Located on the shore of Lake Michigan 12 miles north of Chicago, Northwestern University was a glint in the eyes of its founders when they gathered in 1850 to plan a higher education institution. Without much money, land or higher education experience between them, their vision was ambitious, but through their shrewdness and hard work, they were able to purchase the 379-acre site on which the university now stands and begin classes in the fall of 1855.
In those earliest days, the new university had only two faculty members and 10 students. Today, Northwestern has blossomed into a large research university with 21,000 students and a comprehensive doctoral program. Its undergraduate programs are among the most selective in the United States, with an admission rate of 9 percent, and NU also boasts some highly-prized graduate and professional schools such as the Kellogg School of Management, Pritzker School of Law, Feinberg School of Medicine, and Medill School of Journalism.
The surrounding town of Evanston is named after the school’s founding father John Evans and is well-known for being a champion of sustainability. It’s also the hometown of actors Marlon Brando and Bill Murray, and the music producer Steve Albini.
In addition to the main campus at Evanston, Northwestern has another campus in Chicago, which is home to the medical school, law school, part-time MBA program, and School of Professional Studies. The two campuses are 12 miles apart, bordered by Lake Michigan, and a free intercampus shuttle bus connects the two.
The Evanston campus has all the facilities of a quintessential college town: beaches, shops, coffee houses, restaurants, and cinemas just a stone’s throw from classrooms, labs and lecture halls, while students at the Chicago campus in the bustling Streeterville neighborhood, are close to world class attractions such as the Magnificent Mile, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the John Hancock Center.
On campus, Northwestern students suffer from an embarrassment of riches: concerts, plays, readings, exhibitions, and performances are easily accessible for cultural vultures, while sports enthusiasts can either watch or partake in all traditional American sports.
With a thriving journalism and communications school, student media also proves popular at Northwestern too, with college newspaper the Daily Northwestern a going concern since 1881, and all manner of magazines and web publications.
The combination of Northwestern’s strong academic pedigree and vibrant campus life is undoubtedly making it an increasingly popular choice for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
