<p>The title says it all. Like Harvard is known and Yale are know for Leadership, what is Northwestern known for??</p>
<p>Journalism. Theater. Overall awesomeness.</p>
<p>Northwestern students remind me a lot of Harvard undergrads (I’m at Harvard now). They’re academically exceptional and highly respected socially. The only difference is that NU has the Greek system (Harvard has finals clubs but they tend to reserved for a select few) and NU students tend to be less “nerdy” if you will. </p>
<p>From the HS I attended, a disproportionate number of the socially popular and smart kids were drawn to Northwestern, so there seems to be some self-selection bias going on. Northwestern doesn’t necessarily select for these types in the admissions process, but they just happen to comprise a sizable chunk of the student body. In high schools, Northwestern has become known as a school where “cool smart” kids go and in the process becomes branded as a premier college for such kids. Movies like Mean Girls reference and reinforce this image.</p>
<p>As far as academic programs, Northwestern is known for its unusual breadth of strengths across all fields, including the social sciences, engineering, natural sciences, humanities, journalism, education, music, law, medicine, and business. </p>
<p>It’s also known for its signature programs such as Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS), Murphy’s Scholars, Brady Scholars, Chicago Field Studies, and Integrated Science Program.</p>
<p>^ Not to mention the prestigious Kellogg undergraduate certificate programs in Financial Economics and Managerial Analytics as well as the prestigious Medill Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) certificate program.</p>
<p>If you did not already know…and IF this is of value to YOU:
[Top</a> Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students by Type of Institution, 2011-12 - International - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students by Type of Institution, 2011-12”>Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students by Type of Institution, 2011-12)</p>
<p>To summarize, Northwestern is known for the following:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Smart students who are looking for a vibrant social life. The Northwestern brand for attracting such students is embedded in pop culture, with references to it in Mean Girls, American Pie (supposed to be set in Northwestern but Northwestern declined), Proof (Gwyneth Paltrow’s character). It is also reflected in its alumni, such as Seth Meyers, Cindy Crawford, Dermot Mulroney, Zach Braff, David Schwimmer, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.</p></li>
<li><p>Unusual strengths in multiple fields, including the arts and sciences, music, education, law, journalism, business, theater, communications and medicine. Having strengths in all of the aforementioned areas is unusual among schools in its peer group.</p></li>
<li><p>Prestigious undergraduate certificates and signature programs, including: Kellogg undergraduate certificate, Medill IMC, Chicago Field Studies, Engineering Co-op, SESP Practicum, Brady Scholars, Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS), Murphy Scholars, Evans Scholars, Integrated Science Program (ISP). Many of these programs will allow you access into prestigious internships/connections that will make your liberal arts education more marketable upon graduation.</p></li>
<li><p>Prioritizes social impact. Historically a top producer of Teach for American corps members, Peace Corps members, and Fulbright scholars. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>[Northwestern</a> Tops Teach for America List : Northwestern University Newscenter](<a href=“http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2010/08/teach-for-america-northwestern.html]Northwestern”>Northwestern Tops Teach for America List: Northwestern University News)
[Northwestern</a> is Peace Corps Leader for Ninth Year : Northwestern University Newscenter](<a href=“http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2009/01/peacecorps.html]Northwestern”>Northwestern is Peace Corps Leader for Ninth Year: Northwestern University News)
[Northwestern</a> Produces Record Number of Fulbright Scholars : Northwestern University Newscenter](<a href=“http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2011/10/fulbright-record-numbers.html]Northwestern”>Northwestern Produces Record Number of Fulbright Scholars: Northwestern University News)</p>
<ol>
<li>Stunning scenic campus next door to Chicago. Also has law and med school campuses Downtown in a premier Lakefront location next to Magnificent Mile. </li>
</ol>
<p>Chicago is made accessible by a free shuttle that runs between the Evanston and Downtown campuses. Alternatively, you can use CTA trains and buses (there are 3 train stations next to campus and numerous bus stops along Sheridan Rd) and Metra (suburban train that goes to Ogilvie station Downtown).</p>
