University of Chicago and Northwestern
Beth Cassie
I spent Presidents’ Weekend visiting colleges in Chicago and Boston. The two Chicago area schools I visited are profiled below.
The University of Chicago
The undergraduate college is central at U Chicago, both physically and in the eyes of the University. This liberal arts college, with 5,000 students, provides the unique combination of a small liberal arts college experience with the resources of a large research university. The University of Chicago is located in Hyde Park, a neighborhood south of the Chicago Loop. We didn’t see much of Hyde Park, but what we saw wasn’t particularly notable. The University is laid out in a series of quads with mostly gothic architecture. Many of the buildings have beautiful stained glass windows and are covered with ivy. The reading room on the top floor of Harper is breath taking.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University was the second school I visited on my Chicago trip. NU is considerably larger than U Chicago with almost 8,500 undergraduates enrolled in six undergraduate schools. The campus is set on the shores of Lake Michigan in the upscale suburb of Evanston. The campus does not have one overall “look”; it is a mix of different architectural styles. NU takes a practical + theoretical approach to education across all disciplines. Admission to all of the schools is based on academic performance. Bienen School of Music, however, does require an audition. Northwestern operates on a quarter system.