Northwestern University Top Questions

I think that greek and theater are really popular. Pwild and Sailing are kinda well known. Lots of dance groups like grafitti and boom shaka. and acapella groups are big too. I'm involved with sailing and its everything - a sport, a social network, and an organized team. I love it. Students in willard mostly leave there doors half open, open enough for friends to come in but closed enough to ward off strangers -- not really open to social mingling. I met my closest friends through willard and DG. I'm in discussing some crazy idea with my friends. Dillo day is huge, so is DM. Parties range from everynight people (up north or crazy theater southies) to one or twice a week (ME). I think sororities aren't that important for social life on campus, i just like mine because my best friend is in it with me and we get food and a nice house to feel at home in and one day live in. Last weekend i went into the city with my friends for dinner. Go into the city, go see plays, go hang out at a coffee house, go see a movie, stay in and cozy up as my friends call it...you can do alot without drinking.

If you want t you can easily be involved in something. The Greek life here seems a lot more friendly and laid back compared to some of the horror stories I've heard from my friends back in the South.

The most powerful groups on campus are the fraternities and sororities. When I came in to college, I thought the last thing I was going to do was join a frat. But, it became clear that if you want to be social, you have to go Greek. So my friends and I joined a frat and ended up making a ton of friends. The Greek system is a great way to meet people, especially upperclassmen and sorority girls. The athletic teams at NU generally suck, so in general nobody really goes to their games. People usually go to football games, but don't expect a Big 10 football atmosphere here. Usually the other team has more fans than we do. Generally, students go out Monday, Thursday, and on the weekends. There are a couple bars that everyone goes to, so it's fun to hang out with the same people, but it can also get stale. On the weekends people usually go downtown to mix things up. Last week was the first week of the quarter so I went to the student bars on Monday and Thursday, and then went to downtown Chicago to a concert on Saturday night.

Theater is very big on campus, and lots of students who are not directly involved come out and support their friends who are. It depends on the dorm, but in many of the smaller dorms doors are left open and unlocked. The dating scene is what many girls complain about--that guys just want to pick up girls at bars and not date them. The Greek scene is fairly important socially, but it's not quite at the 'Greekness' of state schools, how involved you decide to become really depends on how involved you want to be. Chicago is available for cultural excursions not involving drinking like theaters, concerts, museums, restaurants, shopping and the like.

Greek scene does have an impact on social life but it is not necessary. NU students go out later than most other schools usually because you are studying until the last minute before you go out.

Few bars in Evanston (Deuce, Keg) otherwise cab or el it downtown. Get a good fake as early as possible. Join a frat or sorority if you aren't completely against it. You'll be really social and make good friends early on this way, and its not a very big commitment as an upperclassman.

If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday (which I usually am!), I'm probably talking to my friends in the dorm or doing homework. Fraternities/sororities are pretty important and make up 40 percent of the student body, but there are still social events and philanthropies that don't involve the Greek scene. A campus group I'm involved with is SELF, where students tutor at a school in Chicago once a week. I love that I can be involved with the Chicago community and help out struggling students from impoverished areas, and it's great that so many of my peers care enough to participate in this program.

the dating scene here doesn't exist. you're either hooking up or you're exclusively together. it sucks royally. the guys here...not that great. if you want something exciting go over to Loyola where the guys are half as smart but twice as good looking.

Greek life is big, but there are other ways to become involved.

Dating scene is mostly just hooking up, like any college. If you're a guy and you have any game whatsoever, Northwestern will be a gold mine because a large percentage of the male population is in theater or music or engineering and not likely to be competing for girls or competing on the same level as you.