Upenn or Northwestern for an Economics major?
Such a subjective question. Can you possibly add more detail to the depth of your question? I actually think Northwestern has a stronger program but Penn is obviously a great school with superb job placement.
They are both great.
Northwestern offers a better pure Economics program but if it’s Economics through Wharton then Penn may just be the better option.
They are peers and similar in many respects. If there is a difference in cost thanks to FA, I would go for the cheaper option. If cost is not a factor, I would go with fit.
Visit both schools and spend a few days at each. Ask a lot of questions. If there isn’t a significant cost difference, go with the one you got the better impression of during your visits.
I believe Northwestern offers a more rigorous econ track (esp. with the Kellogg Certificate), but other than that, they are peers, with Northwestern enjoying better recruitment in Chicago and Penn in the North-East.
I think Penn is slightly stronger brand.
If you are talking doing econ through Wharton, I’d choose that option. If you are talking econ through CAS I’d still have a slight preference for Penn – look to see you could take some classes in Wharton even if you are doing econ through CAS as that would be a plus. That said, the schools are very close in academics/reputation so if you prefer the atmosphere etc. at Northwestern and feel it is a better fit then choose that school.
@happy1 Now, if I did econ through CAS, would I have to take regulatory core classes as well as working toward my econ major? For example, would I be taking English classes while taking Macroecon?