<p>I would pick Northwestern for sure. It has a much stronger reputation on the east and west coasts. Wash U is a great school but in New York and Los Angeles (have lived in both cities), I can say Northwestern is regarded in a different (higher) peer group than Wash U. People I know consider Northwestern to be in the same league as the lower ivies and schools like Duke, UChicago, etc. Wash U I think is a peer of Vanderbilt, UVA, Emory, etc. Both are great schools but I would pick Northwestern.</p>