<p>I'm a freshman who lives on the North Side of campus. I absolutley love it and couldn't be happier. At first I thought it was a bit of a geek school and I wouldn't have much fun, but I was wrong. I'm having a total blast while getting an awesome education. I can't tell you much about res college life, but i am in WCAS and live in Bobb Hall, the notorious party dorm, but if you want to know more about the sports scene, the social life, the north dorms (like Elder, Bobb, Sargent) and the frat life I'd be happy to answer your questions. Its truly an awesome place and I don't know anyone who is not having the time of their lives. </p>
<p>^^ I was wondering that too. I definately want a college where i can get a great education, but at the same time have fun and participate in the school spirit (football and basketball). Is NU a bit more laidback than a some of the ivies, yet still academicially comparative?</p>
<p>What is so important to understand about the school is that there are many different groups of people at NW, it is a very diverse and talented student body. That being said, there appears to be two general groups at school, those who go out often and participate in a lot of school spirit events, such as football games, etc. There is another group that studies most of the time. </p>
<p>YES, many, many students go to the basketball and football games and have a great time. The student sections are usually packed with loud and energetic fans. The school definatley has a Big Ten atmosphere. Beating Ohio State this past fall was won of the greatest times ever, because everyone went crazy partying and celebrating etc... You will find many people who are willing to get up at 7am to "get ready" for an 11am game. </p>
<p>Is it the same level of intesity as Michigan, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, etc? Obviously no, but in my mind the school has the best of all possible worlds. I am a pretty social, 1350 student who loves sports and other things, and Ive found that NW is everything i could have wanted in a school. Sorry for the long reply</p>
<p>Hi Nwern08 - I'm going to piggy-back on your thread to help the new '09ers if I can: I live on South campus and in a residential college, so I can tell you more about the things that go on down there (theater/music events, downtown Evanston, south dorms, etc.) and about living in a res college. I agree that everyone I know is loving Northwestern - I know all of you will as well!</p>
<p>I have several questions about northwestern for you =P
How is the music life at northwestern? Are there a lot of music activities going around campus everyday? How does the music life compare to the athletics life at northwestern? How good is northwestern music school / UG program?</p>
<p>What drove you to selecting northwestern in the first place? Were there anything about northwestern that exceed your original expectation after studying there for a term? What do you / most people like best about northwestern? How is the quarter system? Is it really stressful than semester system, or is it better for learning?</p>
<p>I am sorry I am not too familiar with the Chicago region, but how far is Evanston from Chicago? How big is Evanston and how big is northwestern?</p>
<p>Ok lets see if I can answer all these. First of all let me say that I do not know too much about the music program because I am in Arts and Sciences. I do know, however, that the Music dept. has a great reputation. There are events going on all the time on the south side of campus. Maybe glamourbaby can help you a little more with this.</p>
<p>Why did I select NW? Well first of all I'm from the Northeast and wanted to get a chance to see another part of the country. Chicago was a place I heard was great and loved the city when I went out to visit. I ultimately chose NW over Notre Dame for a few reasons. First, its hard to beat northwestern's reputation in the midwest. Second, I liked the location the best, and i seemed to get the right gut feeling about the place. Evanston is about a twenty minute cab ride from downtown. Evanston itself is a very large town with tons of stores and places to eat etc. You can find anything in Evanston. Campus itself is about a mile long from north to south and there are about 8,000 undergrads.</p>
<p>The quarter system is hard, but if you don't leave everything to the last minute you'll be fine. I think most people feel that the quarter system to some degree makes it easier to get good grades, if you stay on top of your work.</p>
<p>Going into NWern I was a little nervous. I didn't think the kids would be very much like me. I was worried about the phrase in the princeton review that said "its a geek school, be forewarned." What has made the school so enjoyable for me so far has definatley been the kids I have met and become friends with. They are by far the most interesting, talented, well-rounded, and motivated people I have ever met. NWern is a big place, so you are bound to find your place no matter what your interests are. What I love about the school and what most of my friends love about the school is that the kids are generally very very happy. We have a great time here. (yes, there is a very active social life if you want it). It was almost hard to leave to go home for Christmas break! Hope this helps, -NWern08</p>
<p>The School of Music is a small school, but a very good one nonetheless. It's students have quite a different curriculum than most other NU students - I know one voice major and one composition major, and I think they have about 8 classes a quarter (as opposed to the usual 4), but nearly all of those classes pertain to their major within the music school (for example, diction classes for the voice majors) and are only worth one-half of a credit. They don't have as many or as strict distribution requirements as WCAS/Medill/McCormick kids, but they are required to attend music events each quarter and participate in some of those events. Now, in reply to your question about music activities: this quarter, there weren't that many music activities, although I think there will be more in the next two quarters. There are many, many a cappella shows during all three quarters and theater musicals throughout the entire year as well.</p>
