<p>please tell me what you think of UMich (LSA Honors) vs. Northwestern Arts and Sciences.
academics, class size,advising, getting into classes you really want (red tape factor)
location, off campus living, stuff to do, nightlife, quality of life (food/dorms/ease of getting around campus) and how many hours are lived in the library.
thanks.</p>
<p>Both are excellent. Here’s how I would break it down:</p>
<p>Academics:
Slight edge goes to Michigan</p>
<p>Class size:
Slight edge goes to Northwestern</p>
<p>Advising:
Slight edge goes to Northwestern</p>
<p>Getting into classes:
I never had trouble getting into a class I reallt wanted. I would say the two schools are even.</p>
<p>Location:
Both are ideally located. NU is close to Chicago and by the lake. Michigan is in Ann Arbor and has an international airport 20 miles away.</p>
<p>Stuff to do:
Again, both are great.</p>
<p>Nightlife:
Equal, with Michigan having the edge on campus and in town and NU having the edge in the surrounding areas (Chicago)</p>
<p>Quality of life:
Both are great.</p>
<p>Hours in the library:
Academics at both schools are challenging and students are ambitious, so you will see a lot of students burning the midnight oil.</p>
<p>Bottom line, both schools are awesome. There are small differences in campus culture and environment, and their school calendars are also quite different (trimester vs quarter). When it comes to those two schools, I would go for fit.</p>
<p>advicing depends on what college you are in.
Ross advicing is known to be great
COE advicing is top notch either</p>
<p>Honors and LSA advicing tho…lol</p>
<p>Daughter and I visited both this week. Academically the schools seem even, but the intangibles (at least for my dd) were obvious. There was a vibrancy to Michigan (on a snowy day) which was not present at NW (on a cold, but sunny day). At UM people stopped and asked if we needed directions, (granted there are far more people) and seemed really happy to be there. At NW during our tour more than one car load/bike rider/walker yelled to the entire group, “don’t go here.” (We took that with a grain of salt the first time, but the second and third times, we began to wonder).</p>
<p>Another thing that my daughter really wants is the total college package…not just strong academics, but a school where there is pride and lots to be involved in. There is lots to be involved with at both schools, but the sense of pride was very evident at UM and not at all at NW…no mention of it.</p>
<p>I think it really depends on what one is looking for in a college. I’m a mom who wants her kids to work hard at school, but I also want them to have fun, and love their entire college experience, and I believe that it takes place in many more places than just the classroom.</p>
<p>“Academics:
Slight edge goes to Michigan”</p>
<p>Hmm I agree with everything that you posted alexandre except for this one. I think Northwestern is considered more prestigious than Michigan in the US academically speaking.</p>
<p>Not really PW. Michigan’s peer assessment score is 4.4, NU’s is 4.3. For the last 25 years, Michigan’s peer assessment score has always been higher than Northwestern’s. Academically, according to the academic community, Michigan is generally considered slightly stronger than NU. </p>
<p>In the corporate world, Michigan and NU are equally prestigious, but that is not a reflection of academics. </p>
<p>I do agree that among high school students and the majority of their not-so-well-educated parents, Northwestern does seem to be more prestigious than Michigan…but that is a reflection of the USNWR ranking, not of academic quality.</p>
<p>to be honest, if i were u, i would choose NU. NU is slightly underrated.</p>
<p>I think NU is better. Agreed that UMich has a more college feel to it but I personally speaking, I think NU’s academics are stronger.</p>
<p>US News as well ranks NU over UMich. Not saying that rankings are everything but I feel that NU’s academics are stronger.</p>
<p>University of Michigan- Ann Arbor</p>
<p>What are your thoughts on the quarter system. DS seems concerned that the frequency of exams/papers will add to the challenge. It also puts him off schedule with his friends from home. (start late and end late).</p>
<p>We are very familiar with Michigan, since his brother is there. He is having an awesome time and will be a wolverine forever. I wonder if the school spirit is the same at NU. I know its Big 10, but how are the pregame parties??</p>
<p>also, does anyone know about the off-campus housing situation at NU. Its really good in Ann Arbor and the students really enjoy the house/apt. living. Does students at NU have more than the just the Burger King that gets talked about?</p>
<p>He’s going to revisit NU, but this is really going to come down the wire.</p>
<p>thanks for all your input.</p>
<p>I don’t think any 18 year old should decide to attend a college because there’s an airport 20 miles away.</p>
