Northwestern University Top Questions

Nerdwestern. Northwasted. Pick one or the other but the truth is, all students are a mixture of the two.

N/A.

People, especially students, will often cite similar characteristics as typifying of NU students. These include overzealous studying, a 'work-hard-play-hard' mentality, and, perhaps, a general social awkwardness.

We are nerdy and don't have fun.

Guys are dorky, girls are normal. People in relationships are either going to get married or just want to hook up casually.

NU is really hard

Northwestern students study, are asian and do not know how to have fun.

Depending on whom you talk to, there are stereotypes that Northwestern is both too academic as one of the top schools in the country, but also not good enough to be one of the elite. There are also stereotypes that the campus is very divided between North Campus's engineering and math students, athletes, and party-goers and South Campus's more artsy, drama, and social science students.

That the kids are nerdy and no one ever goes out.

that they are lame and study all the time

nerds, all we do is study

Awkward, dorky, rich, stuck-up (these are all negative of course, as most stereotypes are)

Nerds, theater geeks, Asians, hipsters... Anyone who could score high enough on their SATs to get into a top school, but for whatever reason picked a (more) laid-back college experience than Yale, or other schools like that.

Boring, very smart, socially awkward

A lot of people say that Northwestern students are socially awkward Ivy League rejects, and also that there's no dating scene at Northwestern.

Nerdy/little social life.

That we're pretentious, think too highly of ourselves. That we're a bunch of rich kids.

NERDwestern. Second-choice school.

Study a lot.

well-off and well-rounded

Everyone thinks people at Northwestern are really awkward. Another one is that all the guys are gay. Another one is that you don't get to have all the college experiences that you could at a state school, because of the academics.

bad dating scene, everyone is smart, everyone is helpful/not competitive

Most people believe that Northwestern students are the kids who couldn't get into the Ivys.

Nerdy, Missed Ivy League cutoff

Greek Population: "Like, I care about about Rwanda and the planet and stuff, but, um, not as much as I care about my Prada bag!" "Yeah, I have my country house in the Hamptons because that's just where everyone is," "Oh, well my country house is just outside the city because there's way more space. You could like play Polo there," "Oh, my cousins play Polo alllll the time! Do you?" "Well, no, but I like really want to. In fact, I think I'm going to this summer." Non-Greek Population: "I don't drink because it's stupid and it kills brain cells." "I don't drink because Jesus doesn't want me to."

Driven, Lazy, Activist, Apathetic, Pre-professional

Anti-social, nerdy

brainy, overachievers, work too hard

NERDwestern Over-acheivers Over-committed Socially awkward

Study too much. Not fun. No party scene. Everyone is socially awkward.

That we are smart but don't want to have fun. We are rich and spoiled.

Some stereotypes of Northwestern students include being extreme Type A personalities, competitive, and very career and pre-professional oriented. There is the perception that Northwestern students are hard workers, to the exclusion of having fun. We are also not seen as being particularly political or cause oriented as a campus.

Girls are not as good looking as state school girls. A nerdy campus.

lack of social skills, anal-retentive, obnoxiously studious

Northwestern is stereotyped as being a nerdy school with terrible sports set on a campus that is beautiful for three months out of the school year. The same can be said of the students - only, a tan and spring colors doesn't cure the awkwardness. The dating scene is awful and the most accessible social outlet is the Greek System, which is the one redeeming quality the Northwestern social scene has to offer.

Smart, geeky, hard-working, intellectual

Northwestern, sometimes known as "Nerdwestern," has hard-working and over-ambitious students. Not much of a social life for those who choose to go to NU. The weather is miserable and keeps everyone inside. Those who venture outside don't survive.

We are nerds and don't like to have a good time socially.

Nerds. No hot girls. Cold. Bad at sports.

1) "Nerdwestern" 2) Unattractive student body 3) Ivy-wannabe

Northwestern students are antisocial and unattractive. Harsh, but untrue!

People are nerdy. Engineering is a lot of work and every other major isn't.

Some stereotypes are that NU students are: rich, spoiled, over-achievers, socially awkward, and non-athletic. Northwestern is a boring school that shouldn't be in the Big Ten. They have poor athletics, greek life, and social scene. They're good for theater and journalism.

Northwestern is a strictly academic university with no traces of fun. Northwestern students are all socially awkward people who would rather study than have fun.

Pretty dorky, really into school-work

Nobody is social

Uptight, compulsive, intelligent, expressive, caring

We come from high income families. We are geniuses that have no social skills. All we do is study because of the quarter system and the elite enviornment we are in. We are wannabe ivy league. We are the enemy of all state schools. Financial aid SUCKS here. Jews. No guys. Lotta gay guys. Over achievers.

Priviledged, proud, intelligent, ambitious. (Read: Rich, pretentious, dumb, shallow, vapid. )

People say that Northwestern students are nerdy and study a lot. They also say that with the trimester schedule, there are always midterms which causes a feeling of tension throughout the campus.