to NU. I agree that both are strong universities in great cities for internships and both have school spirit. NU has come a long way since the days when they had the longest losing streak in the Big Ten and possibly in all of college football. USC is always going to be a contender in the PAC 12 while NU only sporadically makes it to a bowl game with certainty. Weather can definitely be brutal in the winter but I hear it builds character :-). I am not buying that USC will have a better social life. It will be what you make of it, wherever you go. Greek life is strong at both universities and you can find a social life outside of Greek as well.
Getting more serious, NU has the national brand and seems to only be getting stronger. It is on a par or better than schools like Duke and pretty much has the respect like many top Ivies do to recruiters. Medill is second to none for your major. USC has been trending stronger in recent years, especially well known for film and engineering but has a long ways to get to the overall reputation of Northwestern. I don’t mean this as a negative for USC, more of a positive for NU. Most recruiters outside of Southern California are going to look at an NU degree with greater respect, with the exception of a few select areas of study. That may change in time, but it seems to be a prevailing sentiment. While true that a degree from USC will bode well for a job in Los Angeles, if you stay in Southern California, it is very hard for a young professional to buy real estate in the metro areas of CA such as Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco… whereas Chicago and the Midwest are much more affordable in terms of overall cost of living.
Where do you ultimately see yourself living and working after undergraduate school? Where are you originally from and do you see yourself returning home? The USC name is great in Southern California and if you really stand out in your field, you may find some networking outside CA and internationally. Domestically, I believe NU has better national branding and longevity in most fields. That being said, if you are a strong student in a marketable major, you can do well anywhere. I agree that four years at USC may be more fun and nice weather, but if you are serious about journalism as a major, I would have to say GO WILDCATS!
@Hapworth, I was at that 95 Rosebowl game with my wife! Cinderella year for the Wildcats even though they lost to the Trojans!
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You’ll probably have a better time at USC.
@Publisher I’m sorry that it came off like I wanted a vacation more than a career. I just think that since USC is also such a good school, I can also evaluate how much I will enjoy my college experience. I think both colleges will also me good career opportunities in the future
@Hapworth haha no, this conversion actually is helping me decide. I really just need to decide if the journalism program at NU is more important to me than the college experience at USC. Thanks!
@Publisher I visited NU about 2 weeks ago for the Wildcat day. I also visited USC. Both had gorgeous campuses and Northwestern really sold me on Medill.
@Nomorelurker Thank you for your detailed response! I eventually do want to live in Southern Cali, but obviously places in LA are extremely expensive for young people out of college. I’m originally from SLC but don’t plan on returning (although it is a great city!!). I’m just not sure how serious I am about journalism. Right now it sounds great, but I’ve never taken a journalism class in my life.
Someone mentioned switching majors. Well, Northwestern is strong in everything – whatever you switched to would be top-notch. It’s almost like HPS and UChicago that way – quality everywhere. Top-10 (easily; probably top-5) in Econ and top-3 (probably 1 or 2) in Journalism. It thus has the best combination of Journalism and Econ quality in the country and probably in the world. It is simply a step above USC academically, as far as anyone who hasn’t attended either school, and looks at program rankings, can tell. A good time can be had there too – Chicago’s a great city. If you’re serious about the academic part of these four years, Northwestern should be the choice… in my opinion, of course.
I have a student at USC and have been amazed at all the opportunities available to her and impressed by her fellow students, but I am sure the same or better can be said of NW - it is a great school (too).
IMO it comes down to fit and where you see yourself being happy.
My D and all of her friends are very serious about their academics, getting the most out of their College experience, service and making the world a better place, and about supporting each other. And they also have a lot of fun, love to take a few hours off to go hiking in the hills or to the beach (my D is also partial to Harry Potter world at Universal studios). And game day is an event - but my D has missed more than a few games to study and usually spends at least one weekend night, if not both, at the library.
Are all USC students this serious? No, definitely not. With 18k undergrads there is sure to be a range. But if you are motivated and want opportunities you will find them at USC. Still, I have to admit that NW has a more academic cred, and you could have an amazing experience there.
As an aside, why would do journalism at NW but economics at USC?
@jmek15 When i originally applied to NU, I applied to the journalism school because I was somewhat interested and I heard the program was really good. After being accepted, I’ve grown to love the school, especially after visiting and talking to current students and teachers.
OP wrote: “I’m just not sure how serious I am about journalism.” This statement explains a lot.
USC offers an attractive lifestyle.