<p>I chose Northwestern because I thought it had the perfect combination of rigorous academics and fun extra-curricular/social activities for me to enjoy. I also like the location near Chicago (about 45 minutes on the El - elevated train/subway).</p>
<p>The quarter system is hard, but I ultimately think it is good because you get out of classes you don't like more quickly and you are able to take on a more varied course load.</p>
<p>Let me know if I need to clarify/expand upon anything!</p>
<p>There are no business majors at Northwestern. They have a smaller program called Business Insitutions which addresses business albeit not in such an in-depth way.</p>
<p>As uc_benz said, there are no business majors here. What we do have is the business institutions MINOR, which many foreign language students/science students take in order keep some doors open.</p>
<p>I've talked with some of my advisors about the B.I. minor and I've heard the same thing over and over again. You are much better off going for the economics major at NW. It is one of the most popular programs and is quite challenging, but that degree seems to go a long way in the job hunt. I myself am a Math major and Russian minor, hoping to go into international finance of some sort. </p>
<p>As for switching schools...it is possible and a few do it. Depending on what you take your first year it might actually not be that hard at all considering your WCAS classes also gave you credit for McCormick (like chem or calc or something). Switching after your first year would be very hard I think.</p>
<p>Thank you for your long reply nwen08 and glamourbaby19!
How diverse is it in northwestern in terms of her student population and activities? How many activities on avg do students usually take part in?</p>
<p>northwestern is a very diverse place. You will find almost every type of person here. In terms of ethnicity it is very diverse, but also in terms of interests. You will find people who are dedicated and into theatre, the arts and music...and those who are into sports etc (and many who happen to be talented in every one of those areas). In terms of activities you can manage a play, have a sports medicine internship with the football team, or work in a lab downtown. </p>
<p>Students here do seem to be involved in a lot of activities. But not so much for freshmen. From my experience most kids I know have decided to take the first term slow, and make sure they are ok with their work. It is a demanding place and you can get in over your head quickly if you arent careful with your time. I'd say most soph-srs are dedicated to no more than two things, while most seem to focus on one.</p>
<p>aw =(
so multiple activities isn't too common?
i really, really want to get into NU
can you tell me what you love most about the curriculum/school?</p>
<p>What do i love about the curriculum? Hmm, well, its school. and its hard. So, its tough to get really excited about it. A lot of people say that NW is really pre-professional, and thats true, but it makes me feel like everything im taking has a purpose. You definatley get the sense you're getting a great education and it helps you get (rather) excited about your work and future.</p>
<p>What do I love about the school? In a word - everything. More specifically, the people, the location, the campus, the food (I like it anyway) and so much more. Its got something for everybody.</p>
<p>Do you know if Northwestern accepts additional recommendations? If I have a professor who want to send an additional recommendation for me, what should he do so the the letter can be identified as being written for me? Should I write a letter for him to accompany with his recommendation letter?</p>
<p>I agree with Nwern - the curriculum is very hard, but you do feel like you're learning things that will help you (hopefully) get a job in the future. Most of the professors are great; I was shocked during my first weeks of classes by their knowledge of the subject that they taught (unlike high school, where teachers teach you subjects, but you don't believe they really know what they're talking about). My favorite part about NU, though, is the people. All the people I have met are very intelligent, but also very down-to-earth and normal. They are clever, creative, and fun to hang around with.</p>
<p>Gotta disagree with you about the food, though. I think most of the dining halls are pretty revolting - although I haven't yet been up to Sargent, which I hear is much better. The food in Norris is okay, though, and you can use points, which is always good. But hey, food is probably the least important aspect of my life at Northwestern, so its okay!</p>
<p>heplans- I sent in an additional recommendation with my counselor recommendation. I know NU doesn't want additional material, but the recommendation was necessary to explain a summer internship, so I included it anyway. If you think it is absolutely necessary, I would send it in WITH something else if possible. However, I wouldn't send it in if it doesn't really add a lot to your application - they don't want to have to sift through excess paper just for the hell of it.</p>
<p>I am going to be a new freshman next year in WCAS. I am very involved in music at my highschool now (head of several singing groups including the Chapel Choir which has over 70 members) and I really want to sing at NU next year. How hard is it for non-music majors to get into the Chapel Choir? What about the other Choirs on campus? Also- I am looking over the res colleges online. They look very neat, do you live in Jones? What are the pro/cons to the res colleges? Thanks a lot!</p>