Northwestern vs USC CompE

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Hey! I’m very lucky to be accepted to both Northwestern and USC, but I am torn between the two. I am on a government scholarship from my country, so price does not matter at all. I am a current HS senior.

I was accepted to the USC Viterbi School of Eng, and at the Northwestern McCormick School of Eng for AeroE and MechE respectively. I’ll be switching majors to Comp. Eng though. I am starting at both this fall.

After graduation, I want to pursue a master’s degree in a related field such as ECE, Data Science, AI/ML, Cybersec. etc. Probably not pursuing a PHD. My plans are still unclear as of now, but I’m definitely not going pre-law/pre-med, etc.

I really don’t have a clear preference for weather. I can tolerate both hot and cold climates, but I find myself ever so slightly enjoying colder (but not sub-zero) climates. I do prefer a smaller class size, but I also wouldn’t mind a larger student body. My main concern with this is the cutthroat competition culture that might arise, which is something I despise. I don’t really care about greek life, but I would enjoy a more “active” student body in terms of networking, events, clubs/societies, etc.

In terms of location, I do prefer cities over suburban/rural areas. USC is definitely a clear winner on location, but honestly Evanston doesn’t seem that bad given its proximity to Chicago.

I think the only things making me seriously consider Northwestern is its campus (beautiful campus) and its prestige/networking opportunities. Obviously, USC is still a very good school, but Northwestern might be able to open more doors for me (correct me if I’m wrong)? I also prefer Northwestern’s quarter system over USC’s semester system weirdly enough. I vibe with both schools evenly, but a LOT of my close friends are going to LA which is also a big factor (I’m international, so going with my super close friends would elevate my experience so much).

Any help/advice would be appreciated! Thank you.

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Coming from another country, I understand wanting to be with friends. But if you use them as a crutch, it could impact your experience negatively because you might shy from new people.

If you prefer NU’s academics, I’d go there.

You might also ask each how their international students do career wise. If one is superior, go with that.

International students have a hard time job wise so any advantage can help.

Good luck.

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I can’t speak for Northwestern. I have a Viterbi grad and, while Viterbi is rigorous, it is not cut throat.

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… in your country of citizenship or other countries where work authorization is easy to get (the US is not such a country).

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I am planning to work in my home country so this won’t be a big factor in my decision.

Thank you!

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Great to hear!

I am seriously considering USC at this point. Don’t know if that’s a good decision or not but I’m sure both would be amazing colleges for me.

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Not sure where you live, but USC Admissions is going on the road to meet with admitted students.

April 1 - Vancouver
April 2 - Seattle
April 3 Denver, Boston
April 5 - Chicago, New York
April 6 - Washington DC, London
April 8 - Atlanta, Dallas
April 9 Ft Lauderdale, Houston
April 10 - Honolulu, Singapore
April 12 - Hong Kong
April 13 - Los Angeles, Shanghai
April 15 - Beijing
April 17 - New Delhi
April 19 - Mumbai

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I’m in the Middle East. Looks like they’re not passing by us unfortunately. Genuinely think that USC is the smarter choice since I’ll definitely be happier living there, but I’m considering Northwestern solely because of academics. Is it worth it to do this, or is the difference in prestige/international recognition between the two marginal to the point where both are equally as good academically/connections-wise?

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Is there more prestige in your country ? Here they are peers. Maybe slight edge NU but…nothing discernible.

Pick the school you’ll enjoy. You have one life.

The education at both will likely be outstanding.

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My country definitely has the type of employers (talking about the larger local companies) which will not immediately recognize Northwestern, but USC is definitely very recognizable and carries significant prestige as most of our country studies locally or at state schools selected randomly by the ministry. Northwestern is ranked at #16 in the list of US merit scholarship universities composed by our country, while USC is at #27.

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I think that in the US both are generally seen as very good universities. I do not think that there would be any meaningful difference with regard to “prestige”. Also, in the US “prestige” really doesn’t matter in high tech. What you can do does matter. Whether your code or your designs work matters.

