Northwestern v UChicago

[Anonymous]

To party go to NU, to actually get an education go to UC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at one and has friends at the other. Both kids are very happy, but they are different. Just check out the crow at at Northwestern football game vs a UChicago game. UChicago has a lot of frat parties if your kid wants that. Schools are also different in that UChicagohas one liberal arts school with a shared core curriculum experience. Northwestern has kids studying different things in different colleges like engineering vs journalism vs music vs liberal arts. What’s great about NU is that they let you have majors across the different schools so you’re not “stuck”. My kid loved both but they’re different enough that yiur kid will like one more than the other. The friends at these schools can meet up easily at clubs downtown.

How does the crowd at a sporting event differ? Is one nerdier?

There really is no sports scene at all at Chicago. There sometimes is at Northwestern for both football and basketball. But students check out in a heartbeat if it's going to be another desultory losing season. It's not Michigan or Notre Dame. These days the vibes have kind of shifted at the two schools. Northwestern is traditionally the fun school. Chicago was where "fun went to die." But the roles seem to have reversed. Northwestern is now the lonely grinder school. And Chicago is the more fun one. From what I'm hearing in recent years, that seems to be generally true. Chicago has really picked it up. And Northwestern has dropped the ball. In terms of vibe and fun and cheerfulness. But these are just feelings. Experiences will vary.

This is certainly the narrative Chicago boosters are driving.

I have no connection to either. But we did tours of both with DC. Applied to neither. I know you can't take too much from a tour, but Northwestern did seem surprisingly... grim? And Chicago for being notoriously the high stress, fun-less school, was surprisingly... warm?

It was surprising. I thought Northwestern would be perfect, but ended up liking Chicago much more. But DC wasn't feeling it at either, and applied and got in ED elsewhere. But I do think Chicago is the more lively school these days.

You can't take too much from a tour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at one and has friends at the other. Both kids are very happy, but they are different. Just check out the crow at at Northwestern football game vs a UChicago game. UChicago has a lot of frat parties if your kid wants that. Schools are also different in that UChicagohas one liberal arts school with a shared core curriculum experience. Northwestern has kids studying different things in different colleges like engineering vs journalism vs music vs liberal arts. What’s great about NU is that they let you have majors across the different schools so you’re not “stuck”. My kid loved both but they’re different enough that yiur kid will like one more than the other. The friends at these schools can meet up easily at clubs downtown.

How does the crowd at a sporting event differ? Is one nerdier?

There really is no sports scene at all at Chicago. There sometimes is at Northwestern for both football and basketball. But students check out in a heartbeat if it's going to be another desultory losing season. It's not Michigan or Notre Dame. These days the vibes have kind of shifted at the two schools. Northwestern is traditionally the fun school. Chicago was where "fun went to die." But the roles seem to have reversed. Northwestern is now the lonely grinder school. And Chicago is the more fun one. From what I'm hearing in recent years, that seems to be generally true. Chicago has really picked it up. And Northwestern has dropped the ball. In terms of vibe and fun and cheerfulness. But these are just feelings. Experiences will vary.

This is certainly the narrative Chicago boosters are driving.

I have no connection to either. But we did tours of both with DC. Applied to neither. I know you can't take too much from a tour, but Northwestern did seem surprisingly... grim? And Chicago for being notoriously the high stress, fun-less school, was surprisingly... warm?

It was surprising. I thought Northwestern would be perfect, but ended up liking Chicago much more. But DC wasn't feeling it at either, and applied and got in ED elsewhere. But I do think Chicago is the more lively school these days.

You can't take too much from a tour.

Huh.
I feel like Tours can be extremely accurate if done when school is in session

[Anonymous]

Yeah, but you have to take the after-midnight tour to judge the social scene.

[Anonymous]

We went to Northwestern several times before my kid commited. The campus always seemed bustling and the kids we saw were social and happy. A ton of kids were always outside on the lake front, hanging out, working out, playing sports. The lake front is shut down this year for a massive erosion project, but it should be open for next year. Evanston is safe, similar to Bethesda or Fairfax. The campus is plopped down in the middle of a very upscale area. (Campus is just a few miles from the Home Alone house, and all the neighborhoods north and south of campus look like the rich neighborhoods from a John Hughes movie.) It is definitely a much safer campus area than UChicago.

