A look at the numbers
Two real offers, scored side by side on the things that tend to matter over four years and after. Every score is a starting point for discussion, not a verdict — the one row that counts most is yours to set.
Slide toward whichever one you'd actually want to spend four years inside. Everything recalculates.
Most rows are settled by data or logistics. The interesting one is the last: how much the subject itself grips you. NTU starts the comparison carrying a weaker job market and a long commute, so the linguistics pull has to be genuinely strong before it overtakes — slide it and watch where the tipping point lands.
The two grey rows below pull in opposite directions on purpose. NTU wins on campus independence; SMU wins on staying close and steady. Same trade, seen two ways — only you know which one fits how you work best.
Scores are a discussion tool, not a ranking. Argue with any of them.