When Tracy Carson stepped on to the Northwestern University campus in September 2000, she was there as a freshman recruit for the university’s champion debate team. But that was before she found her sorority or stepped into her role as president of NU’s black student organization.
As Carson puts it: She came to NU for the debate, and stayed for everything else.
It’s a common theme among NU students. Freshmen who come for the history curriculum fall in love with the theater department.
Suburban students, attracted to NU’s proximity to home, may be grateful later that they chose a school nestled next to a major city.
The transition is the hallmark of an NU student, Carson says.
“You can become the [person] you want to be at Northwestern,” Carson says.
The only problem students may find in an almost-endless cache of teams and organizations to join and events to attend, Carson says, is trying to figure out how to fit it all in.
Often, students must decide between events, such as last spring, when Margaret Cho appeared the same night as Queens of the Stone Age and Zwan.
In fact, Carson says, having everything so close–world-class speakers on campus and a semi-happening nightlife within the Evanston city limits–can sometimes be a little isolating. Further, some students tend to fall into cliques, Carson says.
“I wish there was a unified community, something everybody takes pride in,” she says, though noting that recent campuswide events, such as student-organized tailgates, have been effective.
Despite its urban location and packed schedules, it’s impossible to overlook NU’s main attraction: its first-rate academics. The pressure is intense at times, Carson says, but it serves students well.
“Your first C at Northwestern is probably the most devastating thing that ever happened to you,” Carson says.
But along with that pressure, Carson says, NU brings together students motivated to do their best and professors who want to help them to that end.
“Northwestern gives you so many opportunities to become engaged in things you never would anywhere else,” she says. “You can do pretty much anything when you leave here.”
“You can become
the [person] you want
to be at Northwestern.”
–Tracy Carson
BIG DAY ON CAMPUS
What is the key date for the school?
Armadillo Day (known to students as Dillo Day), which falls on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, is known for drinking, music and general debauchery on Lake Michigan.
By the Numbers:
Undergrads 9,221
Grad students 6,582
Average tuition $28,404
Top five things about Northwestern:
– Top-rated music, engineering and journalism departments.
– Campus theater: Frequent shows by future stars.
– Students often get to watch a championship team in action. On occasion, that team is Northwestern.
– A wide range of famous speakers.
– Location: NU is an “L” ride from Chicago, but Evanston has its own appeal too.
ETC.
Mascot: Wildcat
Best team: The women’s tennis team has won the Big Ten Championship for the past five years.
U.S. News & World Report ranking: No. 11 overall
Greek system: Thumbs up. Almost 40 percent of undergrads go Greek.
Famous alums
– Garry Marshall (actor/director/writer)
– Writer Saul Bellow
– Sen. Dick Gephardt
– David Schwimmer
– John Paul Stevens (Supreme Court justice)
Worth checking out
From metromix.com:
Joy Yee’s Noodles
521 Davis St.
847-733-1900
Students flock here for affordable pan-Asian fare served in huge portions. Don’t miss the noodle soup.
Keg of Evanston
810 Grove St.
847-869-9987
Sports bar draws students with pool and loads of beer options.
Kafein
1621 Chicago Ave.
847-491-1621
The Bohemian vibe makes Kafein perfect for caffeine-fueled, late-night studying.
Dave’s Italian Kitchen
1635 Chicago Ave.
847-864-6000
Monster-size portions of decent, no-frills pasta at affordable prices make this a favorite.
