Anonymous wrote:NW was frequently ranked above Chicago prior to Chicago consciously trying to raise their ranking and profile (setting their class sizes based on USNWR #s, sending out huge amounts of mail, and gaming acceptance and yield rates when they mattered). NW is also ranked above Chicago in the other two major, though not as important, rankings from Forbes and WSJ.

+1. Growing up in the upper Midwest in the late 80s, Northwestern was seen as the more socially prestigious school. Chicago was the nerdy, "where fun goes to die" school. Interesting how the perceptions and reputations have seemingly flipped in the last decade.

NW was frequently ranked above Chicago prior to Chicago consciously trying to raise their ranking and profile (setting their class sizes based on USNWR #s, sending out huge amounts of mail, and gaming acceptance and yield rates when they mattered). NW is also ranked above Chicago in the other two major, though not as important, rankings from Forbes and WSJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird thread. Wonder if U Chicago folks are angry that Northwestern is ranked higher than U Chicago by US News Best Colleges 2024 ?

US News 2024 Best Colleges ranking:

1) Princeton
2) MIT
3) Harvard & Stanford
5) Yale

6) U Penn
7) CalTech
7) Duke
9) Northwestern, Brown, & JHU

12) U Chicago, Columbia, & Cornell
15) UC-Berkeley & UCLA

17) Rice
18) Dartmouth College & Vanderbilt
20) Notre Dame

21) Michigan
22) Georgetown & UNC
24) U Virginia, Emory, Carnegie Mellon U., & WashUStL

NU grad here. I’m still not weird if you have a senior or college student and hearing how much your Alma mater has changed. But perhaps that’s true for all private selective schools.

Which school is like Northwestern in the 90s?

Work hard; good semi-intellectual vibe; arts on campus; and also fun lively active party scene; kids go to school sports games all the time ; and fun well attended school traditions

Vanderbilt.
Dartmouth.
Rice.

Definitely not Rice. No active party scene and sports events are not well attended. Vanderbilt used to be like this, but is no longer from what I hear.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird thread. Wonder if U Chicago folks are angry that Northwestern is ranked higher than U Chicago by US News Best Colleges 2024 ?

US News 2024 Best Colleges ranking:

1) Princeton
2) MIT
3) Harvard & Stanford
5) Yale

6) U Penn
7) CalTech
7) Duke
9) Northwestern, Brown, & JHU

12) U Chicago, Columbia, & Cornell
15) UC-Berkeley & UCLA

17) Rice
18) Dartmouth College & Vanderbilt
20) Notre Dame

21) Michigan
22) Georgetown & UNC
24) U Virginia, Emory, Carnegie Mellon U., & WashUStL

NU grad here. I’m still not weird if you have a senior or college student and hearing how much your Alma mater has changed. But perhaps that’s true for all private selective schools.

Which school is like Northwestern in the 90s?

Work hard; good semi-intellectual vibe; arts on campus; and also fun lively active party scene; kids go to school sports games all the time ; and fun well attended school traditions

Vanderbilt.
Dartmouth.
Rice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird thread. Wonder if U Chicago folks are angry that Northwestern is ranked higher than U Chicago by US News Best Colleges 2024 ?

US News 2024 Best Colleges ranking:

1) Princeton
2) MIT
3) Harvard & Stanford
5) Yale

6) U Penn
7) CalTech
7) Duke
9) Northwestern, Brown, & JHU

12) U Chicago, Columbia, & Cornell
15) UC-Berkeley & UCLA

17) Rice
18) Dartmouth College & Vanderbilt
20) Notre Dame

21) Michigan
22) Georgetown & UNC
24) U Virginia, Emory, Carnegie Mellon U., & WashUStL

NU grad here. I’m still not weird if you have a senior or college student and hearing how much your Alma mater has changed. But perhaps that’s true for all private selective schools.

Which school is like Northwestern in the 90s?

