Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 9/2002-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: January 2005

The best way to get into Northwestern is to show in your essays and activities that you have something that you are the best at. They claim that they want their students to have passions and are truly trying to find the most skilled individuals capable of being true leaders, not just good workers. I never had to interview. The school seems to be selective enough, i.e., about or above 1400 SAT and some athleticism. I have yet to meet more than a handful of people who lack some sort of athletic background. I imagine this is because Northwestern is seeking dynamic individuals, and team players as opposed to bookworms (although we have those here). Regarding essays, it just matters that you write well and are creative/witty. Northwestern has the most unique application because they want students that aren't run-of-the-mill intelligent, but who are also graced with a personality.

Academics: Students Speak

Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 9/2001-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: August 2004

Northwestern has a diverse academic program. I feel like you can do almost anything and everything on campus. We have five schools: Weinberg (arts and sciences), McCormick (engineering), Music, Communications and, the most famous, Medill (journalism). Northwestern has an array of mixed programs between two schools, as well as several specialized programs in medicine, science, math and social sciences that applicants can apply to or transfer into after freshman year.

Northwestern classes range in size from large to small. The larger classes tend to be the more generic or introductory classes to each major topic. The upper-level, more specialized classes are smaller in size. Every student has the opportunity to take classes he or she wants. The benefit to the quarter system is that you have more opportunities to take more classes.

Intros tend to be known as the weed-out classes, so getting a B is relatively easy, but an A you need to work for. Most math-based classes are based on curves, which can be good or bad depending on your scores in the class. I would say that workload depends on each class, but midterms, which occur once to three times a quarter, help keep students on their feet and on topic.

Professors at Northwestern are great. They are very willing and, even for larger classes, they have their own office hours for students to come and chat with them or ask for help. We have a wide range of well-known academic professors.

Employment Prospects: Students Speak

Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 9/1996-6/2001
Survey Submitted: December 2005

On-campus recruiting is fantastic at Northwestern. Recruiting for graduating seniors in my Engineering class began very early in the fall quarter and I had accepted a full-time job by Thanksgiving. Most people spend more time in interviews and site visits than in class. I received a total of 10 job offers from various types of employers, from industry (petrochemical, consumer products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals) to consulting. I did not know anyone who did not have a job by the time they had graduated and this was common throughout the engineering school. High-quality companies (P&G, McKinsey, Bain, Merck, GE, Honeywell) come to recruit at Northwestern because they know the talent pool is huge.

Quality of Life: Students Speak

Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 9/1996-6/2000
Survey Submitted: November 2005

Quality of life at Northwestern would be hard to improve. Everything about the campus, from student organizations to Internet access is geared towards being user-friendly. For example, the multi-purpose Wildcard gives you identification, access to buildings, and a cash card all in one. Norris Center provides students with a place to meet, post information, make copies, eat, get a coffee, watch TV, attend concerts, make arts and crafts, buy books, hold a student group office, attend theater, visit a gallery and more. It gets a lot of use, feels friendly and is never a boring place to sit and watch the crowds. It doesn't hurt that it sits right beside the Lakefill at Lake Michigan.

Speaking of the Lakefill, it is a plot of land containing walking and biking paths, beaches, fountains and sports fields built right on Lake Michigan. It's a wonderful place to meet, relax, exercise or take romantic walks. Even on a stormy night, you'll see couples sitting together on the rocks enjoying the waves. Yes, waves, because Lake Michigan feels like an ocean. It's great for swimming, sailing and, in the winter, sometimes the waves freeze in a giant, glacial formation that is truly a sight to behold. The main athletic center overlooks the lake, as well. It's a gorgeous facility with lots of amenities, free to students, where you can jog on a treadmill looking out a window at the beach. All the campus buildings feel friendly and comfortable. Walking around campus is beautiful. Northwestern spends a lot of money on flowers and landscaping, which provides a great atmosphere, at least when it's not snowing. Each of the buildings that hosts major courses has its own unique feel and if a lecture gets boring, there's always some architectural detail to focus on.

Social Life: Students Speak

Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 9/2003-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: February 2004

I'd be lying if I said there was a typical Northwestern student. In fact, because of the diversity of the academic and extracurricular programs here, there are several types of students: athletes, Greeks, theatre majors, extracurricular overachievers, future corporate titans and lawyers of America, activists, you name it, we've got it. This can result in a slight balkanization of the campus, since people tend to divide along certain lines. But the upside is that even the most unique students can find a niche and meet other students like them.

Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 1/1999-6/2003
Survey Submitted: October 2004