General Northwestern Questions

trainguy17
Mon, 15 May 2017 02:35:44 +0000

I will be likely applying to Northwestern in the next year as my first choice college with civil engineering as my major. I visited the college multiple times and loved every aspect of it. However; I have several questions about the university and college in general.

1. How does financial work with early decision? I used the NU online calculator and the result was more than manageable. Is it likely that I will be accepted but the financial aid will be far too low for it to be reasonable?

2. What are the schedules like for most students? Is it likely that a schedule could be created that allowed for a less than five day school week? I would much prefer such a schedule if it was possible, especially if I could have no classes on either Friday or Monday.

3. Is it reasonably possible to work hard enough during the week that there is little to no school work over the weekend? I am new to this part of the country, so it would be nice to be able to enjoy and experience it. This could mean doing things like spending a weekend in a nearby city such as St. Louis. To add on, I am not a particularly social person so am not the type to be out late partying.

4. How accepting is the university of absenses? Although they would not be excessive, it is likely that I would miss 1-2 days a semester for various reasons. The reasons could vary from things such as a minor illness to an important family function I do not want to miss.

5. In general, how challenging is the engineering program at Northwestern? It is obviously a top university, but how does this compare to high school? I am enrolled in the AICE program (compareable to IB and AP) as well as a few AP classes, in which I receive straight A's and find to be easy with minimal studying required. Assuming I put in the proper effort, is NU unspeakably harder than that? Also, how many hours of time needs be put into school during the average week (including lectures, homework, studying, etc.)?

6. What is the weather like at Northwestern? Is it snowy during most of the winter? Are summers cool enough to be comfortable? Contrary to most students, I would much prefer a cold and snowy climate to heat. I have lived in Florida for years which I find absolutely miserable, prior to which I lived in New York which was even a little warmer than I would have liked.

7. Is it true that a CTA pass is included with university fees? I would use the "el" frequently to get back and forth to the city; in fact I may end up residing on the North Side with my mom and taking the Red/Purple lines to school. Although many people would be frustrated by this, as one can probably tell by my user name I would actually enjoy the commute.