We're very close with two young gals that recently graduated from Northwestern and their experience seemed far more state school than elite private. If it weren't for US News, the crazy tiger parents from the coasts wouldn't be anywhere near so obsessed with it. It's a good college if you're in the Chicago burbs or in the Midwest and your kid can take a train there and back -- but it's truly not anything to obsess over.

If your DC intends to study business, UVA is a better choice. Journalism, NU is the best. They are two different schools -- UVA is a top public school with nationally ranked D1 basketball and football teams; NU is a top private school. UVA is twice as big as NU.

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly sure how you want to compare them since they couldn't be more different. From size to location there isn't much similar. Specific major?

-NU grad with one at NU and one at UVA

No. There are daily flights from Hartford -Bradley to the Charlottesville airport. My Dd also took the train which worked out very well

Anonymous wrote:NP— NU alum here (Allison Hall alum but never knew it was all female at one point!).

If money is no object, NU in a heartbeat. I loved it but do not think it is worth the cost differential for in state UVA.

NU has shifted heavily to ED (I think this is unfair as it preferences rich people) and chances of admission are much higher in that round. UVA doesn’t give an admissions advantage to ED.

If interested in NU and able to afford it, your child should definitely apply ED.

Sigh. I am so old....

Anonymous wrote:Ah...time to pull in the UVA haters.

Since you're from CT, you might not realize that UVA has a lot of haters on this board. For a wide range of reasons, some real and some imagined. But just remember that this board is probably not the best barometer for the strength of UVA.

It has always seemed to me that there are more unabashed boosters than haters on DCUM, including those who will take pot shots at other schools to boost UVA. Take both boosters and bashers with a grain of salt.

We visited both. DC liked UVA, but wasn't thrilled that it was in the South (was looking for a colder climater). Stepped foot on the campus of North Western, which I loved, and before the tour, before we ate in the cafeteria, she said, "I am not going here."

She just didn't like the feel of the place. We visited lots of other locations as well, and sometimes, they just know.

Now she's looking at/applying to U of MI, U of WI, and also in the south but apparently on her ok list, Vanderbilt and UNC. Go figure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA would be a real pain to get to from Ct. There is no decent airport anywhere close. Washington Dulles is hours away.

Very, very easy via Amtrak.

Depends on where you are in Ct. LGA --> CVille is a breeze.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is with the obsession with small schools on this forum? My DD wants a big school - won't look at anything less than 10k.

If you don't want to attend a SLAC you are nothing on DCUM. Nothing! Please get with the program.

Actually it seems the opposite. Tiny privates that aren’t Amherst level are doomed according to dcum

Anonymous wrote:UVA would be a real pain to get to from Ct. There is no decent airport anywhere close. Washington Dulles is hours away.

Very, very easy via Amtrak.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is with the obsession with small schools on this forum? My DD wants a big school - won't look at anything less than 10k.

At 8,000 undergrads, Northwestern is not "small." But it's smaller than UVA for sure. We're not discussing "small schools" as in a couple thousand, PP. Northwestern would seem huge compared to an actually small college. Discussion of size on this thread is only about NU relative to UVA. The two places have very different vibes, and their relative sizes are one important reason for the difference. No need to get worked up over generalities about small versus large on the rest of the college forum.

I'm not worked up at all. I'm asking a question. A PP posted a con for UVA being that it's bigger than NU. Some would see that as a pro. And I related it to some other threads here that present smaller as more desirable.

I am sure people can figure out what their own pros and cons are.

It came up because a PP had misstated the size of UVA. Based on total enrollment on campus it is a large school. Some like that. Some don't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is with the obsession with small schools on this forum? My DD wants a big school - won't look at anything less than 10k.

At 8,000 undergrads, Northwestern is not "small." But it's smaller than UVA for sure. We're not discussing "small schools" as in a couple thousand, PP. Northwestern would seem huge compared to an actually small college. Discussion of size on this thread is only about NU relative to UVA. The two places have very different vibes, and their relative sizes are one important reason for the difference. No need to get worked up over generalities about small versus large on the rest of the college forum.

I'm not worked up at all. I'm asking a question. A PP posted a con for UVA being that it's bigger than NU. Some would see that as a pro. And I related it to some other threads here that present smaller as more desirable.

Anonymous wrote:What is with the obsession with small schools on this forum? My DD wants a big school - won't look at anything less than 10k.

At 8,000 undergrads, Northwestern is not "small." But it's smaller than UVA for sure. We're not discussing "small schools" as in a couple thousand, PP. Northwestern would seem huge compared to an actually small college. Discussion of size on this thread is only about NU relative to UVA. The two places have very different vibes, and their relative sizes are one important reason for the difference. No need to get worked up over generalities about small versus large on the rest of the college forum.

Anonymous wrote:What is with the obsession with small schools on this forum? My DD wants a big school - won't look at anything less than 10k.

If you don't want to attend a SLAC you are nothing on DCUM. Nothing! Please get with the program.

What is with the obsession with small schools on this forum? My DD wants a big school - won't look at anything less than 10k.

If you’re out of state, the balance weighs in favor of Northwestern. Might wave to have some backups.