Ihatemylife

Sooo
I applied to all small schools and northwestern ( as an out of the box school). In the end I was accepted to northwestern colgate vassar hamilton kenyon bucknell skidmore but waitlisted at my top choice: Middlebury.

Here is my dilemma...I feel like northwestern is the "best" school out of my list, but I'm just really worried about the size
a) does northwestern ever feel too large?
b) is there any other school on my list that compares academically?

worried_mom

Life at Northwestern will be a very different experience than at any of the small LACs you listed.

Don't worry about what is "best" based on other people's opinions (best in terms of what? rankings? prestige/name recognition?). You need to focus on what is best for YOU! If you don't feel you would be comfortable at a larger school -- and Northwestern is much larger than all the other schools you were accepted at -- then you might end up being very unhappy there. (The fact that you are worried about that should be a warning flag for you.)

What is it that made Middlebury your top choice? What factors are most important to you: academics, location, campus environment, sports, research/internship opportunities, etc. Think about that first. Then look at your choices and decide which school meets your criteria and that will be the "best" one for you.

Good luck!

Majman

Think of it this way.

A small LAC will be like going to a large, though private, high school. You will know most people and you wont be able to really retract away from the scene if you need to.

NU size: You will undoubtedly feel like you are in a school of 16k. However, you will find your own little niche and develop a very strong group of friends within a matter of weeks. Then, when you need time to yourself, you are able to go into the library and study, instead of constantly being greeted by everyone you know (which I think will happen at a smaller school).

Ihatemylife

I know I know
I've gone to a really small private school all my life, and truly thought that was what I wanted.
I still kind of think that, and, thus, have yet to enroll anywhere

I just have trouble turning down northwestern... I know that's bad, but it's such a great school and I got into medill (want to be a journalist)
I'm conflicted

arbiter213

My suggestion: Go to Northwestern (Medill is out of the league of the other schools. Period.). But (and this is important) live in one of the small residential colleges (CCS, Chapin, ISRC/CRC). Nothing above 150 people would be the general guideline. You'll get the small campus, cliquey/ family feel you'd get at a liberal arts college, but the advantages of NU.

Bala

I might worry more about school setting/location than size.

Medill only takes about 160 kids a year, around 650 total for the school. As a "school within a school" it will provide a more intimate feel in general than a typical mid-sized university. Advising, etc. will be more personal. I also strongly agree with arbiter213 that a residential college (add Willard to the list) can add another element of intimacy to freshman year.

But the schools you applied to are not only small, they are in mostly rural/semi-rural, isolated environments. The Northwestern campus is lovely but the Chicago skyline is in sight along the lakefront and the El is no country road. If a buccolic, country setting totally removed from city life is what you really want, you may be better served at Vassar (though I'd avoid Poughkeepsie), or the even more isolated but lovely environs of Hamilton and Colgate or Kenyon.

t.i.

I had the same dilemma when I was looking at schools - I was deciding between Northwestern and Pomona. After a visit of both, I decided on Northwestern and have never regretted it. I can't speak for you because I don't know your personality and preferences but for me, I would have felt stifled at a small school and I feel like I have the world at my fingertips, so to speak, in this bigger community. There are lots of opportunities, great professors that are prominent in their field in the outside world, and lots of events happening on campus. At the same time, as a resident of a pretty tight-knit res college (Willard) and a member of a club sports team, I feel very much part of a community and never really feel isolated by the size of the school. Chicago's proximity is also a big difference - my classes this quarter will be taking field trips to Cabrini Green (the infamous public housing project) and public parks in the Chicago.

tenisghs

@ Ihatemylife

I attended small schools all my life too. I thought Northwestern was a perfect fit for me because of its location and variety of schools/fields. You will find that Northwestern is not huge at all. There are 8000 undergraduates. I saw classmates all the time no matter where I was.

liland

Ihatemylife,

My daughter also went to a very small high school and originally thought that she wanted to go to a LAC. She wanted to have the same sort of interactions with her professors that she had with her teachers in hs. While we were touring Swarthmore, however, she suddenly looked around and realized that what was appealing to her at the age of 17 would possibly seem restrictive/confining at the age of 21. She decided that college is the place to try something different and to expand her horizons. Three years later she continues to be happy with all of the opportunities at NU and has developed great relationships with her professors.

Good luck with your decision!

RisingSun

You can always make a big school smaller, but you can never make a small school bigger.

Northwestern is medium sized, which is great. It's small enough that you can become intimately familiar with an entire demographic if you choose (greek, minorities, student groups, volunteers, etc etc), but it's big enough that you can always meet someone new. No matter what you're looking for in terms of size and student interaction, this school can provide it.