There is greek life, but they did a big purge a few years back due to some hazing incident. It seems like they are moving more greek houses back onto campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at one and has friends at the other. Both kids are very happy, but they are different. Just check out the crow at at Northwestern football game vs a UChicago game. UChicago has a lot of frat parties if your kid wants that. Schools are also different in that UChicagohas one liberal arts school with a shared core curriculum experience. Northwestern has kids studying different things in different colleges like engineering vs journalism vs music vs liberal arts. What’s great about NU is that they let you have majors across the different schools so you’re not “stuck”. My kid loved both but they’re different enough that yiur kid will like one more than the other. The friends at these schools can meet up easily at clubs downtown.

How does the crowd at a sporting event differ? Is one nerdier?

There really is no sports scene at all at Chicago. There sometimes is at Northwestern for both football and basketball. But students check out in a heartbeat if it's going to be another desultory losing season. It's not Michigan or Notre Dame. These days the vibes have kind of shifted at the two schools. Northwestern is traditionally the fun school. Chicago was where "fun went to die." But the roles seem to have reversed. Northwestern is now the lonely grinder school. And Chicago is the more fun one. From what I'm hearing in recent years, that seems to be generally true. Chicago has really picked it up. And Northwestern has dropped the ball. In terms of vibe and fun and cheerfulness. But these are just feelings. Experiences will vary.

Our extended family has had 2 students at Northwestern and one at Chicago , grad yrs '23-'27: both have the grindy vibe of serious students who study a lot yet both also have fun/social groups. The average kid goes out about once a week, more at the start of the semester. Out can be frats or can be dinner/club/movie thing in town/city or close to campus. Our immediate family has a current ivy kid and one recent ivy grad, Penn and Brown: the vibe is very similar at those schools as it is at the midwest schools: serious students who do all the things yet also go out weekly. None of them are recruited and 3 of 4 of them are in a stem major, the other poly sci/prelaw. All found that being with many academically focused peers was stimulating yet initially quite challenging to adjust: they were all at or near the top of their high schools and used to being stars. Seeing the outcomes these schools produce is eye opening: a large % go into top jobs and elite/ivy professional schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at one and has friends at the other. Both kids are very happy, but they are different. Just check out the crow at at Northwestern football game vs a UChicago game. UChicago has a lot of frat parties if your kid wants that. Schools are also different in that UChicagohas one liberal arts school with a shared core curriculum experience. Northwestern has kids studying different things in different colleges like engineering vs journalism vs music vs liberal arts. What’s great about NU is that they let you have majors across the different schools so you’re not “stuck”. My kid loved both but they’re different enough that yiur kid will like one more than the other. The friends at these schools can meet up easily at clubs downtown.

How does the crowd at a sporting event differ? Is one nerdier?

There really is no sports scene at all at Chicago. There sometimes is at Northwestern for both football and basketball. But students check out in a heartbeat if it's going to be another desultory losing season. It's not Michigan or Notre Dame. These days the vibes have kind of shifted at the two schools. Northwestern is traditionally the fun school. Chicago was where "fun went to die." But the roles seem to have reversed. Northwestern is now the lonely grinder school. And Chicago is the more fun one. From what I'm hearing in recent years, that seems to be generally true. Chicago has really picked it up. And Northwestern has dropped the ball. In terms of vibe and fun and cheerfulness. But these are just feelings. Experiences will vary.

Our extended family has had 2 students at Northwestern and one at Chicago , grad yrs '23-'27: both have the grindy vibe of serious students who study a lot yet both also have fun/social groups. The average kid goes out about once a week, more at the start of the semester. Out can be frats or can be dinner/club/movie thing in town/city or close to campus. Our immediate family has a current ivy kid and one recent ivy grad, Penn and Brown: the vibe is very similar at those schools as it is at the midwest schools: serious students who do all the things yet also go out weekly. None of them are recruited and 3 of 4 of them are in a stem major, the other poly sci/prelaw. All found that being with many academically focused peers was stimulating yet initially quite challenging to adjust: they were all at or near the top of their high schools and used to being stars. Seeing the outcomes these schools produce is eye opening: a large % go into top jobs and elite/ivy professional schools.

