<p>Not sure what you mean by the right student body. There are pleeennnttyyy of nerds on the NU campus, and one of their most well known programs is their theatre program, so you’d have plenty of artsy sorts, as well. Their music school is pretty good, too. I think you’ll find the right sort of people there.</p>
<p>As for the frats, every NU kid I’ve talked to has said it’s not like big state schools. The frat system is important, but it’s not overpowering. You can be at NU without touching the Greek system - or you can immerse yourself in it and be taken by complete surprise. Definitely not a big deal, from what I could tell.</p>
<p>Size is totally up to you. NU has an undergrad population of around 8,000 - not huge by any means, and I’m told you won’t see a lot of huge classes. But that’s up to you. I’m coming from a graduating class of seven (!) and I’m excited to go somewhere bigger, but not overwhelming.</p>
<p>However, DO NOT LET PRESTIGE MAKE YOUR DECISION. Do not attend a school just because it is ranked highly by some lists! That is a great way to end up paying 50k to go somewhere that you hate. If you would be happiest at Vassar, placement wise, then please go to Vassar! It is a great, well-regarded school. If you want that LAC feel and Vassar offers a program you like in your intended major, I would definitely say go for that before you switch to NU simply because it has prestige.</p>
<p>However, if you like the sound of NU and you like the program, then it is a great school that would be happy to have you. =) I would say your best bet would be to visit both schools and get a feel for their atmosphere. See if you can picture yourself there for four years. Talk to some students of both schools and figure out where you think you will fit best. That’ll should make the decision a lot easier than working hypothetically.</p>