Is Northwestern the ideal school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wasn’t crazy about the campus…

Fair enough. But the lake setting is hard to beat imo!

[Anonymous]

I thought the campus was gorgeous! The downfall is the price tag. Like many private colleges, it’s completely out of reach for our family. We are upper middle class and must stick with publics. But anyone who attends is certainly lucky!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious to hear people's firsthand experiences there. It seems to check all the boxes for a classic college experience:

1. Greek life and football
2. Excellent academics across the board
3. Strong arts programs and a thriving school newspaper
4. Prime location outside, but not right in, a major city (best of both worlds)

Are there any down sides to this school? It sounds almost too good to be true.

This is like going to the doctor and asking for the absolute best medicine, "ideal medicine" without regard for what is ailing the patient.

I take it you did not go to Medill.

[Anonymous]

Very cold winters due to proximity to the lake. Not a fan of the architecture. More like WashU than Duke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very cold winters due to proximity to the lake. Not a fan of the architecture. More like WashU than Duke.

Yeah the architecture is kind of all over the place with a lot of different looking buildings. Enjoy the lake - that is for September and October anyways then it's just in the back drop with freezing winds coming off of it. Liked it enough just not worth the hefty price tag, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious to hear people's firsthand experiences there. It seems to check all the boxes for a classic college experience:

1. Greek life and football
2. Excellent academics across the board
3. Strong arts programs and a thriving school newspaper
4. Prime location outside, but not right in, a major city (best of both worlds)

Are there any down sides to this school? It sounds almost too good to be true.

it is almost as hard to get accepted as H,Y,P,P,C, Stanford but doesn't quite have that level of prestige and pull as far as career/grad/professional school outcomes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid fell in love and did ED. They really love it.

But I will agree that the quarter system is crazy kntese for STEM classes and there is major grade deflation in some of those classes which can make for a bit of a stressful feel. The vibe of the school is definitely “do more!” Which carries over to academics, social stuff and extracurriculars. My kid is crazy busy but loves that.

true but no different than ivys or hopkins or duke in that respect. all t15 are that way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe if you’re rich. The kids I know who went were UMC and felt out of place. Lots of big money, expensive private school, daddy buys me every luxury and convenience kind of money. Not like daddy pays my rent. Like daddy picks me up in a private plane and spent $100,000 on my dressage horse kind of money .

This is not true at all.

It sounds like a made up story from someone upset that their kid didn't get accepted

[Anonymous]

NO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe if you’re rich. The kids I know who went were UMC and felt out of place. Lots of big money, expensive private school, daddy buys me every luxury and convenience kind of money. Not like daddy pays my rent. Like daddy picks me up in a private plane and spent $100,000 on my dressage horse kind of money .

LOL ! The above is pure BS.

Or maybe you're conflating NU with Duke.

Northwestern University does have wealthy students, but wealth is not flaunted or obvious.

Easy to get to Chicago. The campus setting is spectacular, but there really is no center quad. Divided between North side of campus which is mostly engineering & STEM and South campus which is artsy & liberal arts.

Couple of beaches & free sailboats for student use. Spectacular gym placement overlooking Lake Michigan.

Greek life is available if desired, but does not overwhelm the campus social scene.

Fairly low key, very brainy, and accepting.

The campus does make most "Most Beautiful College Campuses" lists, but the architecture is not as cohesive as that found on many small school campuses.

NU students are brilliant, hard-working, ambitious, non-judgmental, & friendly.

To the poster who cried the career office circa 2010, that was during a very tough job market which followed the national real estate market collapse.

Easy access to both US coasts as well as to the largest city in the Midwest (Chicago).

All of this.

The wealthy kids my kid has encountered there are super low key and discrete about their wealth. Just like most kids, they just want to be normal and not a stereotype or caricature. But the school is definitely upper class and upper middle class.

Anything along the lakefront is gorgeous, particularly the temporary football stadium, the field house (lacrosse field is jaw dropping stunning) and Bienen (the music conservatory where the main theater and lobby opens to a full lake view and the practice rooms also overlook the lake) Deering Meadow feels very old college ish, ivy covered imposing stone buildings, lots of old trees and winding paths.

They have traditional dorns as well as smaller themed dorms in renovated former greek houses.

If your kid wants a big college down full of dive bars where the college is the center of the universe, then Northwestern is not their place. The town is wealthy, very wealthy. Similar to GMU in Fairfax, the town has zero interest in the mess that comes along with a bunch of drunk underage college kids partying and bar hopping.

NU knows this is a drawback, so they are in the process of building a lakefront social area on the shores right outside the music building, with food, music and hangout spots. It should be very nice.

The lake was going through an erosion project last year, but when we visited the year before it was packed with students hanging out, playing music, working out, tossing footballs. It looked like it was the center of the college social scene. I am sure it will be again once the beach and park reopen and the food spot launches.

