<p>Hey guys!
I just wanted to ask current NU students some questions. I don't have the ability to visit the campus because I live too far away. Some questions I have are:</p>
<p>What is your favorite thing about NU?
Would you say that the school is very " social " ?
How are the professors? </p>
<p>Your help is much appreciated
Thanks!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The people. I’ve only been here for like 7 weeks but there’s just something about the people here that’s different. There’s a lot of exploration of new ideas, whether that be in terms of career or service projects or whatever. Also, pretty much everyone here is smart but everyone also wants to do good things for themselves (very important) and for the world. </p></li>
<li><p>I’m still a freshman, so take this with a grain of salt. It’s not the same social scene as, say, U of I or Berkeley (where I’m from), but there’s always stuff to do. The nickname “Northwasted” explains a bit.</p></li>
<li><p>Again, I’m not in a position to comment on this. I’ve only had four professors, after all.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’m an alum (graduated this past June), but here are my thoughts:</p>
<ol>
<li>I like the fact that the people there are edgy and have great school spirit. NU likes to choose students who are bold, risky, creative, and driven. NU students like to think outside the box and put themselves in uncomfortable situations in order to better themselves and/or to make things happen. This is why the campus is always abuzz with activity.</li>
</ol>
<p>Northwestern pride manifests itself in many different ways, whether it’s cheering for the sports team, wearing purple, or just making the best of their opportunities there. The alumni network is extremely strong. Here in Boston, for example, there’s a weekly meet up to watch football and socialize in addition to the usual happy hour events.</p>
<p>The Northwestern brand has an excellent academic and social cachet, which is great because it works really well in both academic and social settings.</p>
<ol>
<li>Yes, Northwestern is very social. Students love to attend on-campus events or go out to Chicago with their friends. There are always parties going on every weekend that are well-attended, Greek-oriented or not. You do have to discipline yourself when it comes to getting your work done so that means choosing to work instead on some weekends. A lot of the party-going people work really hard during the day to get their work done before going out at 11pm or so. </li>
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<p>Don’t be disillusioned and think you can get by doing minimal work and still go out. Those party people DO bust their asses and turn in high quality work (I was a peer reviewer) even if they never ever seem to be working or like to downplay their achievements. It’s not until 4 years later when they get into Columbia law that you find out the truth that their GPA was actually 3.85 all along and their LSAT was 175. Don’t lose heart though if you’re not one of those people, just work hard and work smart even if you have to forego some of the parties :).</p>
<ol>
<li>The professors are fantastic. I recommend going to office hours for at least 1 professor every quarter and really trying to shine in theor class (do this for a class you really care about because to shine means doing extra readings, contributing a new perspective to the class, reading their works and discussing them during office hours, etc). This way, come senior year, you will have several professors you can choose from who can write you a great recommendation letter, whether for a job or graduate school. Some summer internships require recs as well, so consider yourself warned. Professors understand that letter-writing and getting to know students are part of their responsibilities and they actually love doing both, so don’t think they will be weirded out if you approach them (they had to do the same to get into graduate school). I once had a chat with a professor that lasted 5 hours and I wasn’t even in any of his classes. I wasn’t trying to get a rec from him either. I just found him fascinating and that was that.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>People</li>
<li>Yes</li>
<li>Your mileage may vary… but generally really good</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much guys!</p>
<ol>
<li>Everyone here is smart. You can hook up with a random person at a frat party and not feel guilty because you can also have an intellectual conversation with them.</li>
<li>The social scene, at least to me, is perfect for college. If you want to find a party, you will. If you want legal and healthy fun, there are many things happening every night.</li>
<li>My professors have all been so nice. They seem nicer than my high school teachers.</li>
</ol>
<p>Not a current student but as others have already stated, it’s the people.</p>
<p>NU has a really diverse student body unlike some of its peer schools - w/ a school of music, big theater dept., school of journalism, etc. - you get the gamut from the engineering to the artsy types.</p>
<p>A close 2nd would be having the City of Chicago in “the backyard” so to speak.</p>
<p>Not only for the cultural/sports venues, but numerous bar scenes.</p>