They only go out once a week? Are they studying all the time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is at one and has friends at the other. Both kids are very happy, but they are different. Just check out the crow at at Northwestern football game vs a UChicago game. UChicago has a lot of frat parties if your kid wants that. Schools are also different in that UChicagohas one liberal arts school with a shared core curriculum experience. Northwestern has kids studying different things in different colleges like engineering vs journalism vs music vs liberal arts. What’s great about NU is that they let you have majors across the different schools so you’re not “stuck”. My kid loved both but they’re different enough that yiur kid will like one more than the other. The friends at these schools can meet up easily at clubs downtown.

How does the crowd at a sporting event differ? Is one nerdier?

There really is no sports scene at all at Chicago. There sometimes is at Northwestern for both football and basketball. But students check out in a heartbeat if it's going to be another desultory losing season. It's not Michigan or Notre Dame. These days the vibes have kind of shifted at the two schools. Northwestern is traditionally the fun school. Chicago was where "fun went to die." But the roles seem to have reversed. Northwestern is now the lonely grinder school. And Chicago is the more fun one. From what I'm hearing in recent years, that seems to be generally true. Chicago has really picked it up. And Northwestern has dropped the ball. In terms of vibe and fun and cheerfulness. But these are just feelings. Experiences will vary.

Our extended family has had 2 students at Northwestern and one at Chicago , grad yrs '23-'27: both have the grindy vibe of serious students who study a lot yet both also have fun/social groups. The average kid goes out about once a week, more at the start of the semester. Out can be frats or can be dinner/club/movie thing in town/city or close to campus. Our immediate family has a current ivy kid and one recent ivy grad, Penn and Brown: the vibe is very similar at those schools as it is at the midwest schools: serious students who do all the things yet also go out weekly. None of them are recruited and 3 of 4 of them are in a stem major, the other poly sci/prelaw. All found that being with many academically focused peers was stimulating yet initially quite challenging to adjust: they were all at or near the top of their high schools and used to being stars. Seeing the outcomes these schools produce is eye opening: a large % go into top jobs and elite/ivy professional schools.

They only go out once a week? Are they studying all the time?

The schools on the trimester schedule require a lot of studying.

The terms are only 10 weeks (midterms at 5 weeks).

[Anonymous]

Actually, Chicago quarters are 9 weeks, not 10, which makes it really tough. They did it so that students could do internships that started early June. If they take 3 courses in the quarter, they can go out. If they take 4 courses, it is a real grind and they go out less. But my kids at U Chicago do go out to dinners or parties every weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, Chicago quarters are 9 weeks, not 10, which makes it really tough. They did it so that students could do internships that started early June. If they take 3 courses in the quarter, they can go out. If they take 4 courses, it is a real grind and they go out less. But my kids at U Chicago do go out to dinners or parties every weekend.

Why don’t they just start earlier? The long September off just is weird.

[Anonymous]

All California schools, Dartmouth are the same.
U Chicago has shorter winter break and typically they finish first week of June.

[Anonymous]

Both are outstanding universities with high achieving,hard-working students. Neither school is for the faint of heart with respect to academics.

If safety is a concern, then Northwestern is the wiser choice.

Best to visit both schools, but do not visit South Chicago after dark.

[Anonymous]

I graduated from U of C as an undergrad in the mid-90s and from graduate school there in the late 90s. I had a lot of fun, and still have a lot of fun with the friends I met. But I'm also an introvert who loves smaller-scale socializing (where I can feel more comfortable being an extrovert). I can have as much fun hanging out with a few people and going nowhere than attending a large party - both then and now. I was in a sorority as an undergrad, FWIW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If safety is a concern, then Northwestern is the wiser choice.

Best to visit both schools, but do not visit South Chicago after dark.

This. As a parent of a UChicago student, I sure wish he picked the safer campus. Just this weekend 2 students were robbed at gunpoint on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northwestern. How is this even a question.

My kid is at NU. It is awesome!