Northwestern University

I was premed at Northwestern and absolutely loved it. Students are kind and collaborative, with no gunner energy. The campus is stunning, and downtown Chicago is easily accessible for fun. HPA provided fantastic resources, and there are great opportunities for volunteering and research. The curriculum is rigorous but never unmanageable. Overall, a wonderful experience.

I spent two years at 1835 Hinman and loved it. The sorority quad was iconic, and Lunt Hall, while terrible, added character. Overall, Northwestern gave me an incredible experience.

My time at Northwestern was unforgettable, especially having Steven Colbert as grand marshal of the homecoming parade junior year. That experience was epic and helped me figure out who I wanted to be as a friend, professional, and person.

As an engineering student, I find taking 3-4 classes per quarter manageable. I recommend starting research in one group and then exploring other areas by attending symposiums and talks. It's a great way to learn about different research opportunities.

Research opportunities and funding were easy to secure even without prior experience. The collaborative environment here is a big plus. I think Northwestern provides great prospects that are on par with schools in bigger cities.

I wouldn't do BME unless you really want to. It's harder to maintain a high GPA for med school with all the extra requirements. Plenty of people start as BME premeds, but most drop one by the end. The ones who stick it out are incredibly smart and hardworking. Labs set their own rules, but if you show ambition early, you can get in. I was in a materials science lab as a BME because I worked on it from day one.

I'm a pre-med student here, and honestly, the required courses are brutal. They're huge, competitive, and feel like weeder classes. But outside of pre-med, it's a blast. Great social life and campus.

My summer Spanish classes were not as fun as I expected — no telenovelas in any of the three. Sometimes we got homework done early if we didn't use the full three hours, but overall it felt a bit underwhelming.

I decided not to do the program after speaking with people who did. They said the networking was more valuable than the actual content, but the technical courses were poor. Many also mentioned the pace is extremely difficult if you have a meaningful day job or family. Based on that, I chose to skip it.

I heard about a history teacher here who isn't teaching anymore but is still on payroll. He's stuck in a basement office with no salary increase to match inflation. Northwestern seems unable to help, and he's essentially ignored. It's a sad situation that makes me question how the university treats its staff.

I've heard things have changed at Northwestern. Now it seems personal views are valued more than actual teaching. That's not great.