<p>Hello. I'm looking for some advice and I hope someone can help. I just finished my 2nd year at an Ivy and although I was accepted to other Ivies for transfer, for family reasons, I've decided to return to the Chicago area so I'm trying to decide between Chicago and NU. I've been accepted to both as a freshman and as a transfer. I was wondering if anyone had more detailed information on which school might be more transfer-friendly. I'm mostly interested in hearing about the social aspects: where transfers live, whether there's a lot of interaction between transfers and non-transfers, the social scene, etc. Any information at all would be great. Thanks.</p>
<p>This article from "The Daily" will answer a few of your questions. Good luck with your decision. </p>
<p>Sorry - after re-reading that article I now realize that it doesn't really answer your questions except to say that the transfer students all stay in the same dorm. I do know that NU has a special orientation program for transfer students that is similar to the orientation program for freshman.</p>
<p>I'm a transfer at northwestern, not all of us stay in one dorm. If you tell them in the housing app that you dont want to live here you wont. There's like 100 of us, 30-40 or so in dorm. It's probably hard at any school to integrate at a junior but it can be done. I have a good friend that transferred from uchicago here, he's alot happier. I love northwestern. It has better access to chicago, since there's no train stops around campus at uchicago, they have to take a bus or something i think. It's in a better location I think, being on lake michigan and to the north, more wealthy area. I've fit in just fine, living in transfer dorm helps as junior anyways since it has a homey feel, I've made friends with everyone living here. Joining a sorority or frat is the best way to integrate though but may be harder as a junior, esp. if you're a girl cause sorority rush is a *****.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. ndhawk, why did you choose not to stay in the transfer dorm? Where did you live instead, and was that better for you?</p>
<p>I actually got screwed, I just put my top 5 like regular, and if you dont tell them specifically that you want to live in a big dorm, then they'll put you in the transfer dorm. I got put here, I tried to say that above but I realize I wasn't clear. I was ok with it since fall quarter I had a double as a single, and I didnt mind my roommate who came during winter quarter. Also its like a one minute walk from tech which is where all my pre-med classes were, and its on frat row and when I joined a frat it didnt make sense for me to bother with moving.</p>
<p>That being said, living in the transfer dorm has been annoying since I havent met as many people as I could have in a big dorm, and whenever someone asks where I live(happens alot since its a natural conversational question) you have to say transfer dorm and deal with the same "oh you transfered, from where? why? etc etc" questions. As a junior I'd say it helps just because most other juniors already have strong groups of friends, and living in the transfer dorm you form a close-knit group of friends. But if you're cool making friends with sophomores and freshman or if you're social and outgoing you wont have a problem and you should join a big dorm and tell them that you do NOT want to live in transfer dorm. If you emphasize your requests they'll be cool about it.</p>
<p>"Joining a sorority or frat is the best way to integrate though but may be harder as a junior, esp. if you're a girl cause sorority rush is a *****."</p>
<p>It's actually easier because you have a chance to mingle in sorority houses before-hand (this is an advantage, since freshmen aren't allowed inside before rush.) If you're a soph/junior, you basically don't even have to rush to get in. I was actually invited to come visit sororities before rush, so I had a tremendous advantage by being an upperclassman.</p>
<p>So you didn't have to rush at all? Also, did you live in the transfer dorm or another dorm when you transferred?</p>