<p>Can someone please give me an idea of the personalities for these schools. Also which one would be better for someone who wants to major in economics and political science?</p>
<p>Northwestern (Who doesn’t love it’s temperature?)</p>
<p>If you want to go into medicine or law, go to NU. UChicago’s grade deflation kills; UChicago has less than 15 students at Harvard Law; a fraction of the number of Columbia, Dartmouth, Princeton, Brown. If you want to go into finance/consulting, both are about equal.</p>
<p>Chicago- Econ powerhouse, suuuuuuuuuuper nerdy.
Northwestern- Decent in both categories, average nerdy.</p>
<p>How difficult is the core requirements for both?</p>
<p>Visit both and you might like one but not the other.</p>
<p>I can’t visit them, which makes the decision that much harder. Which school is it easier to double major?</p>
<p>Either one could be excellent for those two subjects. They are both fine schools but they do have different settings and personalities. Chicago’s undergraduate program is strictly focused on the liberal arts and sciences. It has a distinct “Core” curriculum that has evolved since the 1940s. Northwestern has arts and sciences but also pre-professional programs in communications, journalism, and engineering. Chicago’s setting is urban, Northwestern’s is suburban. Northwestern’s social life is more heavily influenced by intercollegiate sports, fraternities and sororities. Chicago’s atmosphere is nerdier. Google for “Scav Hunt” to get some idea of the University of Chicago’s quirky campus culture.</p>
<p>Academically, for economics and political science, I think the edge would have to go to the University of Chicago (especially if you have any interest in an academic/research career). At the graduate level (where the only serious rankings are done), its economics department is tied for first rank according to USNWR. The social sciences at Chicago benefit from the university’s affiliation with the National Opinion Research Center. ([University</a> of Chicago Affilation](<a href=“http://www.norc.org/Aboutus/univofchicago/]University”>http://www.norc.org/Aboutus/univofchicago/)) The college offers excellent classroom instruction, with outstanding faculty, small classes, and first-rate research facilities such as the new Mansueto Library.
(<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/950533-teaching-schools-vs-research-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/950533-teaching-schools-vs-research-schools.html</a> post #7)
(<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/708190-avg-class-size-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/708190-avg-class-size-4.html</a> post #50)
([Director’s</a> Message, New Library](<a href=“The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library - The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library - The University of Chicago Library”>The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library - The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library - The University of Chicago Library))</p>
<p>As for Chicago’s grade deflation, if IvyPBear knows about it, you can be sure that professional school admissions committees know about it, too. You can’t make much of the number of Chicago graduates at Harvard Law School unless you know how many applied. Chicago happens to have its own excellent law school (the same one where Obama and Scalia once taught.) It is also one of the highest producers per capita of PhD recipients. Chicago students are exposed to many subjects in the “Core”; like students at many other selective schools, they graduate with a much broader range of career ambitions than just finance, law, and medicine.
([List</a> of University of Chicago alumni - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Chicago_alumni]List”>List of University of Chicago alumni - Wikipedia)).</p>
<p>It’s pretty easy to double major in both, especially if you have AP credit going in. Both schools are on quarter schedules, which means you can take up to 48 courses in 4 years (4 courses a quarter x 3 quarters a year). Most majors are 12-18 courses at Chicago; I’m not sure about Northwestern. Chicago might be marginally harder to double major in, because of the Core, but the difference is minuscule.</p>
<p>UChicago’s grade deflation is exaggerated :). Most GPA studies have shown that mean GPA’s at Chicago are less than .2 away from their counterparts at Brown, Harvard, and other school infamous for grade inflation. Where you’ll see the biggest drain on your GPA at Chicago will be at the top of class, since the Core is expansive enough that there will usually be at least ONE class or subject you’re not a genius in.</p>
<p>It all comes down to what you want in a school. I personally chose UChicago because it felt more down-to-earth and friendly than Northwestern. Also, Evanston’s a dry town and Northwestern a dry campus ;).</p>
<p>I got into both of them so maybe I could help. </p>
<p>In terms of just pure economics, Chicago is the better one - it is one of the best economics programs in the world, but I hear that its placement in the job world as not as good as some other colleges. In terms of pure academics however, you really can’t find a better economics program. But PABank, you are kidding me right when you say that Northwestern has a decent economics program? Its econ program is one of the best as well falling just shy of Chicago and other top programs like Harvard, Stanford, Princeton. You are seriously shortchanging one of the best. Some people also like the opportunity to take courses at Kellogg through their certificate program at NU - also one of the absolute best business schools in the country. On the PoliSci side of things, they are both probably pretty equal with very good programs. </p>
<p>I liked both campuses and both feels. I think that UChicago is more quirky, but in a good way. Yet, not everyone can manage to successfully fit in there because of its uniqueness. Northwestern has quirky enclaves, but I would definitely say that the student body is more diverse in terms of interests. It has top programs in engineering, theatre, performance study - it is a really eclectic school that is great across the board whether it is in the humanities or the sciences. Ultimately, the academic experience is better at one institution or another, it is simply different - some people may feel a draw one way or the other. Personally, I really did like both of them so much that it was a hard decision. </p>