The big drawback is the quarter system. Classes are intense. It is not for smart laid back kids becsuse there is no time to slack. Starting and ending so late stinks too. The school ends 2 weeks after most internships begin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe if you’re rich. The kids I know who went were UMC and felt out of place. Lots of big money, expensive private school, daddy buys me every luxury and convenience kind of money. Not like daddy pays my rent. Like daddy picks me up in a private plane and spent $100,000 on my dressage horse kind of money .

LOL ! The above is pure BS.

Or maybe you're conflating NU with Duke.

Northwestern University does have wealthy students, but wealth is not flaunted or obvious.

Easy to get to Chicago. The campus setting is spectacular, but there really is no center quad. Divided between North side of campus which is mostly engineering & STEM and South campus which is artsy & liberal arts.

Couple of beaches & free sailboats for student use. Spectacular gym placement overlooking Lake Michigan.

Greek life is available if desired, but does not overwhelm the campus social scene.

Fairly low key, very brainy, and accepting.

The campus does make most "Most Beautiful College Campuses" lists, but the architecture is not as cohesive as that found on many small school campuses.

NU students are brilliant, hard-working, ambitious, non-judgmental, & friendly.

To the poster who cried the career office circa 2010, that was during a very tough job market which followed the national real estate market collapse.

Easy access to both US coasts as well as to the largest city in the Midwest (Chicago).

Not BS. It was my nieces’s roommate experience.

You niece went to Northwestern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe if you’re rich. The kids I know who went were UMC and felt out of place. Lots of big money, expensive private school, daddy buys me every luxury and convenience kind of money. Not like daddy pays my rent. Like daddy picks me up in a private plane and spent $100,000 on my dressage horse kind of money .

LOL ! The above is pure BS.

Or maybe you're conflating NU with Duke.

Northwestern University does have wealthy students, but wealth is not flaunted or obvious.

Easy to get to Chicago. The campus setting is spectacular, but there really is no center quad. Divided between North side of campus which is mostly engineering & STEM and South campus which is artsy & liberal arts.

Couple of beaches & free sailboats for student use. Spectacular gym placement overlooking Lake Michigan.

Greek life is available if desired, but does not overwhelm the campus social scene.

Fairly low key, very brainy, and accepting.

The campus does make most "Most Beautiful College Campuses" lists, but the architecture is not as cohesive as that found on many small school campuses.

NU students are brilliant, hard-working, ambitious, non-judgmental, & friendly.

To the poster who cried the career office circa 2010, that was during a very tough job market which followed the national real estate market collapse.

Easy access to both US coasts as well as to the largest city in the Midwest (Chicago).

All of this.

The wealthy kids my kid has encountered there are super low key and discrete about their wealth. Just like most kids, they just want to be normal and not a stereotype or caricature. But the school is definitely upper class and upper middle class.

Anything along the lakefront is gorgeous, particularly the temporary football stadium, the field house (lacrosse field is jaw dropping stunning) and Bienen (the music conservatory where the main theater and lobby opens to a full lake view and the practice rooms also overlook the lake) Deering Meadow feels very old college ish, ivy covered imposing stone buildings, lots of old trees and winding paths.

They have traditional dorns as well as smaller themed dorms in renovated former greek houses.

If your kid wants a big college down full of dive bars where the college is the center of the universe, then Northwestern is not their place. The town is wealthy, very wealthy. Similar to GMU in Fairfax, the town has zero interest in the mess that comes along with a bunch of drunk underage college kids partying and bar hopping.

NU knows this is a drawback, so they are in the process of building a lakefront social area on the shores right outside the music building, with food, music and hangout spots. It should be very nice.

The lake was going through an erosion project last year, but when we visited the year before it was packed with students hanging out, playing music, working out, tossing footballs. It looked like it was the center of the college social scene. I am sure it will be again once the beach and park reopen and the food spot launches.

The big drawback is the quarter system. Classes are intense. It is not for smart laid back kids becsuse there is no time to slack. Starting and ending so late stinks too. The school ends 2 weeks after most internships begin

.

That was the major drawbacks for my DC in not choosing to attend there. The very late start and late finish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really wonder about some of you people who call a school like Northwestern "quirky"

It’s changed quite a bit over the last decade. No longer a “social” smart school and a significant athlete/NARP divide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid fell in love and did ED. They really love it.

But I will agree that the quarter system is crazy kntese for STEM classes and there is major grade deflation in some of those classes which can make for a bit of a stressful feel. The vibe of the school is definitely “do more!” Which carries over to academics, social stuff and extracurriculars. My kid is crazy busy but loves that.

true but no different than ivys or hopkins or duke in that respect. all t15 are that way

How would you know this? Social media vicariously?

[Anonymous]

My friend's daughter is there and overall is liking it but not loving it. Several drawbacks:

-The quarter system makes it very difficult bc your breaks don't always align with when your friends are at home and timing of summer internships is tricky
-if you are mainstream kid then it can be difficult to find your people
-some people don't quite know how much the long, dark Chicago winter will affect them until they get there