Northwestern University Top Questions

Don't have many, im only a freshman, NU is diverse, some get dressed up, some wear sweats, yes everyone interacts, everyone sits with their friends and its not usually segregated by different types of people, alot of people have alot of money, students are very politically active, predominantly liberal, no

There is not much socio-economic diversity at this school. Many students come from families with money and the problem is some of these people believe their money elevates their social status or likability. Many athletes will wear sweats to class-which is typical at many other schools. However at Northwestern everyone is dressed up- making a fashion statement while in class is not uncommon. The four tables: sorority girls, athletes, asians, & freshman frat boys.

I like all the cultural groups on campus, and I think we have a lot of racial, religious, and ethnic diversity, but not much socio-economic diversity.

I think students are pretty integrated at Northwestern. I personally have a variety of friends in terms of ethnicity, race, religion, class, or sexual preference. I think that you're pretty much guaranteed a fit at NU. There is definitely a wide variety of students, from the stereotypical jocks, pretty girls, nerds, artists, what have you. I don't know if this is unique to NU, but I feel like people are from all over the US and even from other countries. People wear different things to class, some wear sweats, most wear casual clothing, and some even dress up. All these different students interact on some level, in as much as they have to in their classes, dorms, sororities/frats, clubs, jobs, etc. I think a lot of the lower socio-economic classes are a little underrepresented at NU, but they are definitely there. I think NU students are about as politically active/aware as most college students, and probably more left-leaning even though there is a large presence of the right. As far as earning money, most students don't really talk about it.

In general, Northwestern students are pretty accepting of other cultures and lifestyles. That's not to say that there is extensive interaction between these groups, however. There is definitely some racial segregation, and some students can be insensitive when it comes to socio-economic status. Blacks, Asians and Indians often stick together. On the other hand, homosexual students intermingle frequently with their heterosexual peers. Students from all income backgrounds hang out with one another, but it can cause tension when a wealthier student fails to understand his friend's need to work or inability to afford a crazy Aruban spring break. (And most students at Northwestern are rather wealthy.) Mostly this not intentional, but rather simply a product of ignorance. Students are from all over the country, but most seem to be from three areas: California, New York and Chicago. Students wear a variety of things to class. Some get dressed up while others go in their pajamas. I don't think either would feel judged by the way they look for class - it's pretty much go as you like. The campus (like most colleges) is liberal, but there is definitely a strong conservative force. College Republicans have their act together much more so than College Democrats - even if the majority of students identify with the latter. Still, almost any type of student can find a niche at Northwestern. One of the best things about the school is it's diversity. It's not very big, but there are a lot of different types of people here.

Northwestern is pretty white but there is some diversity. That is one thing that Northwestern should work on - mixing it up a little bit! There is a pretty large gay population here too. The person who wouldn't absolutely love NU would be the guy who parties all day and night and doesn't care about academics or his future. Most students get pretty dressed up to go to class. No one is wearing suits or anything but most people try to look presentable. Sweats are acceptable too. The majority of students are friendly with each other but I feel that most of the different ethnic groups stay in their own groups, which isn't very good. Students are from all over : Midwest, West, East, and South. We got it all covered. I would also say that a big chunk of NU students are upper middle class liberals.

When going to class, it is impossible to say what a given person would wear. While I am quite infamous for rolling out of bed at 8:56 in time for my 9:00 class, there are others who dress to the nines every single day. The most common thing you'll see students wearing is boots. Rain boots, Uggs, leather, it doesn't really matter. With all the rain and snow in Chicago, boots are a must. And way to many girls wear leggings as pants. This should not be done.

Unfortunately Northwestern students, though a diverse group, seem to stick to their own kind. Rarely will you see I don't think anyone would feel out-of-place at Northwestern. There is such a huge range of people here...you name it, Northwestern has it. There is even a kid who cruises to class on wheels he attaches to the bottoms of his sneakers. I saw him wipe out once. He took a drag on his cigarette, got back up and kept on skating. Let's say there were 4 tables of students in the dining hall. One table is going to be a bunch of sorority girls with their letters engraved or stitched onto at least twelve different garments. Each. Another table would be the athletes, who are all dressed in sweats and talking about how they're going to beat Purdue (but they won't). The third table will be a bunch of Asian kids, crowding over a math book or manga or whatever they read, and they are definitely not speaking English. Finally there's going to be that one girl with the glasses and acne, who is super-engrossed in her novel, and no one notices her until they are asked to look around and describe the students in the dining hall. The one group that is greatly underrepresented is the engineers. Do they even eat? Has anyone seen them recently? Someone should ask the police to to a well-being check and make sure they're still alive. Students at Northwestern are very politically aware...so politically aware, in fact, that many on campus got together with bowls of popcorn to watch the State of the Union Address this year. Such activities are not unusual. This is a very liberal campus. Deal with it. The Daily Northwestern is an extremely liberal paper, but they do have a 'rival': the ultra-conservative Northwestern Chronicle. The one problem? No one cares about the Chronicle. I only know it exists because sometimes it 'accidentally' gets mixed in with the Daily.

I would say that Northwestern tends to self segregate within all of those groups, but at the same time there isn't any friction between them, people are very tolerant- If you look like you belong at NYU, go to NYU. Northwestern students are generally more intellectual than artistic- Jeans and a North Face- yes- One table is some athletic team or other, the next table is a bunch of sorority girls, the next table is a bunch of theatre majors, and the last is Campus Crusade for Christ members- The midwest, followed by the east coast, followed by california- not sure, most of my friends would be upper-middle to upper class, we have money- minimal political awareness- socially liberal, fiscally conservative. but mostly democrats- yes.