UC Davis vs UW-Seattle vs Northeastern

whidbeyite2002
Sun, 03 Apr 2022 17:22:13 +0000

I am replying as a parent of a current UW student, Cornell alum, 10-year Boston-area resident, and 5-year northern Arizona resident.

1. UW has been a wonderful experience for my daughter, who is in an open major (Classics). It has not been as great for her friends in the more capacity-constrained majors (Environmental Studies, Chemistry, Engineering, Computer Science). Her happiest friends seem to be in the humanities and social sciences. Nonetheless, Seattle is a fun and beautiful city for college students.

2. I spent the best 4 years of my life at Cornell and found my people very quickly. That said, my prerequisite science classes were beyond rigorous and GPA-crushing. The weather is unpredictable and gloomy in later fall and winter but often glorious in spring and summer. I had dealt with snow from early October through early May. The weather can also present travel challenges; getting from Ithaca to northern Arizona can be tough. And I know northern Arizona is no stranger to deep snow, but AZ winter sun is spectacular. All said, I never lacked for things to do in geographically-isolated Ithaca.

3. I love Boston! It’s a great city partly because of its large college population and very good public transportation. However, winters are gloomy and cold. In my time there, Northeastern was a second-tier university, so my impression does not match its current stellar reputation.

Wishing you and her the best!