<p>Being intimately familiar with both schools, as well as the cities of Chicago and Ann Arbor, you’d be surprised how similar the two schools really are. I would say on average the typical Northwestern student is a little smarter and more goal oriented, while the typical Michigan student is smart but trying (usually successfully) to have a good overall college experience.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what others are actually referring to when they say “academics,” but with the exception of particular programs (e.g., journalism or aerospace engineering), on the whole the two schools are pretty equal in terms of breadth of offerings, ability to excel in a particular area if one tries, general contributions to academia, etc. </p>
<p>A motivated student from either school is unlikely to be hindered in any way vis-a-vis attending the other. On average, however, I would say the atmosphere at Northwestern is more conducive to such motivation. </p>
<p>Relatedly, class sizes will generally be smaller at Northwestern (which is a huge plus, in my opinion). The quarters system is much more intense, but also it allows you to take more classes. </p>
<p>I have no knowledge about the academic advising depts. for either undergraduate school. I will say that getting an internship from Northwestern, especially during the school year, is considerably easier being so close to Chicago. That is a significant plus in my book.</p>
<p>I think location is a tricky subject. Ann Arbor is a great place to spend your undergrad years. The food is surprisingly good for a small town (even a college town), the nightlife is fantastic in terms of traditional college-type activities with at least some kids going out each night of the week, and football afternoons are truly energizing.</p>
<p>On the flip side, Ann Arbor is a little sheltered and kids often graduate with a slightly narrower world view (I don’t mean politically or anything like that, but rather in terms of real life experiences). Unless you spend the rest of your life in Ann Arbor, the rest of the world is not quite as simple or idyllic. </p>
<p>Northwestern students tend to be slightly more cosmopolitan and, although Evanston isn’t exactly Chicago, I think being near the city affords them the opportunity to engage in slightly less college-like (but more adult-like) social opportunities. </p>
<p>It’s hard for me to be unbiased because, although I loved my three years in Ann Arbor, I had spent the 5 years immediately before that living in Chicago. I can’t even imagine being 22 years old and not having lived in a major city before. But for many people, that is really not the case. </p>
<p>Therefore, for a traditional college experience, I think Michigan is a much better choice. And its students, on average, are much happier there (albeit more sheltered, as well). Northwestern students, on the other hand, have a much richer and varied experience. That comes with highs (more personal interactions w/ faculty, spending Saturday nights in Chicago, experiencing new things) and lows (kids study harder, coming to grips with violence and poverty).</p>
<p>“I wonder if the school spirit is the same at NU. I know its Big 10, but how are the pregame parties??”</p>
<p>I asked this to a friend who’s a NU junior right now, and she simply replied that the school doesn’t have much school spirit.</p>
<p>ETA: I was debating between these two schools as well for theatre. Each had its pros and cons (NU: pro - arguably best BA Theater program, great internships, Northwestern Mafia. Cons - cost, lack of school spirit) (UMich: pro - great BFA Theatre Design & Production, less theatre students and focused degree = get to know professors better, great school spirit, great traditional college experience. Cons - Can’t take as much classes as with quarter system. Less internship opportunities compared to NU). In the end, I chose UMich because I wanted the traditional fun college experience, and the school spirit is also quite important personally. I just wish UMich had the Northwestern Mafia!</p>
<p>Being from a major city, living and experiencing Ann Arbor would not be a factor in limiting the world view.</p>
<p>I was very interested in the response that NU does lack school spirit. That is a very big factor here, one of the reasons WUSTL was ruled out.</p>
<p>What is the Northwestern mafia? Please enlighten me.</p>
<p>BTW- taking more classes is not necessarily a plus for some. As an adult, I see that as a nice benefit, but my DS is skeptical.</p>
<p>NYerr, if you want, I’ll send you a link to a website I found with students reviewing their own schools. On the whole, almost all UMich students mention big school pride, while most NU students describe a lack of school pride. You can be the judge though.</p>
<p>I asked my friend to compare the school pride of UM and NU, and she (her PERSONAL OPINION), said that UM had far greater school pride.</p>
<p>The Northwestern Mafia refers to the large number of NU alumni working in film, television, and theater. Basically, if you’re a talented NU student, the professors can hook you up with amazing internships and jobs. A professor I spoke to confirmed this.</p>
<p>For film and theater, NU rocks. Only NYU, USC and UCLA surpass it.</p>
<p>Be somebody</p>
<p>Be Somebody
sorry about that. hit enter by mistake.</p>
<p>could you send me the link for the student reviews of their own schools. thank you.</p>
<p>regarding the reference to the Northwestern Mafia - interesting. not a factor.</p>
<p>Based on your responses to these posts, UM is a far better choice for you. Maybe I’ll see you there next year. (LSA Honors '13) :)</p>