College dilemma (again)

[Brackis]

So I got into two schools, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. Was very excited about NW and going there, but got an email from a 2nd uncle with connection at Brown University where I was waitlisted saying he may be able to get me off the waitlist if im willing to make some effort too.
By asking him for a favor, it would be in very poor taste to be accepted and not attend the school. There is no sure thing with me getting off WL, so i have to decide whether I want to make that push or not.
Please refrain from the "these are all such good elitist rich kid schools so stfu noob" comments.
Ideas? This is the biggest decision of my life thus far, well at least since I matched my socks this morning. If anyone goes to Brown and would be willing to host me for a night or two, it would be great because as a non-admitted student they likely wouldn't allow me to attend any Brown organized visit weekend.

Any personal insight?
The following are my impressions and generalizations about the two schools that may or may not be true.
Pros of NW for me:
- Great Social Policy school niche for me that is specific in curriculumn but broad in grad/vocational opportunities. (260 undergrad students and 22 fulltime faculty)
-Large city (chicago) for me to study and become involved in social programs, non-profits, politics etc..
Cons:
-Cold and in the midwest where I know no one
-Lots of frats
- Possible emphasis on grad students over undergrads (50% grad students and "the best" grad programs, especiallu in my "niche" school which is highly ranked for it's graduate programs)
- large school outside of specific school I was admitted to

Brown
Pros:
-"Ivy League prestige" (even if it is ranked equal to NW which also has prestige, the Ivy cachet does have value to it whether good or bad)
-Closer to my hometown of Boston while still far enough away (Miss my elderly dog living away from home and being able to see him often would give me some peace of mind)
- No core curriculumn requirements
- I felt a larger emphasis was put on undergrad education (5000-6000 undergrad and <2000 grad)
- Know a few people who go there (with different academic interests)
- Large endowment that could give me some undergrad fellowships to further pursue social welfare projects. (Same total endowment at NW with less than half the population)

Cons:
-Heard that lots of people are potheads, druggies or otherwise wierd folks
- Hippy persona sometimes implied
- No specific school for my interest, although they do have a great public policy major and have just about anything I could want for classes and majors (and a "create your own major" major)

 

[Mo0o]

Northwestern. Brown isn't that good anymore and being in the Ivy league is overrated unless you're Harvard Yale Princeton. Being in Chicago will be very fun.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Both are good schools...you are the guy with the crappy GPA right? Glad you got in. I would go with NW if it is stronger in the specialty you want. It's hard to beat professors who can get you into grad schools and/or jobs in your specific field.

 

[DaiShan]

My room mate went to NW for 2 semesters and hated it. He said that people don't go out on the weekends really and just sit around and watch movies or study, so being in chicago is kind of pointless. And turning a school down isn't bad, I turned down a lot of schools when I made my decision, no one came to kick in my teeth or anything heh

 

[Deleted member 4644]

DaiShan, his family helped him get into one of the schools, thus making it much harder to turn down (for family reasons)

 

[cchen]

Evanston != Chicago

 

[SilentZero]

Don't go to college, and instead work at a carwash FTW!

/thread

 

[Gagan]

Atleast you got into brown. I had a piss poor gpa with great refs and transfer student and I don't expect to get an interview

 

[JDrake]

Frats = cheaper living, good friends? How is that a con?

And, knowing people who go to Brown is actually a con IMO

EDIT: I'd go with Brown, BTW

 

[cchen]

Ok, seriously, in your case you really need to visit both schools and decide which one you like better.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: joedrake
Frats = cheaper living, good friends? How is that a con?

And, knowing people who go to Brown is actually a con IMO

Not a con. Frats make the school fun. I lived next to frat row last year, and I thought that was cool. I live like 20 min away now, but it's not like I need to go to any frat parties, so its all good.

Furthermore, Brown = small, not that great. My friends there wanna transfer to UCLA or Cal. Northwestern... mmm they actually have sports. Being able to go to huge football games is fun. Trust me. If I went to some small@$$ private school, I would be bored out of my mind. Big schools :thumbsup:

 

[FleshLight]

Originally posted by: joedrake
Frats = cheaper living, good friends? How is that a con?

And, knowing people who go to Brown is actually a con IMO

EDIT: I'd go with Brown, BTW

Frats = cheaper living? What?

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: FleshLight
Frats = cheaper living? What?

Aye. My friend paid for a dorm. at UPenn freshman year, then joined a fraternity junior year and paid much less ??

 

[Brackis]

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: joedrake
Frats = cheaper living, good friends? How is that a con?

And, knowing people who go to Brown is actually a con IMO

Not a con. Frats make the school fun. I lived next to frat row last year, and I thought that was cool. I live like 20 min away now, but it's not like I need to go to any frat parties, so its all good.

