<p>^^
join a fraternity.</p>
<p>visit the bars.</p>
<p>live in bobb/elder/allison.</p>
<p>don't major in engineering.</p>
<p>join a fraternity.... A drinking club? I think not... </p>
<p>visit the bars......More drinkin???? No, no.....</p>
<p>live in bobb/elder/allison.... Bobb is a pretty trashy res hall... and, again, I don't equate "fun" with "drinking".</p>
<p>goto chicago</p>
<p>I don't see Chicago as "Northwestern Social life". The city of Chicago is not unique to Northwestern... There are tons of other schools in the area. Just "going to Chicago" has little to do with the social life of the school.</p>
<p>kk-- maybe go with some friends to a performance, or a speech--or get something to eat at one of the restaurants in Evanston. Go see a band in Chi, maybe go dancing.</p>
<p>Now that I'm living in a college town in CT, I realize that I had it pretty good in Evanston--there are a lot of available options very close. (More than most places have.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
join a fraternity.... A drinking club? I think not... </p>
<p>visit the bars......More drinkin???? No, no.....</p>
<p>live in bobb/elder/allison.... Bobb is a pretty trashy res hall... and, again, I don't equate "fun" with "drinking".
[/quote]
</p>
<p>well that is what most people think of when they think of a school having a good social life, the other way to look at it is that northwestern is next to chicago which is in possession of some of the best museums and cultural attractions in the world as well as evanston, the dining capital of the north shore.</p>
<p>and i think it's unfair and incorrect of you to call all fraternities "drinking clubs," there are plenty of fraternities at northwestern that are not about drinking.</p>
<p>to me it sounds like you are the problem, not northwestern... you don't want to drink, you are prejudiced against fraternities, and you dismiss the potential of the city.</p>
<p>oh, and how about the fact that northwestern is one of the very best drama and music schools in the country, how about shows that are "unique to campus"</p>
<p>that's pretty much everything you could ask for... lots of parties... a major city a 30 minute train ride away (with multiple stops within two blocks of campus) and a vibrant on-campus art scene. i don't see how you could ask where the social life is.</p>
<p>and res colleges?</p>
<p>My top 10 (i don't know enough to do a top 20 :P)</p>
<ol>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Duke</li>
<li>Rice</li>
<li>Northwestern</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Notre Dame</li>
<li>Vandy</li>
<li>Penn</li>
<li>Columbia</li>
<li>WashU</li>
</ol>
<p>and i agree with what elsijfdl said above, being close to a vibrant city definitely gives the student body lots of opportunities to enjoy the weekends! From what i've heard from most people i know who go there, Northwestern is an example of this case</p>
<p>Chicago "itself" is not Northwestern's social life. But Northwestern's social life "includes" Chicago. It depends on how much you take advantage of it. Same goes for, say, UCLA or Stanford or any other school that is close to a city. You can be the type of student who goes to see concerts every month or the type of student who simply doesn't set foot outside of campus. You can't blame the school for that.</p>
<p>stanford
duke
WashU
Tufts
Boston college</p>
<p>"Chicago "itself" is not Northwestern's social life. But Northwestern's social life "includes" Chicago. It depends on how much you take advantage of it."</p>
<p>-Then everyone should just go to UC, UIC, or Chicago State.... You're not saying why Northwestern's social life is special, and, hence, deserves to be ranked so high on the lists being generated here.</p>
<p>“as well as evanston, the dining capital of the north shore.”</p>
<p>-See, now we’re getting somewhere.... </p>
<p>"and i think it's unfair and incorrect of you to call all fraternities "drinking clubs," there are plenty of fraternities at northwestern that are not about drinking.”</p>
<ul>
<li>I’d take it by your reaction that you’re a member of a drinking club. Don’t take offense; there’s no need. I’ve been to many frat parties, and yes, they are about drinking. You can sugarcoat it all you like, but the truth is still the truth. </li>
</ul>
<p>"to me it sounds like you are the problem, not northwestern... you don't want to drink, you are prejudiced against fraternities, and you dismiss the potential of the city.”</p>
<p>-So because I don’t want to drink and don’t like frats I have a problem?.... Please... </p>
<p>"oh, and how about the fact that northwestern is one of the very best drama and music schools in the country, how about shows that are ‘unique to campus’”</p>
<p>-Making progress…. </p>
<p>"that's pretty much everything you could ask for... lots of parties... a major city a 30 minute train ride away (with multiple stops within two blocks of campus) and a vibrant on-campus art scene.” </p>
<p>-I go to Chicago probably more than most people, but I still don’t think someone should have to leave school to find good “campus” social life. </p>
