UChicago vs. Northwestern

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UChicago left the Big 10 in 1946. It has < 6k undergrads and a 5:1 student:faculty ratio. It's more like a top Ivy than a Big Ten school in terms of demographics and reputation.

That said, Northwestern isn't a typical Big Ten either (smaller, private). More like UPenn than Penn State.

At least for undergraduates, UChicago is definitely not like a top Ivy in terms of demographics or reputation. It's more like a cross between Oberlin and Brown (lesser Ivy).

Strongly disagree

They are both wonderful schools. I'd say your DC should apply to NU if they want the typical college experience, and Chicago if they are interested in the urban/more independent/quirky thing.

Don't even know if this is accurate but I always think of NU as more liberal arts types and Chicago more as STEM/econ types.
Meghan Markle
vs. Milton Friedman, if you will. LOL.

Chicago might be better for economics, but Northwestern better for typical STEM programs.

Lots more engineering at Northwestern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UChicago left the Big 10 in 1946. It has < 6k undergrads and a 5:1 student:faculty ratio. It's more like a top Ivy than a Big Ten school in terms of demographics and reputation.

That said, Northwestern isn't a typical Big Ten either (smaller, private). More like UPenn than Penn State.

At least for undergraduates, UChicago is definitely not like a top Ivy in terms of demographics or reputation. It's more like a cross between Oberlin and Brown (lesser Ivy).

Strongly disagree

They are both wonderful schools. I'd say your DC should apply to NU if they want the typical college experience, and Chicago if they are interested in the urban/more independent/quirky thing.

Don't even know if this is accurate but I always think of NU as more liberal arts types and Chicago more as STEM/econ types.
Meghan Markle vs. Milton Friedman, if you will. LOL.

Chicago might be better for economics, but Northwestern better for typical STEM programs.

Chemistry prof. I don't think that's true. They both have extremely strong STEM programs. The specialities are a little different, but I would say that is pretty unfair to generalize as such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago is a friendlier community than Northwestern. Students are equally smart, but Chicago students are nicer

Hmmmm. Not so sure about that. Both are much much nicer than any place in the east coast.

OP it really is about what your DC wants as an undergrad since both schools are excellent. I am an NU grad and to this day people always say: wow, greet school. I am also a U of C grad (MBA) and pepper always say: wow great school. While I grew up in Chicagoland I haven’t lived there since I got out of grad school. I have lived east coast, west coast, AZ, TX and CO. I never met anyone who hadn’t hear of both schools. They are well knowing and well regarded all over the place.

Now what us Chicago people really need to discuss is the turn around UIC has made! Holy crap. They have dorms!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UChicago left the Big 10 in 1946. It has < 6k undergrads and a 5:1 student:faculty ratio. It's more like a top Ivy than a Big Ten school in terms of demographics and reputation.

That said, Northwestern isn't a typical Big Ten either (smaller, private). More like UPenn than Penn State.

At least for undergraduates, UChicago is definitely not like a top Ivy in terms of demographics or reputation. It's more like a cross between Oberlin and Brown (lesser Ivy).

Strongly disagree

They are both wonderful schools. I'd say your DC should apply to NU if they want the typical college experience, and Chicago if they are interested in the urban/more independent/quirky thing.

Don't even know if this is accurate but I always think of NU as more liberal arts types and Chicago more as STEM/econ types.
Meghan Markle vs. Milton Friedman, if you will. LOL.

Chicago might be better for economics, but Northwestern better for typical STEM programs.

Chemistry prof. I don't think that's true. They both have extremely strong STEM programs. The specialities are a little different, but I would say that is pretty unfair to generalize as such.

I’d pick Chicago for chemistry and other pure sciences, and Northwestern for engineering. Northwestern had amazing engineering labs

[Anonymous]

UChicago’s only engineering program is molecular.

[Anonymous]

Honestly...

Nobody really cares about Northwestern. Its students are indistinguishable from Michigan kids.

