<p>i would supremely appreciate it if anyone has any input on this comparison. my biggest problem is that i'm not entirely sure what i want to do with my life... i was accepted to the school of communication at northwestern as a comm studies major. i have a deep interest in the media and fashion magazines in particular, but i do not want to go to college solely to learn about that field at all... particularly because i know i could totally change my mind in the future. this being said, william and mary's lesser amount of majors/academic options is really the only reason holding me back from sending in my deposit. could anyone offer any advice?</p>
<p>Interesting dilemma. I have 2 kids who have attended W & M, and several family friends who attended NU’s communications school. Congrats on two great acceptances, btw! The schools are so different that I can understand why you’re hesitant to decide. If your passion is for the media, it’s hard to do better than Northwestern - and I say that as someone who loves W & M and would be willing to pay even more than we already do in OOS tuition. (Fortunately, since we certainly will be spending more in the years to come. :))</p>
<p>Are finances a concern at all? Are you OOS at W & M? As a state school, it (understandably) meets the financial need of instate students first. Did NU offer you any finaid? If you’re instate at W & M, I’d find it especially compelling - you could possibly do unpaid internships in your field instead of having to earn money during your school breaks, which might put your on a more even footing with kids who do attend a school like NU.</p>
<p>Are W & M’s academic options really fewer? The don’t have your major, and they offer fewer majors, true. But how easily could you change majors at NU if that requires changing the school you’re in (from communications to arts and sciences, I imagine?)? Are the core requirements different between schools at NU? At W & M, all students have the same core curriculum, though there are many ways to fulfill it. W & M would offer you a broad education, though NU certainly offers a better focus on communications. </p>
<p>This probably hasn’t helped at all - sorry! You might try the W & M forum, where a number of current and recent students are quite helpful. Good luck!</p>
<p>The typical college student changes majors more than than once. NU requires that you apply to a specific school; you’re into the Communications school but admit that you’re not entirely sure what you want to do with your life. That could be a good reason for choosing W&M - I’d recommend that you be sure you know how easy or difficult it would be to change schools at NU should the need arise.</p>
<p>I’ve been on both campuses. They’re two of my favorites. I love both the settings. I probably like the W&M campus a bit more, but it’s hard to beat the NU lakeshore. I have no idea which one I’d choose. If you can get to both campuses this month, you may want to hang around the students and ask yourself to which group you’d like to be more similar in four years.</p>
<p>If a student wants to change majors/schools at Northwestern, the process is relatively simple: interschool transfer application. With the quarter system, it is easy not to fall behind if a student switches schools. Northwestern also offers a wider variety of majors than William and Mary.</p>
<p>I’ve never been on either campus, but I’m leaning toward William and Mary just based on what I know about the school. The reputation is amazing and it sticks out to me more than Northwestern. Given, Northwestern is a VERY good school as well, so reputation won’t be an issue. I love the state of Virginia though and in terms of jobs/internships, you always have the D.C. area a short drive away, which can provide for wonderful internship opportunities. If finances are an issue, I think W&M probably beats Northwestern just because it’s a state school. If you’re out of state though, it might not make much of a difference.</p>
<p>Help me choose?
<a href=“Please help me choose!!! - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Please help me choose!!! - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
<p>This is a tough decision! Both great choices in so many ways.
