Northwestern vs. WashU?

College Search & Selection
1

I know there are many forums on this, but I wanted to see what you all would think of my case. I’m considering applying ED to either of these outstanding institutions. I’m leaning towards majoring in journalism, although if I went to WashU I’d probably do political science. I want to be involved in Jewish life, campus politics, the school newspaper, and opportunities beyond the classroom in addition to amazing classes. I’ve been told I’d have a bit of a better chance at WashU. This is what I’m thinking right now:

WashU: Great student life, amazing dorms + food, good majors, meh city life/internships, no journalism

Northwestern: Amazing journalism, great city opportunities, very well-regarded, inconsistent student life, meh dorms + food

What do you think? I’m not just going with the fact that NU has amazing journalism - I want to know the whole experience. Thanks so so much!

2

Do you need financial aid? If you’re applying ED to either of those schools, you should have some idea of whether or not you can pay for it. That said, I’d go with Northwestern, their opportunities in journalism are unrivaled.

3

Since you are Jewish, you might find the following document interesting.

http://www.brandeis.edu/ssri/pdfs/campusstudies/AntisemitismCampuses101316.pdf

It was discussed here:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1930243-campuses-with-the-most-anti-semitism-p1.html

Generally, NU is considered a slightly better school than WashU, and Chicago is certainly a more interesting metropolitan area than St. Louis, but the schools are roughly equivalent, and you can be successful at either one.