Nobody really cares about UChicago either, but in some orbits those in the know know the kids are impressive and the ethos is unique.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) would be "almost" equivalent to the University of Chicago (Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago) ONLY IF your child either:

(1) knows with certainty that they want to major in journalism or theater (as Northwestern has very strong programs in those areas);

or (2) your child knows with certainty that they plan to remain in the Chicago area for the rest of their lives, and have their careers there (as Chicagoans view and regard both those "hometown" Universities favorably).

Otherwise, the University of Chicago is a much better university than Northwestern University, much more highly regarded by academics and employers alike.

Re #2. I took DC to tour Northwestern last fall and every local we encountered who asked why we were in Chicago (e.g. cab driver/prof/kid her own age/waiter) responded by saying "You've got to visit U of C. Northwestern is a good school, but U of C is a great school. It's world-renowned!"

I am a third generation native Chicagoan who lived there for 30 years and I have a hard time believing this. Both are exceptionally well-regarded in Chicago, but differently regarded.

I'm a lifelong Chicagoan/Chicagolander and I have to chime in as well. I find this story very hard to believe. Northwestern and Uchicago are both highly regarded in the region. Uchicago has done a phenomenal job in the last decade or so of really ramping up the reputation, mostly by playing the rankings game -- nothing wrong with that per se. It might sound completely unfeasible to outsiders, but it was not at all uncommon for Chicagoans to not even know the existence of Uchicago (or frequently confuse it for UIC, the Chicago campus of University of Illinois). Knowing that makes this anecdote even more dubious.

Note that this is the post that resurrected this long-dead thread. The poster just had to chime in, did she?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly...

Nobody really cares about Northwestern. Its students are indistinguishable from Michigan kids.

Nobody really cares about UChicago either, but in some orbits those in the know know the kids are impressive and the ethos is unique.

Honestly, if you got laid more frequently, would you refrain from posting such drivel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) would be "almost" equivalent to the University of Chicago (Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago) ONLY IF your child either:

(1) knows with certainty that they want to major in journalism or theater (as Northwestern has very strong programs in those areas);

or (2) your child knows with certainty that they plan to remain in the Chicago area for the rest of their lives, and have their careers there (as Chicagoans view and regard both those "hometown" Universities favorably).

Otherwise, the University of Chicago is a much better university than Northwestern University, much more highly regarded by academics and employers alike.

Re #2. I took DC to tour Northwestern last fall and every local we encountered who asked why we were in Chicago (e.g. cab driver/prof/kid her own age/waiter) responded by saying "You've got to visit U of C. Northwestern is a good school, but U of C is a great school. It's world-renowned!"

I am a third generation native Chicagoan who lived there for 30 years and I have a hard time believing this. Both are exceptionally well-regarded in Chicago, but differently regarded.

I'm a lifelong Chicagoan/Chicagolander and I have to chime in as well. I find this story very hard to believe. Northwestern and Uchicago are both highly regarded in the region. Uchicago has done a phenomenal job in the last decade or so of really ramping up the reputation, mostly by playing the rankings game -- nothing wrong with that per se. It might sound completely unfeasible to outsiders, but it was not at all uncommon for Chicagoans to not even know the existence of Uchicago (or frequently confuse it for UIC, the Chicago campus of University of Illinois). Knowing that makes this anecdote even more dubious.

Note that this is the post that resurrected this long-dead thread. The poster just had to chime in, did she?

Well, I simply wanted to offer my two cents on a take that felt desperately misleading. I'm sorry but the anecdote in question is about as helpful as me sharing that when I went to Boston to visit the Harvard campus, all of the Bostonites I met told me, "Pfah, Harvard? You need to check out the real world-class school across the river. Make sure you check out MIT, it's loads better than Harvard!" (P.S., I'm not trying to draw any comparisons between ANY of these schools. Just a harmless analogy that probably lands a bit closer to home.) So yes, as a Chicago native I felt compelled to respond as this person was speaking on behalf of "every local in Chicago."