Truthfully, I am still processing the decision of another poster’s daughter turning down a lower cost Princeton offer for USC. I am rationalizing that as a possible fear of the academic demands, pressure & competition, but also understand that her apparent acting ambitions & the USC lifestyle were probably significant factors. And it appears that she made the right decision for herself.
If one wanted to be a TV & Film Screenwriter, USC probably has the best program in the world.
While Northwestern has a massive endowment of approximately $10 billion which places NU in the top 10 out of 850 schools, USC has over $5 billion which places it at #21 among the 850 endowment schools.
It takes courage & confidence in oneself to turn down super elite Princeton for USC. It will take courage to turn down the top Journalism School in the country for a preferred location & lifestyle during one’s college years. Perhaps admission to Medill School of Journalism is too much of a commitment for one who is truly undecided regarding one’s career objective.
@cubbybear, you have two excellent choices and cannot go wrong with either one. Well, you might feel you went wrong on a few winter days when the chill factor gets below zero in Evanston! Seriously though, weather is but one factor out of a dozen or more.
One question that has not been asked and which you are not obligated to answer on this board is your overall family’s financial situation in relation to affordability and resources after you graduate. Also, L.A.is expensive if you are more outgoing, social and extroverted. If you plan to stay more on campus and use the dining pass, it will cost less. And yes, as I mentioned in an earlier post, cost of buying (and I should have also said renting) is very high in L.A., especially difficult for students who are not top in their field or in very high paying majors. Did you get any financial aid or more from one school versus the other? We found that two or three top 25 schools were quite different on the aid and/or types of loans or grants offered (both having the same income and tax information from us parents). USC was not the lowest and not the highest for us, and finances were not the reason our S decided on another university.
Nevertheless, if you really see yourself wanting to move and live in Southern California long term, USC does have a strong alumni network that is particularly strong in CA. Yes, some support may be available in Chicago, NY and elsewhere from Trojan alumni, but an NU degree in Chicago, the Midwest, and more often than not on the East Coast, and the South (including Texas) and other states tends to have more “academic cred” than a USC degree may have, as a prior poster wrote. Also, check the “why do so many CC posters dislike USC” thread here on CC. USC, like some other universities, carries some baggage in other parts of the country, in part due to sports rivalries and also in part due to other irrational or untrue factors such as the “spoiled child” narrative. I happen to be the opposite, love USC and NU as well. Aside from those two schools, anyone with a degree from a top 25 school (and regardless of the university rank) who works their tail off in a marketable field, and who has strong communication skills and interviews well, can get a good job in most circumstances (assuming a moderate to strong economy).
The bottom line is that a college will not make your success, not NU nor USC. YOU will need to work hard and make sure you have a marketable major, or second major, and/or minor. Econ, for example, has been a hot major in the last ten years, particularly since the 2008 crash. The perception was and may still be that graduates who do not have strong math and analytical skills are at an disadvantage in a competitive job market. Writing skills and critical thinking skills are something you may not get quite as strongly with econ, so a second major in journalism (from one of if not the strongest journalism school in the country at NU) would make you very marketable with an undergraduate degree. If, on the other hand, you have strong financial support from family, who can pay for your next step, whether it be law school, an MBA after a year or two of working, or another graduate degree, then it may not matter quite as much which undergraduate degree you have when comparing USC and Northwestern.
If you have been to both campuses and feel strongly that the social fit at USC is undoubtedly where you feel most comfortable, I would suggest going with your gut. If you are on the fence with social fit and also felt good with the people you met at Medill at NU, then I would continue to mull over the other factors that are important to you, including resources after the next four years, quality of life, majors considered, weather, school spirit, collaborative vs. competitive school body, potential grade deflation, proximity to home,how and where will summers be spent, and more. Remember that as great as Saturdays are in the fall at USC, there are maybe six of them and one or two away games you might drive up to. The school year has 30 other weeks/weekends and NU does have a better than 500 football team in what is arguably the most exciting football division now. I will close with a chant that a family member remembers from days at Northwestern when they lost almost every game. It goes like this: It’s alright, it’s ok, you’re gonna work for us some day!"
Good luck to you.
I have no idea how hard it is to get into, but Annenberg at USC has a pretty good journalism program. I’ve been going through a few websites listing the best journalism schools, and USC and Northwestern seem to be very close to each other in the rankings.
That said, while I’m not a big fan of living in the Midwest, which is where I grew up, I don’t know why everyone assumes living in LA is all that wonderful. People will spend a lot more time sitting in their cars in traffic jams than surfing and sunning themselves at the beach. It always felt like one huge suburb. Some are going to love it, but I personally couldn’t wait to leave after finishing at USC. I still stayed in California though.