<p>If you go to [Test</a> Prep: GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, SAT, ACT, and More](<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com%5DTest”>http://www.princetonreview.com), search for a college, and then go to the section of the college’s page called “Student Body”, there is a short description of a “typical” student at that college based on student survey results.</p>
<p>I’ll attach some of the descriptions for the colleges you asked for:</p>
<p>Princeton
The typical Princetonian has a work-hard/play-hard mentality-working very, very hard on weeknights, but “willing to put down their books to party on the weekends.” Students tend to get “absorbed” in their work at crunch times. Though not even close to a majority, there is definitely a segment of the population that “holes up in their rooms” to study, in direct contrast to the “social” student that one typically meets around campus. This bunch of “competitive, brilliant” students has a mix of typical and atypical and no real problem reconciling the two, though students would like to see diversity increase even further than it has in recent years. “From star athletes to musical prodigies to academic powerhouses, everyone brings something different to the table,” says a student. This driven group "thinks about how to be successful in their lives after Princeton, and [they] plan accordingly.</p>
<p>Duke
The typical Duke student “is someone who cares a lot about his or her education but at the same time won’t sacrifice a social life for it. To go to school here is to find the perfect balance, even if that means some late-night cram sessions or last-minute papers. Everyone’s focused on success, but that includes social success as well.” They tend to be “perfectionists, very involved in seeking out a ‘type A’ career (read: investment banking or consulting), and go out two to three times a week, always looking polished, even when wasted.” An “overwhelming number” are athletes, “not just varsity athletes…but athletes in high school or generally active people. Duke’s athletic pride attracts this kind of person.” The student body “is surprisingly ethnically diverse, with a number of students of Asian, African, and Hispanic descent.”</p>
<p>UChicago
Students at Chicago are “intense,” “opinionated,” “engaged with the world around them,” and “somewhat zany.” “Most everyone has a quirk,” a senior reports, “like the center on the football team who’s really into Dungeons & Dragons.” Without question, “the popular stereotype” of the Chicago student is “a nerdy, socially awkward person.” Living up to the hype are an abundance of students “religiously dedicated to academic performance” and “a bunch of strange people,” “usually clutching some fantastic book.” However, “there aren’t as many extremely strange and nerdy students as there have been in the past.” “A portion of the student body at the U of C [are] actually talented, cool, and (gasp!) attractive.” “There are loads of people who are fascinating,” a sophomore writes. There are “artists, communists, fashionistas, activists,” and even “some who aren’t posing at all.” “Everyone who is at the University of Chicago considers themselves at the best possible university,” concludes one student. “It’s a self-selecting group,” and most people are “happy to be here.” Chicago students “look down on other schools, particularly the Ivies.”</p>
<p>Northwestern
The typical Northwestern student “was high school class president with a 4.0, swim team captain, and on the chess team.” So it makes sense everyone here “is an excellent student who works hard” and “has a leadership position in at least two clubs, plus an on-campus job.” Students also tell us “there’s [a] great separation between North Campus (think: fraternities, engineering, state school mentality) and South Campus (think: closer to Chicago and its culture, arts and letters, liberal arts school mentality). Students segregate themselves depending on background and interests and it’s rare for these two groups to interact beyond a superficial level.” The student body here includes sizeable Jewish, Indian, and East- Asian populations.</p>
<p>Emory
This “diverse and tolerant campus” has all sorts of unique characters; as one sophomore puts it, “I’m not saying there are large numbers of people who wear capes to class. There’s a few, obviously, but not half of the student body.” From an ethnic standpoint, Emory’s financial aid department “truly provides for many students,” and all races and backgrounds are represented, though there are a fair number of Jewish students. “I learn a lot more from class discussions that involve people from other backgrounds,” says a student. Students at Emory tend to be very involved in extracurricular activities and community service, and they often don’t require additional encouragement from the faculty-these activities are also where students tend to make most of their friends. Hard workers though they may be, “the typical student also enjoys going out. The atypical student simply doesn’t go out as much.”</p>
<p>WashU
Some people may say the typical student is a Jew from Long Island, but really this is just a hyped-up stereotype, says a junior. East Coasters definitely have a presence at Wash U, but Midwesterners predominate. The campus is “very ethnically diverse.” However, “self-segregation is a big issue.” “People who are very wealthy tend to hang out together,” too. There is “a frantic premed culture,” and, overall, the campus is “a little nerdy.” “I hadn’t seen so many hot geeks in one place until I came to Wash U,” claims a first-year student. Jocks, punks, and goths are rare. “A lot of people look exactly the same. This isn’t really the best place to explore your education or figure out what you want to do with your life,” reflects a senior. “The typical students here have a plan and a goal they are working toward.” These “overcommitted, fun-loving high-school all stars” are “pretty politically apathetic,” but they have an array of other interests. “I think the thing that connects everyone is passion,” suggests a sophomore. “Every student brings something different.” “There are the students involved in way too many activities just for the sake of activities, the premeds, the counterculture and counter-counterculture art students, B-school partiers, intense architecture students, frat boys, sorority girls who promised themselves they would never join one, the ethnicity-obsessed, and then a huge melting pot of all of those mixed together.”</p>