<p>people on these boards are saying that these schools are wayyyy different. from what i know, they prety much seemed the same to me. very nerdy and very rigorous with not much social life. no real jock attitude.</p>
<p>Well, at NU, doesn't a good sized portion of students go greek?<br>
Percent of men who join fraternities: 32%
Percent of women who join sororities: 38% --collegeboard</p>
<p>Northwestern is a school is the Big 10 football conference
Chicgao has Division III sports, so I would say that NU has more going on when it comes to athletics.</p>
<p>For academics, they're both rigorous, but I think that Chicago has more core requirements.</p>
<p>its in the big 10, but practically doesnt do anything in it</p>
<p>They're very different. Please site what you're basing your opinions on.</p>
<p>I guess it depends what your measuring stick is. Both Chicago and Northwestern are great choices for "nerdy" or "hard-working" people, and relative to other schools, Chicago has little by way of Greek life/ social life (that doesn't mean it's nonexistent, but just smaller). Next to your Party State U, Northwestern might not have as much of a "social life" (if you specifically mean "parties"), but I feel like if you're want to work hard, and you want to have fun, NU is a good choice.</p>
<p>A note about frats: people too often conflate "frat" with "cool" or "jock." At NU, there are enough nerdy frats (one of my friends is in one!) that you can't really prove anything through those numbers.</p>
<p>NU has a very active Greek scene, several designated "party dorms," and, as of this year, an annual "Sex Week."</p>
<p>As for that other school, there's a certain phrase often attached to the University of Chicago . . . what was it . . . ah, yes . . . "Where fun goes to die."</p>
<p>so northwestern doesnt have a nerdy atmosphere in general, hmm, thats exactly opposite of what i thought. thanks!!</p>
<p>Old reps die hard and I tire of seeing myths perpetuated:</p>
<p>Northwestern today is one of the most social schools among elite universities in the nation. With some of the academically strongest theater, music, and dance programs in the country, the arts flourish. With the strongest undergrad journalism and communications programs in the country, student involvement with the campus paper (The Daily Northwestern), TV news (NNN), and radio (WNUR) flourish. As the only private school in the Big Ten, NU benefits in ways few other elites can, especially during football season against the likes of Ohio State. The local town of Evanston has grown up big time and Wrigleyville, Lincoln Park, and the rest of Chicago can be reached in as little as 20 minutes from several El stops right off campus. Traditional dorm parties and Greek parties are generally open, non-exclusive affairs. Off-campus housing in all forms abound providing more intimate settings for social gatherings. Everyone participates in intramurals. The gorgeous Crown Sports Center offers everything from squash courts to an Olympic pool to weights/aerobics with full-view windows overlooking Lake Michigan. The school even has its own Sailing Club with training courses and rentals. Yes, there are even two beaches on campus. Yes, incredible resources and opportunities.</p>
<p>another quote about uchicago: "the only thing that goes down is your gpa"</p>
<p>uchicago is also a "place where fun goes to die"
that was enough for me not to even start their application</p>
<p>... you know these are slogans on t-shirts that dorms sell for fundraisers, right?</p>
<p>It's not like Fiske or Barron's came up with the slogan and UChicago students have been trying to play them down ever since.</p>
<p>
[quote]
people on these boards are saying that these schools are wayyyy different. from what i know, they prety much seemed the same to me. very nerdy and very rigorous with not much social life. no real jock attitude.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The only reason why NU has that misleading rep is b/c NU is the only selective, private institution in the B10 (btw, there was another thread about top schools with good party scenes and NU was mentioned a lot).</p>
<p>
[quote]
its in the big 10, but practically doesnt do anything in it
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Gee, I guess having more B10 Championships in FB (three - since 1995) than any other schools, other than UoM or dOSU, and having HALF of its varsity teams make the NCAAs is practically doesnt do anything in it.</p>
<p>And yeah, there are some geek frats but there are geek frats everywhere (pretty much every Greek system has hierarchies disgusting, I know).</p>
<p><a href="btw,%20there%20was%20another%20thread%20about%20top%20schools%20with%20good%20party%20scenes%20and%20NU%20was%20mentioned%20a%20lot">quote</a>.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>as far as "best social life in the top 20" goes, the five schools mentioned the most were probably:</p>
<p>princeton
northwestern
stanford
vanderbilt
duke</p>
<p>yeah that list looks pretty accurate</p>