About

See what students say:

Academics

"The strength of the school is its range." Northwestern students agree, vowing their school "has everything": "Intelligent but laid-back students, excel[lence] in academic fields," "great extracurriculars and good parties," "strong [Big Ten] sports spirit," and "so many connections and opportunities during and after graduation." Undergrads here brag of "nationally acclaimed programs for almost anything anyone could be interested in, from engineering to theater to journalism to music," and report "everything is given fairly equal weight. Northwestern students and faculty do not show a considerable bias" toward specific fields. The school accomplishes all this while maintaining a manageable scale. While its relatively small size allows for good student-professor interaction, it has "all the perks" of a big school, including "many opportunities" for research and internships. Be aware, however, "Northwestern is not an easy school. It takes hard work to be average here." If you "learn from your failures quickly and love to learn for the sake of learning rather than the grade," students say it is quite possible to stay afloat and even to excel. Helping matters are numerous resources established by administrators and professors, including tutoring programs such as Northwestern's Gateway Science Workshop. Those who take advantage of these opportunities find the going much easier than those who don't.

Student Body

The typical Northwestern student "was high school class president with a 4.0, swim team captain, and on the chess team." So it makes sense everyone here "is an excellent student who works hard" and "has a leadership position in at least two clubs, plus an on-campus job." Students also tell us "there's [a] great separation between North Campus (think: fraternities, engineering, state school mentality) and South Campus (think: closer to Chicago and its culture, arts and letters, liberal arts school mentality). Students segregate themselves depending on background and interests, and it's rare for these two groups to interact beyond a superficial level." The student body here includes sizable Jewish, Indian, and East-Asian populations.

Campus Life

There are two distinct sections of the Northwestern campus. The North Campus is where "you can find a party every night of the week," and "the Greek scene is strong." The South Campus, about a one-mile trek from the action to the north, is "more artsy and has minimal partying on weeknights," but is closer to town so "it is easy" to "buy dinner, see a show at the movies, and go shopping. People who live on North Campus have a harder time getting motivated to go into Evanston and tap into all that is offered." As one South Campus resident puts it, "South Campus is nice and quiet in its own way. I enjoy reading and watching movies here, and the quietude is appreciated when study time rolls around. But for more exciting fun, a trip north is a must." Regardless of where students live, extracurriculars are "incredible here. There is a group for every interest, and the groups are amazingly well-managed by students alone. This goes hand-in-hand with how passionate students at Northwestern are about what they love." Many students "are involved in plays, a cappella groups, comedy troupes, and other organizations geared toward the performing arts. Activism is also very popular, with many involved in political groups, human-rights activism, and volunteering." In addition, Northwestern's membership in the Big Ten means students "attend some of the best sporting events in the country." Chicago, of course, "is a wonderful resource. People go into the city for a wide variety of things-daily excursions, jobs, internships, nights out, parties, etc."

Contact & Visit

Campus Visits Contact

Contact
Valerie Smith
Associate Director - Segal Visitors Center

Address
1801 Hinman Rd
PO Box 3060
Evanston, IL 60208

Phone
847-491-7271

Email
ug-admission@northwestern.edu

Experience College Life

Most Popular Places On Campus
Shakespeare Garden
Dearborn Observatory
Norris Student Center
Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and Acquatic Center
The lakefill on Lake Michigan

Most Popular Places Off Campus
AMC Evanston 12
Navy Pier, Chicago
Evanston Art Center
Wrigley Field, Chicago
Old Orchard (Westgate) Shopping Center

Campus Tours

Campus Visiting Center
Monday-Friday; October-April open Saturday
8:30am-5pm; 9am-noon when open on Saturdays
847-491-7271

Campus Tours
Appointment Required: Yes
Dates: Year-round
Times: Varies
Average Length: 1 hour

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews
No

Information Sessions
Available

Times
Varies according to time of year

Faculty and Coach Visits

Dates/Times Available
Year-round

Arrangements
Contact Coach Directly

Class Visits

Dates/Times Available
Academic Year

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Not Available

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Limitations
Seniors only, except for special programs; 1-night stay only Mon-Fri; Not available in summer.

Transportation

Types of Transportation Available to Campus
O'Hare International Airport in Chicago is 18 miles from campus. Bus service is available from the airport to Northwester's Foster Walker Complex (and to Evanston's Hilton Garden Inn and Hilton Orrington Hotel). Amtrak trains and Greyhound/Trailways buses provide service to Chicago. From there, take the CTA rapid-transit system to Howard St and transfer to the Evanston purple line train. Get off at the Davis St stop and walk east on Davis St to Orrington Ave; Walk north on Orrington to Clark St; East on Clark to Hinman Ave; North on Hinman Ave then take a right on Sheridan road. Walk to the Visitors Center at 1841 Sheridan Rd.

Driving Instructions to Campus
From I-94 (Edens Expy), take the Dempster St east exit. From Dempster, head north on Hinman Ave then east on Sheridan Rd to the Visitors Center at 1841 Sheridan Rd. Garage parking is available at the Visitors Center.

Admissions

Applicants: 47,636
Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average HS GPA: 0.00





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