Northwestern University Top Questions

Northwestern students are stereotyped as being busy-bodies. This stereotype is somewhat true. We are often very busy, but that is because Northwestern breeds an environment that encourages students to try new things and develop leadership skills. We have over 300 students groups not including collaborations between faculty and students or projects that aren't official student organizations. We are busy-bodies, but believe through our crazy schedules we are developing ourselves and using the resources we have to create change. Due to our busy schedules, you'll never run out of new things to try or passionate people who care about the same things you do.

Now, I will admit that I hadn't heard of any actual stereotypes for Northwestern students before coming here. Being from Texas meant that a fair number of people who I talked to had no idea where or what Northwestern was. Since then I have gathered this impression of the Northwestern student body from friends I have at various other Chicago and midwest institutions. While there is certainly some validity to this (with a tuition as high and a equally lofty national ranking, it's almost inevitable), I have never found the negative connotations of such a stereotype to be true. For example, while I have met people who certainly come from more affluent backgrounds than I do, I have also met the opposite and have found both to be equally approachable and welcoming. The same goes for the implications of pretentiousness.

Now, I will admit that I hadn't heard of any actual stereotypes for Northwestern students before coming here. Being from Texas meant that a fair number of people who I talked to had no idea where or what Northwestern was. Since then I have gathered this impression of the Northwestern student body from friends I have at various other Chicago and midwest institutions. While there is certainly some validity to this (with a tuition as high and a equally lofty national ranking, it's almost inevitable), I have never found the negative connotations of such a stereotype to be true. For example, while I have met people who certainly come from more affluent backgrounds than I do, I have also met the opposite and have found both to be equally approachable and welcoming. The same goes for the implications of pretentiousness.

Northwestern is known as a pretty "nerdy" school. The school has a well-known reputation and is constantly competing for a spot in the top ten colleges in the nation. The students here earn stereotypes as nerds obsessed with homework and grades because of the reputation of the school. While many students here are extremely devoted to schoolwork, everyone still has fun on campus. There are concerts, parties, events, football games, and all of the exciting activities that take place on other college campuses. We don't give up any of the fun of college in exchange for our hard work.

Northwestern has so many outstanding schools that we get a nice mix of talented kids on campus. Students I've met and am friends with are really intelligent and friendly but still very humble. I think the stereotype of Northwestern students as smart but not pretentious is very true. We work hard but play hard too.

There are several Northwestern stereotypes: the quirky, gay, male theater major, the beautiful, untouchable, female theater major, the overworked, Asian engineer, the business focused, pampered economics major who never wants to go to class, the artsy south, the fraty north, and so much more. But I can tell you from knowing tons of people on campus, there are so many students who don't fit this mold. We are all unique and even those who fit the mold still are there own person. You just need to get to know the person, hear their story, and then no mold can fit them. Because we at Northwestern are complex and weird--just sometimes were too afraid to show it.

There are two stereotypes that I think people associate with Northwestern--that we're total nerds or that we just really like to party. As a matter of fact, the slogans from the caption above are both purchasable on tee shirts in the Evanston area. I don't think either of them is necessarily accurate, though. Sure, there are people here who go crazy on weekends, but I also have a LOT of friends who don't drink. Lots of people here are "nerds," in a sense, but not traditionally so--everyone is really interested and passionate about the things that they're studying and the activities they're involved in. It might sound cliched, but I think Northwestern is a little undefinable. We have theater, dance, and music programs, but we also have a prominent engineering school. We have future journalists and teachers and doctors, but everyone is more than that. So many people have multiple (and sometimes seemingly unlikely combinations of) passions. We really do have all types here, and I think that makes Northwestern an un-stereotypable campus.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine came to visit me at school, and the first words out of her mouth were "This is such a rich kid school." To some extent, this is true; we do have a lot of students from fancy prep schools who have had life handed to them on a silver platter, and tuition is steep. However, most of us come from perfectly common middle class families, and have found reasonable ways to pay our way through. And that tuition money? It goes straight to the students. You see it everywhere in free t-shirts, free speakers, free food, free concerts, SafeRide taxis, automatic free admission to all university sporting events, TONS of student organizations and other cool things around campus just for students. This is especially true if you are a member of an athletic organization (including the marching band!). So while this is an affluent area, we're really just a bunch of regular college students, making fun of the stereotype by affectionately referring to ourselves as the Northwestern Bourgeoisie. Being a highly-ranked university, there is also a stereotype that we would be more aptly named "Nerdwestern." This is a label we wear proudly. Really. We have t-shirts. The truth is that at Northwestern, we work hard and we play hard. We have a vibrant Greek life and tons of social events both university-sponsored and externally run. You won't be stuck in your dorm studying all day. Your friends probably wouldn't even let you if you tried. There's just too much going on. You learn how to balance social life and grades over time.

The stereotype of a typical Northwestern student is an affluent white person usually from the Midwest, the East Coast, or California.

The student culture at Northwestern University was more dominated by Greek life than I originally understood going in, at least at first glance. When I first arrived on campus, it seemed like the only thing there was for us to do was head up to North campus to try and get into crowded fraternity parties. My experience of Greek life at other Big Ten schools also showed me that the culture is slightly different at Northwestern. The kids in fraternities and sororities seem as focused on doing well come exam time as they do trying to put on a good party, which is not a bad thing. Personally, it makes for a very intense atmosphere that was not for me. As a result of this very dominating culture, other student groups, like the campus radio station, do their best to try and give people like me an alternative place to meet, make, and keep friends.