<p>hey, i got into both of them and slipped into a hard quandary.. i'm asking you guys for an honest comparison (although one cannot precisely compare the two schools as i applied for economics at NU and business studies (olin) at wustl). I know that NU's economics department is very strong but so is olin...
maybe its not the academics that make the cut - so, hows the school spirit, the weather (i like to have seasons :)), the students, the towns(cities), the college buildings (dorms), the athmosphere and so on..
i know everyone has one's own experiences.. but i would really appreciate it if you gave me your opinion...</p>
<p>btw i'm an intl from germany and i did not have a chance to visit any of them.. so please don't blame me for those stupid questions.</p>
<p>Thanx!!!!</p>
<p>PS: I'm gonna post this on the NU board as well :)</p>
<p>My son was accepted to both schools. He chose Wash U. He thought the kids were really friendly there. Northwestern may have the better academic reputation though. He visited both schools, ad stayed at NU for 5 weeks where he discovered that the dorms and the food were terrible (this is his perception). Plus son is not into sports and the fact that Wash U is a Division 3 school and Nu is a Big 10 school made a difference. I think they are both really good schools. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Stauch, I can't speak about NU, but have a D at Wash U. She says the people are very, very friendly. The academics are strong and challenging. You'll have the 4 seasons at both schools. Many of the dorms are new or being rebuilt. The atmosphere is what we call 'mid-west friendly.' People are very accepting. It is definately not a 'rah rah' sport school, just many people interested in a whole range of things. Woher kommen Sie? Wir sind in Stuttgart von 1999-2003 gewesen. Best of luck!</p>
<p>My final decision for college came down to WashU and NU also - I chose WashU. I can't say much about the business/econ programs, I was an engineer. But I agree with much of what missmolly and outwest mom said... a couple things that really helped me decide were the dorms and the atmosphere. I visited both schools, and the dorms are definitely nicer at WashU. Plus a big factor was the guaranteed housing at WashU (not at NU). I have a friend who didn't get a good enough housing lottery number at NU her sophomore year, and was forced to get an apartment. At WashU, if you lived on campus the year before, you're guaranteed a spot again the next year - a huuuge relief. I also loved the community and the friendliness of WashU and the students. Chicago is definitely a larger city, but St. Louis is big enough to offer all sorts of cultural/sports/etc events, and you'll never get bored.</p>
<p>i'm going to WASHU, so i'm a little biased, but i did visit both schools... the thing i liked about wash u more than northwestern was really the atmosphere. both schools are in big cities, and both have really good academics. However, when you are on campus at wash u, you don't feel like you are in the city, it seems very isolated. Northwestern feels like the city, even though it is a little off of the main city. Both schools are good choices, but if you come to wash u, i might see you next year, good luck!</p>
<p>tanks a lot for your replies they're really helpful. I still have a hard time deciding though.</p>
<p>Outwestmom: Ich komme aus Aachen ganz im westen von Deutschland. Stuttgart ist eine sehr schöne Stadt, jedoch ganz anders als Aachen. Aachen ist eine mittelalterliche Kurstadt..</p>
<p>4 years ago I was also deciding between NU and WU. I chose WU and haven't regretted it once. Here we almost never go to our own school's sporting events. I wish we were a D1 school, but have come to terms with being D3. Chicago has more stuff to do than St. Louis, but WashU is pretty much in St. Louis, whereas Northwestern's a bit outside of Chi-town, as I recall. It's true. Everyone's very friendly here. I got a more superficial vibe at NU when I visited. Also, NU's on a trimester system aren't they? That was one of the big reasons I chose WU--I wanted breaks when my friends around the country had breaks. On a trimester system I hear it feels like you're always cramming for exams. Either way, you're not going to go wrong. I have friends at NU who love it. I'm sure whatever you decide will work out. Do the ole trick where you flip a coin--heads for WU and tails for NU. Whichever comes up, if you're happy, go with it, if you're not, take the opposite. If you're still undecided take a year off as a traveling candle maker in search of truth.</p>
<p>it merely depends on what your'e interested in. For undergraduate studies the schools are prettymcuh ranked dead even (not just uSA today but i mean from seeing the intensity of the class and such)</p>
<p>However, for graduate studies its very different. Northwestern's Kellogg Business is #1 in the country. WashU's med school is #3 in the country.</p>
<p>So It all depends on what you want. Though I do hear that it is harder for you to get into a graduate school in the school where u were an undergrad.</p>
<p>If you are choosing between the 2 you mentioned, I would go with Northwestern. WashU's business school is kind of a joke...but if you major in economics at WashU that's a different story. NORTHWESTERN IS COLD!!</p>
<p>Since I am not particularly knowledgable about this sort of stuff, can you please explain how majoring in economics at wash U is different than going to the business school (aside from the obvious BA vs MBA)?</p>
<p>Hmmm..it's the other way around. If you want to major in business, choose WashU cos Northwestern's B-school is a graduate school only (sad, but true). But if you want to major in econ, choose Northwestern whose econ is consistently in top 10 and some of their econ faculty also have appointment at the renowned B-school. Of course your choice may also depend on many other non-academic factors and I am just assuming all else equal.</p>
<p>i'm talking for undergrad. it is statistically harder to go to a professional school where you spent your undergrad. usually its better to mix em up and make sure you get the grad school you want. :)</p>
<p>Northwestern is freezing in the winter because its located right next to Lake Michigan. Cold currents and drafts from the canadian north blow right across the lake. (if no windchill factor then it would be okay) Notorious chicago winters... :)</p>
<p>But NU tops the list of the most represented undergrad institution for Northwestern law school's student body (interestingly, also ties with U of Chicago for Chicago's law school). No data for Kellogg however. About 1/3 of the NU's med school students went to NU for undergrad--largely due to HPME.</p>