TarHeel3007

my friend is interested in premed, doesnt know what to do cuase in case he drops out of premed, NU seems to be better for engineering, communications
which should he go to and why? weather (from north) is not an issue, and cost is about the same after FA

incollege88

i'd say duke definitely wins that one both overall and definitely with respect to premed

bluedog

Well, clearly Northwestern is better for communications since Duke doesn't have a communications program. Northwestern is also clearly superior for journalism and drama. Northwestern's engineering school as a whole is usually ranked higher than Duke's just because it is so much larger - but the quality of the departments are fairly similar, with Duke's BME being more well-known. Both will provide ample opportunities for pre-med and are great schools if decide to switch out of pre-med. Evanston is much nicer/more fun than Durham, and having Chicago nearby is nice too. The thing I hate personally about Northwestern is the quarter-system. My friends that go there always seem to be having mid-terms because the quarters are so short - and thus, always seem to be stressed out. Also, they don't get out til mid-June, which really sucks for summer jobs, etc. I know they don't start until September, but I'd rather start earlier and get out earlier personally. I think Duke overall has a bit more prestige, if your friend is into that, and might have a slightly higher percentage of people go to the very top med schools, but it's not that significant of a difference. Northwestern football and basketball both suck, while at least at Duke our basketball program is good. Being by the lake is nice, and Northwestern's campus is pretty, but I think Duke's campus is even better. Living expenses in Evanston are much higher than Durham, so even if tuition is the same after financial aid, I can guarantee you that you will spend more money in Evanston. Rent near campus is more like $1000/month, whereas at Duke it is $600/month. Big difference. Although you can always live a bit further away from campus at Northwestern and at a crappier place and pay a bit less. Evanston is very split b/c there are super rich areas and rather poor areas. If you want to do research in the med center, I think Duke is much better because the medical center is adjacent to campus, while at Northwestern it is in the city, so definitely not convenient. I actually did research at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare's Research Institute, and I've done research in Duke's biomedical engineering department, so I can provide even more insight if you want.

godevils2011

Some of Northwestern's schools (like communications, which includes their drama program, and journalism,...not sure about engineering) you had to apply for and get into when you applied. Transferring is possible, I think, but I believe it's very competitive, and I don't think they should be the reason for picking Northwestern if your friend hasn't already been admitted into those schools.

k&s

Uhh, NU FB doesn't "suck".

One losing season out of the past 5 seasons (when Coach Walker unexpectedly passed away) and 3 conf. titles since 1996.

Yeah, the BB team sucked the big one the past couple of years b/c the team had to be rebuilt from scratch (but has a pretty good class of "big men" coming in - so the future looks much brighter).

bluedog

Ok, I retract that statement. I'll admit to ignorance and I honestly didn't know how Northwestern has done recently, I was just thinking of it from a historical perspective. They hold the longest losing streak in division I if I recall (something like 50 straight losses). But clearly, Northwestern has had a far superior football team than Duke the last ten years. Nobody will dispute that.