Is Northwestern the ideal school?

[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.

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

Within the classical music world, the music school is one of the best and most selective in the country.

[Anonymous]

Does it still have the reputation for being the backup school for most of its students?

Like the place they ended up after not getting into Ivys, Stanford, or other Top-10 schools.

[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.

For a discerning segment, the Greek life is a problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some, my kid and I would hate the Greek life, architecture, and weather, but for some, it’s the best fit possible.

We haven’t visited yet, so please share more about the architecture and physical feel of the place.

It’s just not super attractive, other than one or two buildings.

[Anonymous]

It has its fair share of brutalist architecture (the library, student union and admin buildings particularly), but the Lakefill is gorgeous. We'd sit out on the rocks and watch the sailboats in the lake.

I was a scholarship kid and didn't feel too excluded by the wealthier kids. Those of us on financial aid had work study jobs and similar.

I also got to take some classes in the school of music and work on some theater productions despite being an engineering student. That helped get me through some tough quarters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The student body is heavily quirky. My very smart but mainstream, outgoing kids (jr and sr) toured and didn't see their people at all. This was the same report given by many of their friends when they also visited.

Your mileage may vary and every kid is different so do your research in person! We really wanted to like it---we liked many things but ultimately my kids gave it a strong veto.

+100 This. I visited with each of my 2 kids separately over that last 3 years. They both gave it a veto as well. Filed with quirky, nerdy kids.

[Anonymous]

Was #1 on my kids list, until we visited. He decided not to apply within a few minutes of stepping foot on campus. He said not one student looked happy, all had heads down. I insisted we go on the tour anyway, which we did, but even I thought that didn't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was #1 on my kids list, until we visited. He decided not to apply within a few minutes of stepping foot on campus. He said not one student looked happy, all had heads down. I insisted we go on the tour anyway, which we did, but even I thought that didn't help.

That's because everyone there wanted to attend college someplace else. Maybe not the Medill crew, but you do have to question someone studying journalism these days too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was #1 on my kids list, until we visited. He decided not to apply within a few minutes of stepping foot on campus. He said not one student looked happy, all had heads down. I insisted we go on the tour anyway, which we did, but even I thought that didn't help.

That's because everyone there wanted to attend college someplace else. Maybe not the Medill crew, but you do have to question someone studying journalism these days too.

That’s really not true. It was the number one pick for a lot of the students. I. Think the atmosphere is not like a southern school though.

I remember when I started school in the northeast one of my friends said he found it so disturbing how all the kids from California and the south would lo right at you and smile. He found it creepy and intrusive. He was exaggerating but there is a different vibe at urban schools in the north.
Anyway the answer is probably that there is no perfect school for everyone. For some people, Alabama is the perfect school. Or Florida. Or ASU. People want different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was #1 on my kids list, until we visited. He decided not to apply within a few minutes of stepping foot on campus. He said not one student looked happy, all had heads down. I insisted we go on the tour anyway, which we did, but even I thought that didn't help.

Think the student profile will change this year. And maybe even for foreseeable future.

They are going very deep into WL (again today); recent kids coming from previously committed to schools like Wisconsin, Michigan, UCLA, USC, Tulane, Middlebury - all social, normal kids.

Lots of WL admission overlap btw Brown, Vanderbilt, UCLA (OOS) and Northwestern this year. Let’s see what happens.

[Anonymous]

My child is at Northwestern, and it wasn’t our favorite school for them. Nonetheless, finding the comments about “quirky” and unhappy looking students to be off base. It’s not an architecturally cohesive campus, and it’s darn cold. The Greek life stinks, as it forces kids to make that decision - to rush or not to rush - and socially separates the campus. But kids get a great education and they really aren’t quirky, whatever that even means! The quarter system means kids don’t waste time, take more classes, and study harder. We don’t mind any of that either! It has not been an issue for internships so far. Like Duke (and others), NU will never have the Ivy or Stanford cachet, but it’s a great school and a solid choice.

[Anonymous]

I too hate it when parents describe students as "quirky." It just screams mean mom sorority girl energy. The University of Alabama sorority system exists for these people.

That being said, I think a lot of parents have the Northwestern in the 90s in mind when they think NU might be a good fit for their kid. That's the school of Stephen Colbert and Julia-Louis Dreyfus and fun, smart kids. Stanford has the same issue. These were fun students being quirky in exciting ways in 1998.

But times and admissions have changed. I am 100 percent guilty of this. We visited Northwestern, and the experience just seemed cold. The student welcoming center or whatever that's called and the lake and the boats are all very nice in September. But I grew up in Canada, and I know what Lake Michigan is going to be like from October to March. The rest of the campus is underwhelming. Chicago is not far, but it is a journey. And I found Evanston unremarkable. The students are quite serious. I think a quarter system is a grind, and every prospective student needs to internalize what that's about. I think NU is great for students that want to dual major in disparate subjects. It's a good place for serious students. NU is very good in everything - from journalism to engineering, which is unusual even among the best schools. But everything is about vibe and aura these days, and that didn't feel great at Northwestern. I actually thought UChicago was the more grounded and humane school.

I don't like to say anything negative about any school, but at this level you are looking at everything. My kid noped out after the visit. It might very well be an administration issue. On paper, NU has everything going for it. But people really need to visit and see if a winter in Evanston and a quarter system is right for them.

[Anonymous]

DD is happy there in engineering school already got opportunity to work and socialize. Very happy with her decision so far. Professors are accessible and she were offered to serve as TA for Winter and Spring semester. Too cold for me but she prefers it.

[Anonymous]

Campus is less polished and gorgeous as Amherst, but the students are nearly similar. Many quarter system students say they wish they had an open curriculum, which you can only get in its best at the best LAC in the country, so I'd come to Amherst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Campus is less polished and gorgeous as Amherst, but the students are nearly similar. Many quarter system students say they wish they had an open curriculum, which you can only get in its best at the best LAC in the country, so I'd come to Amherst.

Amherst campus is nothing to get excited about and even less so the location.