Furthermore, Brown = small, not that great. My friends there wanna transfer to UCLA or Cal. Northwestern... mmm they actually have sports. Being able to go to huge football games is fun. Trust me. If I went to some small@$$ private school, I would be bored out of my mind. Big schools :thumbsup:

Brown is not "small" (5000 undergrad at least), but it doesn't have the size of a Big10 school.

 

[Lazy8s]

It's all about who you know when you graduate. I say go to whichever is most appealing. I am at Valdosta State University. Not huge but 2nd best Cs program in the state to Georgia Tech. However, I already have starting job offers over $60k a year. Why? I interned at a pharmaceutical company and they really liked me. Plus I do odd computer work for people around here. Working hard and knowing your stuff is the most important part.


EDIT: NW has a better football team. You asked for a decision so I say go with them. Your uncle won't be upset, it's YOUR college experience, he's just trying to help.

 

[Gagan]

Wow man what a lucky guy to get into brown. i hate him

 

[Playmaker]

Well, it depends what you want to do after college, but, in general, I would consider this a no-brainer in favor of Brown.

 

[Gagan]

I am mad though, he doesn't deserve it.

If I found out that he ate a good candidates spot that'd irritate me just for the fact that there were probably 100 other kids with a better GPA who had all the qualities he had but didn't get in thanks to "unc"

 

[43st]

Save your money and go to a state school.

I watched a coworker delete a Yale grad's resume today after he was described as arrogant. You don't realize it now but people will love doing this to you in the future also.

 

[cchen]

Originally posted by: Thera
Save your money and go to a state school.

I watched a coworker delete a Yale grad's resume today after he was described as arrogant. You don't realize it now but people will love doing this to you in the future also.

Why do people on here post these inane responses? He's asking for advice for choosing between Brown and Northwestern. Nothing else.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: Thera
Save your money and go to a state school.

I watched a coworker delete a Yale grad's resume today after he was described as arrogant. You don't realize it now but people will love doing this to you in the future also.

Why do people on here post these inane responses? He's asking for advice for choosing between Brown and Northwestern. Nothing else.

oh sorry... neither.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: Thera
Save your money and go to a state school.

I watched a coworker delete a Yale grad's resume today after he was described as arrogant. You don't realize it now but people will love doing this to you in the future also.

why do people make such retarded arguments against attending Ivies. Going to Yale doesn't make you arrogant. If you're arrogant after, you were probably going to be arrogant no matter where you go.

 

[Brackis]

Originally posted by: Gagan
I am mad though, he doesn't deserve it.

If I found out that he ate a good candidates spot that'd irritate me just for the fact that there were probably 100 other kids with a better GPA who had all the qualities he had but didn't get in thanks to "unc"

Let's see.... 1530 SATS..... over 1000 hours of community service.... Waitlisted, not rejected on my own merits which would mean I was someone who they deemed qualified for admission if not enough kids accepted admission. Stop being a punk; I'm looking for advice on my future.
edit: you are taking this as a personal challeneg, but really what I am trying to give are some benchmarks that merit my consideration for admission to a place like Brown.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Originally posted by: Brackis

Originally posted by: Gagan
I am mad though, he doesn't deserve it.

If I found out that he ate a good candidates spot that'd irritate me just for the fact that there were probably 100 other kids with a better GPA who had all the qualities he had but didn't get in thanks to "unc"

Let's see.... 1530 SATS..... over 1000 hours of community service.... Waitlisted, not rejected on my own merits which would mean I was someone who they deemed qualified for admission if not enough kids accepted admission. Stop being a punk; I'm looking for advice on my future.

1530 SAT doesn't mean as much now that the new SAT is out.

on the other hand, it doesn't mean you wouldn't be qualified for Brown, in response to Gagan

I would go to NW over Brown if I were you. And just because it's an Ivy doesn't mean it's prestigious. It's prestigious because it's a good school.

 

[Brackis]

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother

Originally posted by: Brackis

Originally posted by: Gagan
I am mad though, he doesn't deserve it.

If I found out that he ate a good candidates spot that'd irritate me just for the fact that there were probably 100 other kids with a better GPA who had all the qualities he had but didn't get in thanks to "unc"

Let's see.... 1530 SATS..... over 1000 hours of community service.... Waitlisted, not rejected on my own merits which would mean I was someone who they deemed qualified for admission if not enough kids accepted admission. Stop being a punk; I'm looking for advice on my future.

1530 SAT doesn't mean as much now that the new SAT is out.

1530/1600, 99th percentile. I feel it is something to be proud of and helped me even be considered for college admission.