<p>Overall, Northwestern is just an exciting place to attend college and is truly unmatched by its peers in that regard. The only exception could be Harvard, which is also an exciting place to go to college.</p>
<p>Marketing. It’s where Marketing was literally born. The AMA has its roots in Evanston. Phil Kotler was a professor here while he was revolutionizing Marketing as a field.</p>
<p>I love that the Brady program is now known as a signature program.</p>
<p>Why no love for Kaplan Scholars though? Substantially more significant than Murphy Scholars.</p>
<p>
I don’t know any college is “known for leadership”. I also don’t know if you can teach leadership in schools.</p>
<p>Yep, arbiter, it is now. Totally forgot Kaplan Scholars…great program.</p>
<p>It is the alma mater of the great Irv Cross and Ann Margaret.</p>
<p>Would alma mater be appropriate for Ann Margaret, though? She only attended–she didn’t graduate</p>
<p>Ditto for Cindy Crawford (she lived in the dorm next to mine, FWIW) - only attended and didn’t graduate. Ditto for Zooey Deschanel as well. Ann Margret means nothing to anyone under 55 IMO.</p>
<p>To me, what is a signature value of Northwestern is what I’d call earnestness. Proud of what they are academically, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of having fun and enjoying some of the “mainstream college trappings” of sports and Greek life. NU can’t even work itself up to having real rivalries with other schools (U Chicago, Michigan and Illinois) other than light-hearted trash-talking. The Greek system is sort of “Greek lite” and no one gets REALLY upset over sports losses - there’s that earnest, oh well, we tried and had fun spirit. I think Pres Schapiro is a straight shooter who adds to that immensely and I’ve been very impressed with him (as an alum and a parent).</p>
<p>^^Ditto. That’s a great description.
Despite NU students engaging in some self-mockery by calling the school “Nerdwestern,” I think that it is a school filled with incredibly smart kids, very few of whom are nerdy in the classic sense. They are intelligent and academically-oriented, to be sure, but they are also fun, career-oriented, spirited and very friendly.<br>
I also love the fact that the academic offerings are top-flight in such a wide array of areas: chemistry and English, engineering and journalism, poli sci and biological sciences.
All that, and you get a waterfront campus, the offerings of Evanston, and Chicago at your doorstep to boot! I honestly cannot imagine my kid having been happier - or having received a better education - at any other university.</p>
<p>To general mass: Kellogg (biz) and Medill (journalism); being one of the top schools.</p>
<p>NU has top programs in many fields like art history, economics, sociology, chemistry, engineering, education, theater, film…etc but for the most part, only the people that are interested in those fields or have done some research on NU would know.</p>
<p>Leadership? That just sounds silly.</p>
<p>NU Medical is generally well known as well, though it’s not clear why the medical school in particular is.</p>
<p>Law School is considered one of the “T-14”. While it’s usually ranked between 10th and 14th by USN, it’s usually ranked higher in employment stats rankings. The large private law firms seem to like the grads a lot.</p>
<p>[THE</a> GO-TO SCHOOLS](<a href=“http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202443758843&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1]THE”>http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202443758843&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1)</p>
<p>Sam- it’s affected largely by the Chicago market being entirely dominated by two schools for the most part. NU is indeed the t14 (though the masses don’t realize what that means) and is due a ton of respect for that, but their placement the last few years has been more a reflection of market trends and their push to have 100% of the class have work experience of multiple years (and indeed, move to a more “business school” like model) than it has been any particular respect for NU grads. </p>
<p>If you wan’t a case-study in “overperforming” rank the last few years (and I’m biased) look at Cornell’s NLJ250 placement stats from last year.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202483173162&slreturn=1[/url]”>http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202483173162&slreturn=1</a></p>
<p>^Wouldn’t Michigan grads also compete for Chicago market? While the east coast has more schools, it also has more top-250 firms in NYC and DC. That would at least partially offset the “dominance” effect you mentioned. Another offsetting factor is that only 1/4 of the students come from the Midwest; so I am not sure how overwhemingly the grads want to stay in Chicago after graduation.</p>