Work hard; good semi-intellectual vibe; arts on campus; and also fun lively active party scene; kids go to school sports games all the time ; and fun well attended school traditions

Honestly, your description of Northwestern in the 90s isn’t that different from today. Most kids are intellectual, there are arts on campus, basketball games in particular are well attended, there are fun traditions. Maybe party scene is not as active, but there is usually at least one fraternity party each weekend. And kids certainly have smaller parties and get togethers in dorms, etc. My DC does something social pretty much every Fri and Sat night, except when has multiple exams following week. And often does smaller social things one or two other nights if has time.

Anonymous wrote:Weird thread. Wonder if U Chicago folks are angry that Northwestern is ranked higher than U Chicago by US News Best Colleges 2024 ?

US News 2024 Best Colleges ranking:

1) Princeton
2) MIT
3) Harvard & Stanford
5) Yale

6) U Penn
7) CalTech
7) Duke
9) Northwestern, Brown, & JHU

12) U Chicago, Columbia, & Cornell
15) UC-Berkeley & UCLA

17) Rice
18) Dartmouth College & Vanderbilt
20) Notre Dame

21) Michigan
22) Georgetown & UNC
24) U Virginia, Emory, Carnegie Mellon U., & WashUStL

NU grad here. I’m still not weird if you have a senior or college student and hearing how much your Alma mater has changed. But perhaps that’s true for all private selective schools.

Which school is like Northwestern in the 90s?

Work hard; good semi-intellectual vibe; arts on campus; and also fun lively active party scene; kids go to school sports games all the time ; and fun well attended school traditions

Weird thread. Wonder if U Chicago folks are angry that Northwestern is ranked higher than U Chicago by US News Best Colleges 2024 ?

US News 2024 Best Colleges ranking:

1) Princeton
2) MIT
3) Harvard & Stanford
5) Yale

6) U Penn
7) CalTech
7) Duke
9) Northwestern, Brown, & JHU

12) U Chicago, Columbia, & Cornell
15) UC-Berkeley & UCLA

17) Rice
18) Dartmouth College & Vanderbilt
20) Notre Dame

21) Michigan
22) Georgetown & UNC
24) U Virginia, Emory, Carnegie Mellon U., & WashUStL

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too close to Chicago with its crime

I’m the alum who hated the place but thinks it would be a great school for other people.

Chicago is rougher than New York, but the parts where Northwestern students would go aren’t any worse than the area around K Street.

Evanston has very vigilant police and doesn’t feel any worse than Chevy Chase. A kid who could go to Georgetown or American University and survive should be able to handle Northwestern.

Never thought that one's survival was in question at either of these two universities located in the nicest areas of DC.

Had to laugh out loud of the thought of survival in upscale Evanston--the suburban Chicago location of Northwestern University.

Anonymous wrote:You know where the fun really goes to die: Wisconsin. The fun stops when students realize they aren’t competitive for any job thanks to having Wisconsin on their resume. My kid went through the business school and said no Chicago finance firms ever came to recruit. They all just recruit Michigan Ross/Northwestern/Notre Dame people. So no, Northwestern can be very fun and you get a good job at the end.

100% true.

Anonymous wrote:My senior hated the UofC tour. Didn't even apply. It was so boring.

NU had a student panel and vibrant tour guides.

same. DS and I were there in January and the NW tour was 100% better.

My husband went to northwestern, but my son did like u Chicago better.
He is attending UC, and for the most part he likes it.

My college freshman has close friend at NW. Report was that only athletes have social lives (friend is an athlete), amd it’s super cold.

Anonymous wrote:Too close to Chicago with its crime

I’m the alum who hated the place but thinks it would be a great school for other people.

Chicago is rougher than New York, but the parts where Northwestern students would go aren’t any worse than the area around K Street.

Evanston has very vigilant police and doesn’t feel any worse than Chevy Chase. A kid who could go to Georgetown or American University and survive should be able to handle Northwestern.

Too close to Chicago with its crime

I think its important to have fun but education is more important