[Anonymous]

Eh, a lot of local people still confuse U of C with UIC. You know it's true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, a lot of local people still confuse U of C with UIC. You know it's true.

+1. But what’s cool is that people from U of C totally don’t care!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) would be "almost" equivalent to the University of Chicago (Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago) ONLY IF your child either:

(1) knows with certainty that they want to major in journalism or theater (as Northwestern has very strong programs in those areas);

or (2) your child knows with certainty that they plan to remain in the Chicago area for the rest of their lives, and have their careers there (as Chicagoans view and regard both those "hometown" Universities favorably).

Otherwise, the University of Chicago is a much better university than Northwestern University, much more highly regarded by academics and employers alike.

Re #2. I took DC to tour Northwestern last fall and every local we encountered who asked why we were in Chicago (e.g. cab driver/prof/kid her own age/waiter) responded by saying "You've got to visit U of C. Northwestern is a good school, but U of C is a great school. It's world-renowned!"

I am a third generation native Chicagoan who lived there for 30 years and I have a hard time believing this. Both are exceptionally well-regarded in Chicago, but differently regarded.

I'm a lifelong Chicagoan/Chicagolander and I have to chime in as well. I find this story very hard to believe. Northwestern and Uchicago are both highly regarded in the region. Uchicago has done a phenomenal job in the last decade or so of really ramping up the reputation, mostly by playing the rankings game -- nothing wrong with that per se. It might sound completely unfeasible to outsiders, but it was not at all uncommon for Chicagoans to not even know the existence of Uchicago (or frequently confuse it for UIC, the Chicago campus of University of Illinois). Knowing that makes this anecdote even more dubious.

Note that this is the post that resurrected this long-dead thread. The poster just had to chime in, did she?

Well, I simply wanted to offer my two cents on a take that felt desperately misleading. I'm sorry but the anecdote in question is about as helpful as me sharing that when I went to Boston to visit the Harvard campus, all of the Bostonites I met told me, "Pfah, Harvard? You need to check out the real world-class school across the river. Make sure you check out MIT, it's loads better than Harvard!" (P.S., I'm not trying to draw any comparisons between ANY of these schools. Just a harmless analogy that probably lands a bit closer to home.) So yes, as a Chicago native I felt compelled to respond as this person was speaking on behalf of "every local in Chicago."

I'll chime in, too, as someone who went to NU and then lived in Chicago for three years after that. I just can't hear anyone in Chicago saying that; PP's Boston analogy is apt. All those schools are different, but they're well-regarded enough that people who know of them aren't going to disparage one in favor of the other. They all have their different cultures and their relative strengths and weaknesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, a lot of local people still confuse U of C with UIC. You know it's true.

+1. But what’s cool is that people from U of C totally don’t care!

Have you met a recent Chicago alum? They're all neurotic with a huge chip on their shoulder. They care, a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, a lot of local people still confuse U of C with UIC. You know it's true.

+1. But what’s cool is that people from U of C totally don’t care!

Have you met a recent Chicago alum? They're all neurotic with a huge chip on their shoulder. They care, a lot.

Exactly. I have not met one person from Chicago who doesn’t spout some crap about how they all love to discuss Plato and Socrates in their free time. Who gives a F?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eh, a lot of local people still confuse U of C with UIC. You know it's true.

+1. But what’s cool is that people from U of C totally don’t care!

Have you met a recent Chicago alum? They're all neurotic with a huge chip on their shoulder. They care, a lot.

Exactly. I have not met one person from Chicago who doesn’t spout some crap about how they all love to discuss Plato and Socrates in their free time. Who gives a F?

I mean, take a look at any time the name UChicago is even uttered online. There are always hordes of UChicago boosters waiting around the corner. Heck, anytime even NWU comes up it seems they come out of the woodwork to try to knock their cross-town rival down a peg. For what it's worth, Chicago is very lucky to have two excellent hometown universities of the Ivy+ tier.