A relative attended NU and I’ve been hearing many similar observations for years. I went to a small LAC with much less name recognition. My relative received a rigorous (but expensive) education and with NU on the resume, has had a lot of doors opened. I think I had a more overall satisfying college experience, that was rigorous enough, and had closer relationships with more professors (who opened doors for me in their own ways). Both of us went to grad school afterwards and things kind of evened out.
I’d say NU can be a valuable experience for some, but students should know exactly what they are getting into–as people should for any major decision in life.