<p>The social life is better at Northwestern though, and I personally found the area more comforting. The sports scene was also a big plus at NU. It just felt a tad more well rounded when I visited, researched, yada, yada, yada. </p>
<p>As for core curriculum, I don’t think anyone can disagree with the fact that UChicago has the more rigorous core. Northwestern does have general requirements, but they are nowhere near as lengthy as Chicago’s. Personally, I like the idea of delving into areas/courses that I am able to choose more freely, but I didn’t mind the core; I guess it is really just preference. As for double majoring, Northwestern makes it very easy to double major between schools, etc. - it is a very academically fluid school. It is tougher to double major at UChicago, but a smart student will be fine. It just really comes down to preference. </p>
<p>Hope that helped!</p>
<p>Also, qualifying IvyPBear’s statement, more than the grade deflation, the thing that really damages Chicago vis a vis representation at professional schools is the academic culture at Chicago. At Chicago, Political Science alumni join NGO’s, Economics majors work at think tanks, and Biology graduates are doing research. / Major Stereotyping, but you get the idea.</p>
<p>The result is twofold: a) not as many Chicago students choose to pursue Business/Law/Medicine, and b) the ones who do are usually not the top of the class (who are instead shooting for academia).</p>
<p>Tinfoyl is correct regarding the superb quality of the economics program at Northwestern; which has also been gaining in strength in recent years. It is essentially a peer of Chicago’s econ department. For political science, the edge must go to Chicago, although the difference at the undergraduate level is probably minimal.</p>
<p>If you wish to major in economics at UChicago, be forewarned that it is heavily math-based (I can’t speak for Northwestern here).</p>
<p>The previous comments concerning the respective institutional cultures generally conform with my own experiences. Chicago’s ‘vibe’ is distinctive, and not to all tastes. Northwestern seems to offer a more conventional social experience. I personally liked the atmosphere at Chicago, which I found to be individualistic but generally friendly and non-cliqueish.</p>
<p>There are more than twice as many UChicago alums as there are NU alums at YLS.</p>
<p>^^what does YLS mean?</p>
<p>Yale Law School, the supreme law school.</p>
<p>Son and I visited both during the last week. Impressions are that the U of C ug is a big LAC with similar values there as LACs (you know, the Williams president – or was it Amherst-- saying that “an LAC educates you in everything, but prepares you for nothing”) while NU does not truck in this and is much more pre professional.</p>
<p>To wit: someone in our big group at the info session asked about U of C’s engineering program. The docent immediately shot back, we have no engineering program at U of C - etc. NU has a very well regarded engineering school. In fact, U of C has ‘the college’ (again, as in an LAC) and then the graduate schools of Law and Medicine and Business and-- and NU has several schools, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and about four others , for UG’s.</p>
<p>Getting a job out of NU seemed really worked out for a long period of time , something like 70 - 80 yrs with partnerships in the biz community. U of C, on the other hand, seemed to only get this going w/ its chicago careers in______ pgms. I asked about chicago careers in__computers, and the docent replied that pgm is under development now and will online next yr. Obviously, getting some kind of job of is part and parcel about NU’s mission whereas with Chicago it is more incidental to the main mission of being roundly educated and having solid critical thinking , writing, and presentation skills, precisely the mission of LACs. I suspect Chicago doing this job placement thing against the grain of some purists.</p>
<p>The LAC lover in me loved U of C. The more practical parent in me loved NU. Both have the lake, but NU has Lake FRONT property, while w/ Chicago , you have to walk a couple blocks.</p>
<p>The tour guides were an interesting contrast , and indicative of the vibe of each school, too. NU’s guide was an engineering AND french major girl who also played the viola plus was engaged in other activities. She spoke a mile a miniute stringing together sentences perfectly. The chicago guide was an econ major who was ‘impressed with all the awesomeness’ at Chicago (the 80 some nobel laureates), loved to talk about game theory AND spend his off time playing Nintendo smash mouth games. The girl sounded like she could have been in one of NU’s stage productions. THe UC guy was a cuddily ‘nerd’.</p>
<p>With all the emphasis on activities at NU, I had to ask the guide to what extent might someone who wanted to bury himself in books be marginalized at NU. At Chicago, I got the distinct impression that the book person reigned supreme. My son tends to be this way and tended to like the vibe at U of C - “They are like me here” as the saying goes.</p>
<p>^ Speaking of presidents of Williams…</p>
<p>[Williams</a> College :: News & Events - Press Releases](<a href=“Williams College”>Williams College)</p>
<p>^^^Perhaps NU grads tend to like Harvard LS more than Yale LS… :rolleyes:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/law-school/331975-undergraduate-schools-most-commonly-found-top-law-schools.html?highlight=YLS+number[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/law-school/331975-undergraduate-schools-most-commonly-found-top-law-schools.html?highlight=YLS+number</a></p>
<p>Thanks for all the input. I love the nerdy scene at UC, but I like the preprofessional feel of NU. Uhhhh what to do. . . .</p>
<p>Realistically, just apply to both and see which one(s) you get into. Both schools are diverse enough that you’ll have a decent time at either, no matter what kind of person you are.</p>
<p>And work hard on those essays for Chicago! You guys have a great selection this year.</p>