Northwestern University Top Questions

I wouldn't call the social life great but i have no complaints. Students are accepting and friendly. We also go out on a regular basis and, if that's what you're into, you will have the opportunity to go out 3 or 4 times a week. Greek life is huge (almost 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body) but it, for the most part, has a different feel than a state university. It is a huge social outlet and the students who want to be involved socially usually get involved in a fraternity or sorority. We also have Dillo Day every spring quarter which is a day-long social event with concerts and a lot more.

I met most of my closet friends in my dorm freshmen year, and then added a bunch more with my fraternity when I rushed that winter. Some people here are social, others are not, but nearly everyone is friendly. We have an incredibly nice/polite students body. In the dining hall, I almost always here may I, please, and thank you when people address the kitchen staff. I find this refreshing due to the stereotype of college students as completely self-absorbed with feelings of entitlement. On the side of activities, I've already mentioned that most people are invloved with something. Additionally, many people attend movie screenings, football games, guest speakers or the musical guests that the university brings in. Pretty much every student group you can think of is here, but there is nothing particularly unusual. Theatre is especially prominent. I'm not an actor or theatre buff, but I try and attend at least one show a quarter because they tend to be really high quality and I often have friends in them. In fact, I have heard that breaking into the theatre scene is one of the most competitve facets at Northwestern. In terms of social life, drinking has its place, like at any college. People like to go out on Monday nights, Thursday nights and the weekend, but it isn't uncommon for other midweek stuff to go down as well. Still, there are tons of social things which do not involve drinking, like going to Chicago, or seeing a show etc. Greek life has a strong presence on campus, and as a member, I'd like to think that it differs from Greek life at other places. Many people, including myself, claim they never would have considered going Greek elsewhere but end up rushing here. The fraternity is still not the focal point of my college expereince, but I that my house is very involved in philanthropy and we have a handful of non-drinkers who find Greek life rewarding. Still, the main Greek houses lack diversity, and there are problems with binge drinking and negative stereotypes/social stratification among houses. You do not have to be Greek to have an active and vibrant social life. Many of my closet friends are non-Greek and do not suffer because of it at all. Dating at Northwestern is okay, but not great. To illustrate this, I went to a concert on campus from the band OKGO, where during a break between songs, the lead singer asked the crowd if "Northwestern was a school for lovers?" The unison answer was a resounding "NO," and the guitar player was taken aback, stammering "I thought all schools were for lovers." This is indicative of some of the frustration that exists, but there are still good-looking, nice and available girls if you look hard enoungh. Also, in my experience, it helps to join a fraternity. Finally, Northwestern is a fun place. We have a few cool traditions like Dillo Day, an all day concert in the spring. Nevertheless, I reiterate, its not a state school atmosphere. There isn't the excitement about sports or outrageous parties that characterize those institutions.

I wish people cared more about sports. It would really add another dimension socially and add to the school.

The social life can be great, but you have to choose where to put your efforts. The greek scene is the most universally accessible outlet for the student body, but off campus theater parties, parties thrown at athlete burrows, and parties fundraising for various clubs can be found every weekend. It just depends on how open minded you are.

Sailing Team and P-Wild seem to be the most popular groups on campus, and everyone says they have a great time.

The most popular groups are the fraternities and sororities. I am involved with Mock Trial and I love it. Such a great experience. Students leave doors open sometimes to interact. Football games are highly attended, but basketball games are not. If I'm awake at 2 am, I'm at Clarke's or writing a paper. You can go to a register party if you're not drinking.

Too much to do with too little time. One can do anything imaginable here.

Surprisingly, the Greek community is large here. Something like 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students go Greek at NU. This has led to, however, an extremely watered down Greek system, with super fratty frats and super gossipy sororities for those who want them, and other houses that are strong in friendship and tradition but not as intense with hazing and partying. There are DEFINITELY niches for those who typically wouldn't become apart of Greek life at most other schools.

Drinking is a part of the Northwestern social scene, obviously, but I was impressed by the sheer number of activities that NU offers to students who choose to abstain from the bottle. Because of our vast theater community, there are always shows, musicals and dance performances to attend. Sports are a big deal here too. We may be bad at football and basketball, but the attendance at games doesn't reflect our losing streak. For students who aren't into either of those, there's always Chicago to explore. The benefit of being a 20 minute El ride from the city is that it is almost always accessible to the student body, and most students take full advantage of the independence this offers them.

NU offers such a wide variety of activities! I have never heard of a student not finding their nook on campus. The social life at NU has a bad reputation. While other schools say that Northwestern is the place "where fun comes to die," students know this to be untrue. There is always a party going on, and Evanston offers a number of "open late" venues.

There's plenty of amazing stuff to do on campus if you find it. I'm involved in the Sailing Team and Project Wildcat. These are great groups of people that are very active and I enjoy hanging out with all the time, because they allow me to be spontaneous.

There are two groups on campus--theater people or greek people. If you're not in those, and you're not an athlete, you can end up lost in the shuffle. The Greek System is great here, and participation is high. Students for the most part leave their doors open and are very approachable. Football games are popular, but that's about it, not a lot of passion for sports at NU. Some people party 5 nights a week, an average socialite probably does 2-3 nights a week.

Dance Marathon is a real big deal here, It is the largest student run philanthropic event in the nation. The big dorms are very social. Some of the smaller ones appear to be antisocial. Partying is not as prevalent here as it is at other schools, though it happens more than non-Northwestern people think. The greek life is central to the Northwestern social scene. There are plenty of shows by students each weekend. In fact, just this last weekend I went to a student stand up comedy show.

If you like going out, you'll find people to go out and drink with 6 or 7 nights a week. There have been months at this school where I've averaged 6 nights of drinking a week. If you don't want to though, you'll find people to do whatever it is you want to do. Basically your freshman and sophomore year is dominated by going to frat parties, then by junior year you graduate those to go downtown and take advantage of Chicago. What's weird about NU is that the week is much more packed than weekends. Mondays at the Keg, Wednesday's a frat is having a date party or something, Thursdays at the Deuce, and Sundays at Hundo. The weekend most people go downtown.

The dating scene, I have found, is rather sparse. There are a good deal of attractive people at Northwestern, and a good deal of dateable people as well--but it just seems that people are most intent on finding someone to hook up with than for a real relationship. Not being in a fraternity or sorority might also decrease your chances of finding someone you like.

we are HUGE on greek life and it is so differnet here from state schools, which is what makes NU so proud of it. However, they do limit it alot. Frats and sororities are really the only way of partying on this campus....otherwise your studying.

Those that are social gravitate towards eachother. Those that are not keep their desks company on friday nights. Those that are social try too hard to compensate.

There is a TON to do here on campus. 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students go Greek here, which allows for a good social life here on campus. I am involved with Delta Gamma sorority, which has many events each quarter. Athletic events aren't so popular (I wish they were!). There is a lot going on with theater, as we have one of the best theater programs. There are always acapella shows, dance shows, or theater performances going on. I'd say there is a "party crowd" or people who go out a fair amount per week. But, of course, there is plenty to do that does not involve drinking. For example, people go to Chicago to see a show, to explore some museums, or stay on campus to see some shows. There are some bands that come to play at Northwestern, which is a big hit considering the long lines people wait on to get tickets.

Lame.

ALmost no NOrthwestern activities are popular. I go to a lot of sporting events and there are barely any students there for the most part. Theater has a loyal following but it is pretty small.