Harvard vs. Northwestern

[tomyum]

I am interested in theoretical chemistry and I am having a hard time deciding between Harvard and Northwestern. I visited both schools and they have completely different environments. Any insights on the goods and bads of northwestern and harvard ?

[chaospaladin]

I am interested in theoretical chemistry and I am having a hard time deciding between Harvard and Northwestern. I visited both schools and they have completely different environments. Any insights on the goods and bads of northwestern and harvard ?

Go to Harvard since Harvard students can cross-register with MIT and in some cases can also work with PIs from MIT.

[Behavioral]

Go to Harvard since Harvard students can cross-register with MIT and in some cases can also work with PIs from MIT.

Can't the same be said about Northwestern and Chicago?

[wtncffts]

I don't know about the rankings for chemistry, and you haven't given any details about research interests or funding, so I'd simply say Harvard is Harvard (fairly or not). The pedigree may open doors for you down the line which you may not anticipate. So, all else equal, and assuming you don't have a special preference for either location, I'd go with Harvard.

[jprufrock]

I figure if you're asking this question, then you're leaning more toward Northwestern.

Go with your gut, yeah?

[tomyum]

The rankings of Harvard and Northwestern are pretty much the same, both are one of the top 10 schools for chemistry. The department at NU is bigger though and people are much nicer but on the other hand I like Cambridge much more than Evanston. My fear about Harvard is that people will be super competitive and it will be hard to find good friends but I don't know if I am correct to assume so. I already have a couple of friends at NU and the people there are super warm and friendly and I know I will not have any difficulty fitting in there but I don't know how things will be at Harvard. I am an international student and fitting in a new place takes me relatively longer. That is my main concern - not being able to fit in. :S