UMD Honors vs Northwestern
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Anonymous
| My kid is in at both and financial aid/scholarships make both very affordable for our family. He isn't sure what he wants to study, but he really likes the environment and campus at UMD. He's unsure whether Northwestern would be too much pressure. |
Anonymous
| Quarter vs semester |
Anonymous
| Manageable weather vs crappy weather during school year |
Anonymous
| My kid is picking UMD over UVA because he is more drawn to what UMD can offer in terms of research opportunities, ability to balance his academics with other pursuits, more personal connections with professors, better living arrangements and internships prospects. |
Anonymous
Good, kid |
Anonymous
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I mean I would always pick Northwestern over UMD. Especially if the cost were the same. I think it is a better experience in almost every way.
But that's me. Everyone is different. You guys do you. I don't believe you will have a bad outcome at UMD. If you feel strongly about it, go with God. |
Anonymous
100% |
Anonymous
| If he isn't sure what to study, he should pick Northwestern. NU has highly-acclaimed programs across the board and his resume will be taken very seriously in every career path. UMD is a great school, but public schools have much more red tape when it comes to switching majors, etc. |
Anonymous
Can you both please share why you’d choose NU? |
Anonymous
| If $$ is not a concern: Northwestern, hands down. |
Anonymous
| Lots of families would choose a full ride at UMD honors over paying $90,000 at Northwestern and similar schools. But if the costs are equal I don’t see why you wouldn’t go to Northwestern. Public universities like UMD are often better in engineering than T20 privates, but Northwestern more than holds their own. It’s a very good all around school. And it will likely lead to more opportunities for the student. |
Anonymous
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I would think about where they want to settle after graduation. If they prefer working in Chicago vs in DMV.
UMD is a great school. My DC picked it over Michigan and GTech. No regrets. Great outcome! |
Anonymous
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I went to NU but if he's visited both campuses and likes UMD, it's a great school. It's about fit, not rank.
For things like STEM, both NU and UMD will have a lot of rigor. I personally didn't find by liberal arts classes to be that competitive. In general you might get more professor attention at NU, I had an English professor who really worked with me to improve my writing. I'll boost NU as much as anyone, I had a great experiencethere, but if he's done the research and feels more comfortable at UMD, I'd let him pick it. It's a good school too. Does he have friends going to UMD? That might be the X factor he's not articulating to you. |
Anonymous
FWIW I went to NU and a ton of my friends settled in the DMV after school. There's a big alumni presence here. He wouldn't be locked into Chicago. |
Anonymous
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NU will have a much stronger peer group on average and the degree will stand out in hiring pools. I think it would be foolish to turn down a T10 school for a T50 if it's affordable.
If it were UMD in-state/scholarship vs full-pay NU, I'd go with UMD. But if all financial considerations are equal, NU is the clear choice. |