LexxiBeck

I came to Northwestern because they provided me much more financial aid than any other top-tier school I got into. They cover all of your need, the downside being that that need is calculated by the school, of course. I have to say that what it came down to was being a Chicago high school student, because there is a special scholarship for us and that put my financial aid significantly over the edge. However, if you want to be a CA (RA) like me, things get funky. CAs purportedly receive free room & board, but since I was already paying less than the maximum I received only a little reduction and, in fact, was barred from taking the subsdized loans I had to fight for to begin with in my first year.

Some Standouts in a Sea of Sameness – I have had the good fortune to meet a few incredibly sweet and good-looking guys, but none are without their shortcomings. And, for the most part, as I look around I am not overwhelmingly impressed with what I see. I am not tempted by the view of sweatpants and backpacks.

Pretty Good, Considering – There has been a large uproar and a lot of complaining about the state of diversity at our school this year. Some insensitive incidents have occurred. However, if you look at the numbers, it's hard to deny that minorities are well-represented, comprising almost 50% of the student body. I lived in Interfaith Hall last year, a dorm space specifically meant to mix students of different religious backgrounds. There are also many campus organizations dedicated to celebrating different ethnic backgrounds. I think, if there seems to be segregation on campus, most of it is self-inflicted. I think it's important to look at both sides of racism and reverse-racism, and most of all, to realize that in all fairness and with tempers moderated Northwestern is a decently racially diverse school. My biggest complaint is actually with the lack of economic diversity. Most of the students that go here, even international students, are very well off and do not need financial aid (international students are not granted any by the school). Worse, most students do not realize in this rich North Shore environment that not everyone is as wealthy as they are and this can cause a lot of insensitivity to low-income students' difficulties.