<p>“I’m interested in studying physics, religion, neuroscience, and playing classical and jazz saxophone in classes and small ensembles, even if I don’t major in music. I want to go to a school where I’ll make friends easily and be happy, and where people enjoy having philosophical conversations.
Please persuade me of why I should go to Northwestern and not Harvard.”</p>
<p>I won’t be able to persuade you in the short space and time provided on this forum, but evidently I with the aid of my suitemates at 1835 Hinman did manage to persuade an overnight visitor to choose Northwestern over Princeton. His interests were remarkably similar though not exact to yours: Chemistry, religion, neuroscience, and playing classical music. My suitemates who engaged him in a spontaneous all night discussion were very diverse and eclectic: a premed (did become a physician), an athlete, two engineering majors, a mathematics major, and a sociology major (later became a professor who studied social change). We discussed many topics including religion vs atheism and agnosticism, the advantage some third world countries may have had when it came to bonding within families and friends, the role of literature in modern society. At the end of the night he said this was precisely the type of environment he was looking for which he hadn’t seen on his visit at Princeton. I still expected him to chose Princeton but was pleasantly surprised when I saw him the following year at Northwestern. I’m sure you can find what you are looking for at Harvard or Northwestern (or for that matter at Princeton) if you run into the right students. But the suite system at 1835 Hinman was very good at bringing together a diverse array of students into one close living space. I think to engage in the best philosophical discussions you need participants from diverse backgrounds and opinions to fuel debate. The suite system at 1835 Hinman did that particularly well though I found it in other living arrangements at NU and I also think the strengths in the varied schools of Northwestern (WCAS, engineering, speech, music, journalism) adds to the diversity as well. College is the best time to engage people with disparate viewpoints since opportunities get more limited later in life. Good luck with your choice.</p>