Flip a coin and tell yourself you’ll live by the decision. If you want to flip it again, that will help you uncover which way you’re leaning.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice! I’m out of state for W&M and I did not receive any money from either institution. I honestly have no idea how I am going to decide… I have spent more than enough time at Northwestern to get a feel for the campus and its students (my parents both attended and I’ll actually be with them for the reunion next weekend) and hopefully will be able to make it down to W&M for accepted students weekend. Honestly, W&M’s admittance packet is what is making me want to go there. Their packet definitely had a lot more “spunk-” the first thing I saw was Kanye West-glasses emblemed letter saying “You’re Cool!” I’m pretty sure a comment I made along the same quirky line that was written up in my counselor rec was what got me in to W&M… </p>
<p>Alas, the root of my dilemma remains the same… But, thanks for all the advice so far 
Any more that anyone could offer would be much appreciated as well.</p>
<p>bumppppppp</p>
<p>as far cost goes ( see other imbedded link above+ that included a salary calculator to determine what kind of job you’d havr to get to service X debt), what is the cost of each to you, and more important, what is the debt that you’d be in after 4 yrs in each?</p>
<p>NU…
cost
debt</p>
<p>WM…
cost
debt</p>
<p>+<a href=“Please help me choose!!! - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Please help me choose!!! - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
<p>also, seeing that one is from the MW, and the other is on the Atlantic seaboard, how far is each from home to you? Is frequency and ease of getting back to home at all important to you? I have seen more than a few of my daughter’s friends transfer after the 1st yr from colleges that they felt were too far from home after they lived there a yr. Of course, I have seen at least one person who felt farther is better.</p>
<p>The School of Communications at Northwestern along with Medill are a 1-2 punch hard to turn down. Comm at NU may be the best applied program in the field in the country (Annenberg at Penn, for example, is wonderful, but a program that tends to be much more theoretical). There’s also a certificate program available through the Integrated Marketing Communications department that can supplement any major and is a unique opportunity to access graduate level teaching resources.</p>
<p>[Medill</a> - IMC Undergraduate Certificate](<a href=“http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/imc/undergraduatecertificate.aspx]Medill”>http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/imc/undergraduatecertificate.aspx)</p>
<p>Medill is there as well, of course. It’s easily argued to be the strongest undergrad journalism program in the country with opportunities for you to take classes or, if your interests change, for possible transfer. Alternatively, moving over to WCAS in any liberal arts department, as tenisghs mentioned, is an easy transition, aided by the trimester system.</p>
<p>W and M is a great school. Just see for your particulars the opportunities at Northwestern as much stronger.</p>
<p>You sound like your heart is saying W&M. Their English dept will prepare you as well as any J-school will to write. Maybe better. Candidly the biggest difference between the two schools is weather. Chicago vs Tidewater VA winters are very very different. You cant lose either way. Good luck.</p>
<p>could anyone speak to the athletic spirit of both schools? having grown up in a completely big ten oriented family (illinois and northwestern), football and basketball games are definitely something i would like to include in my college experience. additionally, what would you consider the main differences between the student populations? i’ve heard that a majority of northwestern students are competitive pre-professionals who can party and w&m is intellectuals who really do not… i tend to go to parties on most of my weekends already and would like that to be available as well.</p>
<p>Rest assured, you’ll find plenty of parties at W & M, if that’s what you like to do. And that’s just based on what my 2 ds have been willing to tell me. </p>
<p>You’ll also find both pre-professionals and kids who are a bit more intellectually-oriented. I don’t think I’d characterize the majority of W & M students as valuing learning for its own sake far above the need to eventually earn a living. I’d say the typical W & M student seems more service-oriented than pre-professional or even intellectual, but that’s just an impression. My ds have told me that the pre-professional vibe is essentially cooperative rather than competitive. There are informal study groups and informal peer tutoring even amongst the pre-meds, or so my d who was a bio major says.</p>
<p>Athletics are big at W & M, though not what you’d find at a Big 10 school. Lots of Tribe Pride, and crowds at the football and basketball games. Big 10 is a whole other atmosphere, of course.</p>
<p>thanks for everyone’s advice… honestly i don’t know what to do. as much as i love northwestern, i haven’t had an “aha!” experience there like i did the first time i saw william and mary. however, colonial wiliamsburg and the lack of diversity at w&m concern me considerably. additionally, someone recently asked me if i could see myself living and marrying someone in the south and my answer is a resounding no. i feel that my life will turn out completely differently depending on which i attend and i’m torn. completely.</p>
<p>Wow, this is almost like a Reasearch Uni vs. LAC thread, but nobody has pointed that out yet.</p>
<p>NU has 17,000 on campus, and as many graduate students as undergrad. W&M is about 5,000 + 2,000, so it is both much smaller, and more undergrad focused.</p>
<p>This is also a Private vs. Public issue. Normally a Private will give you more access to advising and professors, but in this particular case, I’ll bet they’re about the same.</p>
<p>While highly regarded by adcoms, W&M is less known by employers (outside the southeast) and other college grads than NU. Will this impact your job search? It might. I don’t think it will impact grad school apps should you go that route.</p>
<p>Ah, then what everyone else has touched on: Midwest Vs. South. Chicago vs. suburban Virginia. If in fact you cannot see yourself settling in the south, as you wrote, I see that tipping the scale in favor of NU. My niece graduated NU last year, went to work for an Ibank (bad press the last few days), learned to love Evanston and Chicago and cannot see herself living anywhere else now (coming from LA).</p>
<p>radicalistic-</p>
<p>What did you decide? Did you go to W&Ms admitted students day? Our D did and even though she had been to W&M twice before and toured etc she ended up with some of your concerns. The diversity thing bothered her as well, but not surprising as we are from the west coast. She didn’t have a problem with Williamsburg, though. She also liked their admittance packet…read the whole thing to us out loud. But after the last visit she has sadly decided that it just isn’t for her…maybe her brother will apply.</p>
<p>Hope you make/have made a happy decision!</p>