<p>“i don't see how you could ask where the social life is.”</p>
<p>-You’re right. Everyone should be a drinking, frat member who watches plays and goes to Chicago every day.... How could I not have seen the light!? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>KK, stop *****ing. It's insanely annoying, pointless and adds nothing to the question at hand...</p>
<p>kk, I agree that frats are drinking clubs - and I love fraternity life, but understand why its not for everyone.</p>
<p>However, having fraternities does contribute to campus social life - its just another social option for people to consider.</p>
<p>KK:</p>
<p>"Then everyone should just go to UC, UIC, or Chicago State.... You're not saying why Northwestern's social life is special, and, hence, deserves to be ranked so high on the lists being generated here."</p>
<p>Sure, if its the culture of Chicago they want to experience during their four years of college they can go to one of the schools you mentioned. But the topic at hand is "Ranking the Social Life of the USNWR Top 20"; unfortunately that only includes NU and UC. Of the two, NU is "generally" known to have a better social scence but that's arguable too. At any rate, I didn't say schools near "Chicago" have the ultimate social life; I merely suggested that being close to a city gives you access to the culture, but whatever man you can argue all you want.</p>
<p>I simply don't see why you would want to argue that having access to Chicago does not add to the social life of NU students? I mean, evidently, you're not having a very good time at NU but the majority of NU students I know seem to have a blast. <em>shrug</em></p>
<p>
[quote]
Then everyone should just go to UC, UIC, or Chicago State.... You're not saying why Northwestern's social life is special, and, hence, deserves to be ranked so high on the lists being generated here.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>nu has easier access to all parts of the city besides the loop than all these schools you just mentioned... actually i'm not really sure where chicago state is.</p>
<p>what also makes nu better than these schools, and it's a matter of subjectivity but i think it is evident enough that it doesn't have to be 'proven,' is that the student body at northwestern is less consumed in their studies and more outgoing than the average chicago student, and smarter, more worldly, and more driven (and thus more fun, enlightening, and engaging to be around) than the average student from uic or chicago state. not that those schools are in the top 20.</p>
<p>i find that it is the STUDENTS at northwestern that make it so fun to be at, i mean the location is there, but it's all about the people you share it with, and i think northwestern students are the perfect balance of drive, intelligence, laid-backness, sociability, humor, and non-judgementalness. but that's not the kind of thing you can really explain on a board when people are listing "close to a city, etc"</p>
<p>elsijfdl,
Thanks for your description of Northwestern students. I understand that it is a biased view, but I like it nonetheless and it is such descriptions that I was hoping to elicit when I initially listed the criteria for this thread:</p>
<p>"Welcoming nature and friendliness of the students"</p>
<p>I'd love to hear more comment about the types of students and people that one encounters at the various schools. I realize that the value added of such comments may be questionable, but it might help to reinforce or dispel stereotypes that we all have about various colleges.</p>
<p>OK Do you know the multitude of partying that occurs at Penn State??? Were talking a fairly attractive, well-dressed, large student body in the most random part of Pennsylvania that has an amazing football team. Penn State parties like no other!!!</p>
<p>
[quote]
OK Do you know the multitude of partying that occurs at Penn State??? Were talking a fairly attractive, well-dressed, large student body in the most random part of Pennsylvania that has an amazing football team. Penn State parties like no other!!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I haven't read the entire thread, so correct me if I am wrong, but they are most likely talking about the University of Pennsylvania, not Penn State.</p>
<p>Yeah, most schools outside the top 20 party really hard, but I think the focus was on academically oriented schools.</p>
<p>Talking about PSU - random part of PA, Austin Scott - yeah, definitely PSU.</p>
<ol>
<li>Northwestern</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Vanderbilt</li>
<li>Duke</li>
<li>Dartmouth</li>
<li>UPenn</li>
<li>Notre Dame</li>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Rice</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>WashU</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Columbia</li>
<li>Emory</li>
<li>Johns Hopkins</li>
<li>MIT</li>
<li>UChicago</li>
<li>Caltech</li>
</ol>
<p>oh ok-good point...then i'd probably go with vanderbilt&princeton</p>