How people view these two schools in your country I could not guess.

I am pretty sure that in Chicago the winters will get below zero (on both Fahrenheit and Celsius scales) from time to time. I have not spent much time in the winter in Chicago. I did however spend a week in Ann Arbor once when the temperature never got as high as zero Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius), and I do not think that Chicago is any warmer than Ann Arbor.

I agree. I got my bachelor’s degree at a university that is on the semester system, and my master’s degree at a university that is on the quarter system. I also preferred the quarter system. For classes that you like a little bit, the quarter is over faster. For classes that you like a lot, you take the next in the series the following quarter. Also, you get to take more classes in an academic year. With the quarter system you do not want to fall behind because the end of the quarter comes up more quickly than you might expect. However, it is way less stressful to just do the work and keep up, compared to worrying about the work that you should be getting done. I do not think that the difference would be important enough to impact my choice of schools.

I think that you might want to go with whichever university you think would be a better fit for you.

Another thing that you might want to do is to look at the graduation requirements for your intended major at both schools. Consider both the general requirements (required for all undergraduate students) and the major-specific requirements.

I think that they are both very good. Congratulations on your acceptances, and on your scholarship offer from your home country. I suspect that you have done something very well to earn this opportunity!

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Thank you so much! With differences in curriculum I’m pretty sure USC is heavier on EE classes while Northwestern has you taking less EE and focuses a lot more on the CE/CS aspect. I’ll be talking to alumni from both schools over the next few weeks, and really try to see which is gonna be the best fit for me. Both have been my dream schools for a while so it’s really hard to choose.

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That’s a good thing to do but also current students. Both will have student ambassadors. Reach out to admissions officer and ask them to set you up with a student in the major to talk to.

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Thank you for your suggestion. Will do!

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Everything in the world of computer related education is evolving. Funds may be allocated or redirected to different programs. A school may have a great professor who making big changes in the way a subject is taught. Or, a great professor may have moved on.

I agree that you should talk to current students about what the program looks like today. Alumni can speak to the reputation in your country.

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These are both very good schools. Northwestern is thought by many to be on par with schools like Johns Hopkins, Duke, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Brown in terms of overall academic quality – it has many top-notch programs and an outstanding academic reputation.

USC isn’t quite on that level reputationally, but they’ve made strides over the past few decades.

Both will provide a very good education.

I would concentrate on the fit variables that are important to you – like location, vibe, curriculum, setting – and if they are still tied, I’d pick Northwestern because it’s considered a bit stronger academically. (normally cost would be the tiebreaker, but you aren’t paying for it)

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Thank you for the advice. I’ve asked around and we have a prevalent Trojan community here. USC’s reputation is very strong. Northwestern on the other hand is only really known by those in academia, and I wish to pursue industry after a possible master’s degree. Overall USC has better outlook here, and it wins on location. USC seems like the logical best move. I’ll ask around more and possibly visit before deciding.

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Again, I don’t know anything about Northwestern. They may have something similar. If you are interested in a master’s degree, Viterbi has a Progressive Degree Program where you can start working on your masters degree while you are completing your bachelor’s degree. In five years, you can graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s.

Does your country only pay for four years? It is tough because you need to really plot out your course schedule and because you need to take 18 units a semester, but some students are able to complete both the bachelor’s and master’s in four years.

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I have assurance for a full-paid master’s degree if I get into a top 50 master’s program in my field.

This is interesting thank you for sharing! I am seriously considering this option. Northwestern has something similar with their combined BS + Ms degree at McCormick. I am not too familiar with it so anyone can correct me if I am wrong, but I can simultaneously work on my masters during undergrad.

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Congratulations! Both schools are really good. There’s no wrong choice.
You may want to look at what each school can provide beyond the degree and major. For example, Northwestern has the reputation of being flexible in regard to majors, minors, and certificate program. Their business school doesn’t have undergraduate program but all NU students can apply for the Kellogg certificate program.
Evanston winter is no joke. Not only does it get really cold, it’s also windy, being right by lake Michigan.

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