Northwestern is very good at challenging its students with a variety of academic courses and sequences. The faculty are very attentive to students' needs, and it is easy to meet with professors to discuss any questions or comments related to coursework. The social atmosphere is vast; there are dozens of student groups and organizations, and although it may seem overwhelming, everyone finds their niche.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
-Don't have too set of a plan of attack in terms of classes you want to take, major you want to declare, or clubs you want to join; everything is new freshman year, and you should allow yourself an adjustment period where you're not restricting yourself in any way.
-Identify your boundaries from the beginning. Lots of freshman say they're not going to drink, or they're comfortable having people in their room at any hour, etc. and then feel uncomfortable or regret things later. Establish your comfort levels and boundaries from the get-go so the friends you make can respect them.
-Specific to NU, don't be intimidated. It's stressful at first because the quarters go by very quickly, and you're at an academically acclaimed school where you may feel at times that you don't deserve to be. Admissions does not make mistakes; you are bright and have the school a lot to offer if you're there.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Northwestern has an academic reputation and it stands by it. Courses at Northwestern are manageable but still challenging. Full time students typically take 3-5 classes per quarter, so it's relatively manageable. Students in the sciences or journalism have it a bit harder, because in addition to regular class time, they need to spend extra time in lab sessions. The tough part is managing the quarter system; quarters are 10 weeks long, which means that the pace is much faster than it would be at a school on semesters. It just takes some getting used to, especially since exams tend to sneak up on you.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
This is a biased answer, because dorm life is entirely dependent on which dormitory you're in. If you're on South Campus, you are going to rate it 5/5 stars because South Campus is calmer, more open, warm, and bubbly, and it makes you want to come home every night. North Campus is more individualized, housing athletes, fraternities, and the more 'rowdy' bunches of the student body. Smaller dorms have the ability to bring its residents a tighter-knit sense of community, which is something that is really nice to have. In bigger dorms, you can still get that feeling, but you have to seek it out in smaller groups of residents rather than the dorm as a whole.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
I'm vegan, which means I can't eat a lot of the food a typical dining hall serves. Luckily, Northwestern is pretty good with accommodating individuals with dietary restrictions. Every dining hall has a salad bar that is open for lunch and dinner, and it has plenty of different sources of greens, fiber, and protein (there's hummus, tofu, beans, etc. for vegetarians and vegans). There are also many different stations at the dining halls, and some of them are vegan stations.
However, if the dining halls can't get you what you need, there are several cafes and eateries on campus, including a milkshake cafe (Fran's), Subway, a stir fry/sushi eatery, and more. Those are open longer than dining halls which is also good because after a later class or club meeting, you can still grab a bite to eat.
And, if none of that pleases you, Evanston is right at your fingertips! There are dozens of delicious sit-down, take-out, fast-food, and ethnic cuisine restaurants in Evanston a short distance from the dormitories, and a lot of places deliver to campus.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
NU Nights is a great student-run organization that organizes fun on-campus events most weekends. The Greek life scene is also huge on campus, so if that's your thing, you can definitely hit up parties on weekends. Evanston is also great, as there are a lot of restaurants to go out to eat at, a movie theatre, and lots of boutiques to shop. And of course, the city of Chicago is a mere shuttle or train ride away. Chicago has a lot to offer college students, and should you choose Northwestern, it really benefits you to get exposure to the city.
Northwestern is very good at challenging its students with a variety of academic courses and sequences. The faculty are very attentive to students' needs, and it is easy to meet with professors to discuss any questions or comments related to coursework. The social atmosphere is vast; there are dozens of student groups and organizations, and although it may seem overwhelming, everyone finds their niche.
-Don't have too set of a plan of attack in terms of classes you want to take, major you want to declare, or clubs you want to join; everything is new freshman year, and you should allow yourself an adjustment period where you're not restricting yourself in any way. -Identify your boundaries from the beginning. Lots of freshman say they're not going to drink, or they're comfortable having people in their room at any hour, etc. and then feel uncomfortable or regret things later. Establish your comfort levels and boundaries from the get-go so the friends you make can respect them. -Specific to NU, don't be intimidated. It's stressful at first because the quarters go by very quickly, and you're at an academically acclaimed school where you may feel at times that you don't deserve to be. Admissions does not make mistakes; you are bright and have the school a lot to offer if you're there.
Northwestern has an academic reputation and it stands by it. Courses at Northwestern are manageable but still challenging. Full time students typically take 3-5 classes per quarter, so it's relatively manageable. Students in the sciences or journalism have it a bit harder, because in addition to regular class time, they need to spend extra time in lab sessions. The tough part is managing the quarter system; quarters are 10 weeks long, which means that the pace is much faster than it would be at a school on semesters. It just takes some getting used to, especially since exams tend to sneak up on you.
This is a biased answer, because dorm life is entirely dependent on which dormitory you're in. If you're on South Campus, you are going to rate it 5/5 stars because South Campus is calmer, more open, warm, and bubbly, and it makes you want to come home every night. North Campus is more individualized, housing athletes, fraternities, and the more 'rowdy' bunches of the student body. Smaller dorms have the ability to bring its residents a tighter-knit sense of community, which is something that is really nice to have. In bigger dorms, you can still get that feeling, but you have to seek it out in smaller groups of residents rather than the dorm as a whole.
I'm vegan, which means I can't eat a lot of the food a typical dining hall serves. Luckily, Northwestern is pretty good with accommodating individuals with dietary restrictions. Every dining hall has a salad bar that is open for lunch and dinner, and it has plenty of different sources of greens, fiber, and protein (there's hummus, tofu, beans, etc. for vegetarians and vegans). There are also many different stations at the dining halls, and some of them are vegan stations. However, if the dining halls can't get you what you need, there are several cafes and eateries on campus, including a milkshake cafe (Fran's), Subway, a stir fry/sushi eatery, and more. Those are open longer than dining halls which is also good because after a later class or club meeting, you can still grab a bite to eat. And, if none of that pleases you, Evanston is right at your fingertips! There are dozens of delicious sit-down, take-out, fast-food, and ethnic cuisine restaurants in Evanston a short distance from the dormitories, and a lot of places deliver to campus.
NU Nights is a great student-run organization that organizes fun on-campus events most weekends. The Greek life scene is also huge on campus, so if that's your thing, you can definitely hit up parties on weekends. Evanston is also great, as there are a lot of restaurants to go out to eat at, a movie theatre, and lots of boutiques to shop. And of course, the city of Chicago is a mere shuttle or train ride away. Chicago has a lot to offer college students, and should you choose Northwestern, it really benefits you to get exposure to the city.