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Northwestern University
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Inside Scoop

Quick Stats

School Slang
  • CAESAR: Computer system that students use to register for classes; also allows students to keep track of their transcripts and financial aid.
  • CTECs: Course and Teacher Evaluations. Read up on student ratings of professors before you commit to taking a class with them. Be careful; if you don't fill out your CTECs during Reading Week, you won't be able to view them next time.
  • DM: Dance Marathon, NU's biggest annual philanthropic event, which involves dancing for 30 hours to raise money for a charity
  • Dormcest: Having an encounter of a sexual nature with someone from your residence hall
  • Lagoon: A man-made area filled with water; watch for ducks and the large fountains that spray all summer long.
  • Lakefill: Area of campus bordering Lake Michigan that has bike paths, a fire pit, and fields
  • North Campus: Generally considered north of Foster-Walker Complex, which houses mostly the fraternity quads and engineering students; a new movement has arisen to call North Campus, "Norcam."
  • Plex: Foster-Walker Complex, a large dorm that features mostly single rooms
  • Points: Units on your meal plan that allow you to buy food at Norris University Center, Tech Express, Lisa’s Café, and University Café
  • The Rock: Touchstone of campus that students paint to advertise or philosophize; guarding the Rock is a ritual everyone must go through.
  • South Campus: South of Foster-Walker Complex, which is home to the sorority quads and many theater, music, and journalism students
  • SPAC: Sports Pavilion and Aquatic Center, the largest workout facility on campus
  • Tech: Technological Institute, the behemoth of a building on North Campus that is home to some of Northwestern's largest lecture halls, a secret Einsten Bros., and many of the school's science programs
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
  • Bikes, skateboards, and long boards are great methods of transportation, especially if you are traveling from South to North campus, or vice versa.
  • Evanston is a very expensive place to live.
  • Greek life is prominent.
  • The quarter system moves VERY quickly.
  • Your home state is not the center of the universe.
Tips to Succeed
  • Buy a warm winter coat, unless you want to freeze during the winter.
  • Diversify, but don’t get overinvolved in activities. Remember that college is also for fun—not just networking!
  • Don’t drink too much.
  • Get to know your fellow students.
  • Make friends quickly—cliques form fast and are rigid.
  • Talk to your professors.
See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

Northwestern University Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Inside Scoop at Northwestern University

sethumz

Music Performance '14

4.6
A

Mmmmmm

I love my school because I feel an absolute sense of academic freedom. Even though I'm a music student, I feel like I am able to take classes in any subject concentration that I want. Outside of academics, I love everything about Northwestern apart from the weather. I think that my campus is beautiful, and I love the proximity to Chicago. People will always complain, but if you go to school at Northwestern, you have it pretty good.

Dec 29, 2011

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Inside Scoop at Northwestern University

Jdkatzy

Business Administration and Management '14

4.2
A-

Chicago

Northwestern is extremely close to Chicago so it gives northwestern the advantage of having a campus feel and having a city feel as well. Northwestern also has a great co-op program and career services center that help people find jobs in chicago.

Nov 28, 2011

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Inside Scoop at Northwestern University

slane818

Journalism '15

4.6
A

Inside Scoop

I came to Northwestern because it has a perfect balance of everything I wanted in a school. Great location (Evanston is a great city and Chicago is 15 min away), amazing academics (especially for journalism), awesome athletics, and manageable size. They also gave me the best FA offer of any school, which was huge for me. I know Northwestern is going to put me in the best spot to achieve in the future and I am going to have an amazing four years in the process. Isn't that what it's all about?

Nov 26, 2011

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Page 1 of 6
User rating for Northwestern University - Inside Scoop is 4.6 out of 5 based on 17 user reviews.

Facts

Traditions
  • Dance Marathon: This 30-hour dance marathon is a popular event that culminates in a weekend celebration.
  • Dillo Day: Annual festival of music—and copious amounts of alcohol—that takes place on the Lakefill
  • Dolphin Show: The Dolphin Show is an annual student-produced musical.
  • Gone Greek Night: A celebration following rush that results in a good number of drunken hookups
  • Painting the Rock: Students paint the large rock between University and Harris halls to advertise events or ideas.
  • Primal Scream: The Sunday before finals week, students from all over campus stop what they are doing to scream at the top of their lungs. It is a huge stress reliever. The festivities take place at 9 p.m. each quarter.
  • Waa-Mu Show: Waa-Mu is NU's annual music review.
Urban Legends
  • It is said that if you walk across the seal on Marsh Chapel Plaza, you won't graduate.
  • SAE's Paddy Murphy Week is based on an urban legend taking place during the prohibition.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Shayna Starr
Hometown
Houston, Texas
Major
Journalism
Grad Year
2014

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.