Northwestern University Top Questions

My classmates were excited an engaged learners. Everyone worked hard and did their best.

Smart, challenging, diverse.

Fun

I think I answered this earlier :) Love the students. Really accepting of people from all walks of life. However, there are a lot of white people. This isn't a problem for minority students though, they aren't separated from unless its their intention to be secluded. Students are definitely politically aware and active. A friend of mine got to go to Obama's 2012 reelection speech last fall, and I was super jealous. Students prepare for the future, but don't really dwell on the paycheck. About 1/2 of the students are on financial aid, but we face the same problem all private elite schools do when trying to recruit low students from low income families.

My classmates are highly motivated, eager to go beyond the bare minimum, but also more than willing to assist one another in all areas of the college experience.

Because NU is a big, private school, expect to see variety with a common thread. Many people have a solid educational background (parents, siblings included) and high ambitions. People are pretty casual in terms of clothes and eating habits. Because NU is not a city campus, there are a ton of ways to make yourself useful on campus--everything from pre-professional or policy-writing groups, to competitive dance teams.

.

When I first arrived at Northwestern, I will admit, I was slightly concerned due to the fact that the majority of the people I encountered were either pre-meds with their heads buried entirely in their organic chemistry textbooks, or students more interested in the "college experience" than academics. This worried me, because I don't particularly fall into either category. In addition to this, it seemed that science majors only knew other science majors, arts students kept to themselves, and there was a frightening lack of cross-disciplinary mixing in general. However, after three and a half years here, I've realized that every type of person you may wish to hang out with exists at Northwestern: it's simply a matter of finding them. I now live in a co-op, which is home to all levels of studiousness and a large variety of majors. We have students from all around the country as well (and even a few from further reaches of the world, such as Australia and France). There are also student groups for almost any interest that you may have, though they often tend towards service societies and less towards socializing with peers who happen to have the same views/hobbies. Overall, the atmosphere is rather accepting. While, of course, there are bound to be some individuals who disagree with you or make snide comments, I don't believe that this exists more so here than at any other school. In all, it is up to you to find your niche at Northwestern.

When I first arrived at Northwestern, I will admit, I was slightly concerned due to the fact that the majority of the people I encountered were either pre-meds with their heads buried entirely in their organic chemistry textbooks, or students more interested in the "college experience" than academics. This worried me, because I don't particularly fall into either category. In addition to this, it seemed that science majors only knew other science majors, arts students kept to themselves, and there was a frightening lack of cross-disciplinary mixing in general. However, after three and a half years here, I've realized that every type of person you may wish to hang out with exists at Northwestern: it's simply a matter of finding them. I now live in a co-op, which is home to all levels of studiousness and a large variety of majors. We have students from all around the country as well (and even a few from further reaches of the world, such as Australia and France). There are also student groups for almost any interest that you may have, though they often tend towards service societies and less towards socializing with peers who happen to have the same views/hobbies. Overall, the atmosphere is rather accepting. While, of course, there are bound to be some individuals who disagree with you or make snide comments, I don't believe that this exists more so here than at any other school. In all, it is up to you to find your niche at Northwestern.

There is no typical Northwestern student. You'll see a lot of hipsters, a few preps, but there are also the odd balls and the really cool people who don't fit in anything. Even the people you call hipsters are not really hipsters--they can pretty much fit anywhere too. However, if you're emo you may feel out of place; haven't met very many, if any, of them. If you're gay, you're fine. Everyone interacts with everyone. You just gotta find the people you like. Seriously, Northwestern students are either pre-professional like crazy or they are just smart, cool people who will be some of your most valued connections one day.