(R) T-Minus 15 Days

As our trip to the Midwest creeps closer, I have done some research on one of the schools we will be visiting: Northwestern.  The university is much cooler than I imagined and I have learned a lot about it.  The history, academics, athletics, and traditions are all fascinating.

The private university has locations in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois. Evanston is about 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, and the undergraduate campus is in Evanston while the graduate schools are in Chicago.  There is also a satellite campus located in Qatar.  As shown in the picture, attending Northwestern gives a more suburban feeling than attending a school in Chicago. The trip to the city is short and quick if a Friday night finds itself with nothing to do in Evanston.  That's a nice balance to me.

Relative distance of Evanston from Chicago

The school was founded in 1851 by John Evans, whom Evanston is named after, and eight other affluent Methodists in Chicago.  Evans bought a 379-acre plot of land along the shores of Lake Michigan and by 1855 the school was open. 

The school has grown to become a nationally-ranked institution with the fifth best business school and eighth best school of education in the country.  The university also boasts the eighth largest endowment in the United States at $10.19 billion. The school now offers 124 undergraduate and 145 graduate degrees to its 21,000 students.  These students come from across the US and the world and represent a vast array of races and cultures.  The majority is Caucasian followed by Asian, Hispanic, and African American.  

These students from Northwestern go on to lead successful careers and lives.  George J. Stigler and Saul Bellow are both Nobel Prize winning alumni from Northwestern.  Household names such as Jimmy Kimmel and Jerry Springer are also alumni of Northwestern.

The clock tower that is
illuminated purple
after athletic victories

The school is also chalked full of traditions that keep student life interesting.  At their football games, students will jingle keys during each kickoff and growl when the opposing team has the ball, to play along with their Wildcat mascot.  Another tradition is to turn the large clock tower the schools color of purple after wins in football, basketball, and lacrosse. The school also leads all their new students through Weber Arch while upperclassmen give loud cheers, and the University marching band performs.

The infamous Weber Arch that new students walk through
on the first day 

If I were to be accepted into Northwestern, I would either attend the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences or the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.  Both of these schools are critically acclaimed and ranked.  The science schools receive an enormous amount of funding for research, so I think there would be a lot of opportunities present. A lot can happen with $550 million dollars.  The researchers created 247 inventions and received 81 patents in 2013.  Also, the school covers 100% of demonstrated financial need, so I would not have to worry about overbearing debts.

Northwestern seems to be a very amazing school, and I can not wait to visit.  The future may find me attending Northwestern, and I know I would love it.  Only fifteen days until our trip begins and you'll be hearing about Northwestern again after our visit.