Anonymous wrote:No question Penn. As long as you don’t stray Philly is a nice city. Other quality schools near by like Villanova if you wind up not liking Penn and they don’t abuse their cheerleaders https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/09/24/campus/judge-allows-sex-trafficking-claim-against-nu-cheer-to-proceed/

What do you mean by straying? Have you been to Philly recently? I have and I did not find any part of the city to be nice when I was outdoors. There were homeless people many of whom seemed passed out and others of whom were actively harassing me for money. What was I there for? Visiting UPenn and staying at a nice hotel in the nicest part of town.

Villanova is more suburban (not in the city), more akin to Northwestern main campus.

They are both great schools but personally I found Northwestern to be a friendlier and happier place. Also, Penn is very focused on Wharton and there seems to be tension between Wharton students and the rest of the school.
I would visit both and let your kid decide which he feels is the better fit. Both great options at the end of the day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My college students feel strongly that toxic kids go to Penn. It is full of snakes and super intense, cuthroat. If your kid is like that, Penn. Otherwise, Northwestern for sure.

+1 same experience and perception here

Same for Ivy League students in general no? The kids who will shiv you in the back to further their own interests. Yuck.

It’s funny…you are using a complete cliche to describe any highly successful person.

So, you are giving a backhanded compliment to Ivy schools because they have so many famously successful grads.

I mean the main hedge fund character in Dumb Money who founded Melvin Capital is a Northwestern grad (of course he bankrupted his hedge fund)…seems like they have their fair share of back shivvers.

No question Penn. As long as you don’t stray Philly is a nice city. Other quality schools near by like Villanova if you wind up not liking Penn and they don’t abuse their cheerleaders https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/09/24/campus/judge-allows-sex-trafficking-claim-against-nu-cheer-to-proceed/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My college students feel strongly that toxic kids go to Penn. It is full of snakes and super intense, cuthroat. If your kid is like that, Penn. Otherwise, Northwestern for sure.

+1 same experience and perception here

Same for Ivy League students in general no? The kids who will shiv you in the back to further their own interests. Yuck.

I have a freshman at Penn, very happy and thriving with a nice friend group that is collaborative. Engineering. Says there are stressed/intense kids, but that is true everywhere. Go with what feels right to your kid.

Anonymous wrote:My college students feel strongly that toxic kids go to Penn. It is full of snakes and super intense, cuthroat. If your kid is like that, Penn. Otherwise, Northwestern for sure.

The only snakes are the people saying this and posting this here. Seriously shame on you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn has a top 3 med school, top 3 mba program, #4 ranked law school. Top undergraduate business school. Currently ranked #6 national university. USNWR.

The only comparable universities are Harvard and Stanford with such broad strengths.

Who cares? The student is going to undergrad why would it possibly if they have a good law school etc? Those aren’t even grad schools where grad students would interact with undergrads, if you like that sort of thing.

I would go Northwestern but it’s a question for the kid to decide

Penn is broadly very strong across the board, for whatever your kid is interested in.

Congrats!

I don't see this as even a close call. Penn. Seems nuts to go with Northwestern.

Chicago best city in the country

Anonymous wrote:Penn has a top 3 med school, top 3 mba program, #4 ranked law school. Top undergraduate business school. Currently ranked #6 national university. USNWR.

The only comparable universities are Harvard and Stanford with such broad strengths.

Who cares? The student is going to undergrad why would it possibly if they have a good law school etc? Those aren’t even grad schools where grad students would interact with undergrads, if you like that sort of thing.

I would go Northwestern but it’s a question for the kid to decide

Anonymous wrote:DS’s major undecided, though it will not be business or engineering. How should we think this through? Yes, he will visit both schools.

Mine chose Penn over Northwestern and other top programs, they made the right choice for them! Very supportive community, artsy interests, ivy traditional old campus feels.

Anonymous wrote:How is this an even comparison? Northwestern, hands down, unless you’re in-state for Penn and tuition is significantly cheaper.

U Penn is an Ivy. What in state tuition?

Anonymous wrote:I'd go with preference/feel, but I have to say that everyone I know who went to Penn says it is very preprofessional (even at commencement the President said something about how the goal of Penn is train students so they can do well financially by doing some good in the world)

Like Trump?