<p>Both are in Chicago, and are quite different, and I'm choosing between them.</p>
<p>Anybody in the same boat?</p>
<p>What would you say are the most striking differences, and which would you pick in my situation?</p>
<p>(I'm aware I may be asking a question that's already been asked, but it's worth a try)</p>
<p>northwestern is much more joe college. My friend's sister has spent a long time there (which turned my friend away from it) and it seems to be a lot more of a rich kid image with emphasis on the big 10 and greek aspects.</p>
<p>chicago is the educational capital...a little bit quirky but much cooler in my eyes</p>
<p>The emphasis on the big 10 and greek aspects is very tame if compared to other Big10 schools. Football game is the only sporting event that people attend and it draws attention only if the team is decent which doesn't happen that often. Academics is still a much bigger focus at NU. Most students don't go to more than 1 game in a down year and many probably never step into the stadium in their 4 years at NU.</p>
<p>NW: much more preprofessional, which is a plus for some but a negative in my book</p>
<p>That's a more accurate assessment. Their strongest fields are the pre-professional ones afterall.</p>
<p>I posted this on the NU board as well, but:</p>
<p>how would you compare undergraduate economics at NU vs. U of Chicago? I hear CHicago's department is one of the best in the country.</p>
<p>Northwestern also has a very strong econ dept., but I'd put it a tier-lower than schools like Chicago, MIT, Princeton, UCB (I'm forgetting one here).</p>
<p>Whatever you do, DON'T make your decision based on the strength of different academic departments. Such things are much too subjective, of borderline relevance to undergrads, and most undergrads change majors anyway before graduation.</p>
<p>Focus on environment, social atmosphere and fit. As I've said before, these two schools are so different, it is hard to imagine a kid being happy at both.</p>
<p>jpps1, I think you forgot Stanford.</p>
<p>Yeah, I was thinking that was probably it, but I wasn't sure.</p>
<p>Yeah i'm in the exact same boat with you too, iloveapples....What should I do?
The "brand name effect" I admit, plays a large role in my decision, which school sounds cooler if I were to introduce myself at a dinner table?</p>
<p>I got into NU and U of Chicago as well, I decided on Nu because I got into HPME.</p>