Northwestern University, USA

Established in 1851 Northwestern is one of America’s top-ranked higher education institutions for teaching and research with campuses in Evanston, Chicago and Doha

Sited in Evanston on a 240-acre campus on the shores of Lake Michigan, 12 miles north of Chicago, Northwestern University (estb.1851) is one of America’s top-ranked higher education institutions for teaching and research. The U.S. News & World Report ranks Northwestern 12th among America’s Best Colleges 2012, while Times Higher Education ranks it No. 26 in its World University Rankings 2011. Moreover, the uni-versity’s pioneer Kellogg School of Management is consistently ranked among the top five business schools in the US (U.S. News and World Report) and among the top 20 internationally (The Financial Times). The university’s 12 academic schools offer over 150 undergraduate majors, minors, certifi-cates and concentrations, and over 100 graduate programmes to 16,475 students instructed by 2,500 full-time faculty.

“Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research and personal and intellectual growth of its students. In all we do, we are united by our core values of deep intellectual curiosity, commitment to achievement and most of all, immutable integrity,” says Morton Schapiro, president of Northwestern U, which boasts an endowment corpus of $7 billion (Rs.35,700 crore) and offers financial aid to over 60 percent of its students. One of 62 higher education institutions elected to the Association of American Universities, Northwestern was awarded more than $500 million (Rs.2,550 crore) by way of research grants in 2010-2011, placing it in the first tier of the top research universities in the US by the Center for Measuring University Performance.

Founded in 1851 by John Evans, after whom the town of Evanston (pop. 74,000) is named, and several  other lawyers, businessmen and Methodist leaders, North-western has two other campuses — a 25-acre campus in Chicago which houses the university’s law and medical schools and an offshore campus in Education City, Doha, Qatar (estb.2008). Through its Medill School of Journalism and School of Communi-cation, it offers bachelors degrees in journalism and communication on the Doha campus.

Evanston. A short train ride north of Chicago, Evanston is a near perfect combination of college and commercial town. One of the North Shore communities adjoining Lake Michigan, Evanston offers students a wide range of recreation, dining, and shopping options. Located at both the north and south ends of the Northwestern campus, Evanston’s beaches are popular hangouts of students. The Grosse Point Lighthouse is a city landmark as is the The Baha’i Temple — a nine-sided architectural marvel surrounded by lush gardens, and one of the only seven Baha’i temples worldwide. Also hosting the world headquarters of Rotary International, Evanston is known as the ‘dining capital of the North Shore’ and boasts hundreds of eateries with a great mix of price ranges and ethnic cuisines.

Chicago. One of the largest megalopolises of the US, Chicago (pop. 3 million) pulses with energy. Sited on the shore of Lake Michigan in the heart of the Midwest state of Illinois, Chicago hosts 600 free art programmes annually, an internationally acclaimed symphony orchestra, splendid archi-tecture and more. There are museums of every type; avant-garde art galleries; dance, theatre, and music venues; lake-front parks, plus ethnic and cultural riches in food, music, and shopping. In fact the city itself offers Northwestern students excellent co-curricular and extra-curricular education.

The climate of Chicago (aka Windy City) is of extremes. An average 30 inches of snow falls between November-March, while perfect outdoor weather is normative between June-September. During these months, swimming in Lake Michigan is a popular student recreation.

Campus facilities. Northwestern has two US campuses — a 240-acre main campus in Evanston and a 25-acre campus in Chicago. The scenic Evan-ston campus hosts Northwestern U’s undergraduate schools, the graduate school, and the Kellogg School of Management. Landmarks on the campus include The Rock (a Baraboo quartzite), the 85-acre Lakefill, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Shakespeare Garden and Block Museum of Art. On the other hand, the Chicago campus hosts the medical school and affiliated hospitals, the law school, the part-time MBA programme, and the School of Continuing Studies.

Northwestern’s library system comprises four units on the Evanston campus including the central University Library, three libraries on the Chicago campus and one affiliated with the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Semi-nary. The University Library on the Evanston campus houses over 4.9 million volumes, 4.6 million microforms, and almost 99,000 journal subscriptions making it (by volume) the 30th largest university library in North America and the tenth largest of private universities worldwide.

Sports facilities in the Evanston campus include the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion (a 95,000 sq. ft facility on the shores of Lake Michigan offering swimming, basketball, squash, tennis, group fitness, cycling, weightlifting, and general cardiovascular and exercise related activities); Norris Aquatics Center (Olympic-size swimming pool); Combe Tennis Center (six tennis courts); Patten Gymnasium; Blomquist Recr-eation Center; Vandie Christie Tennis Center (15 hard-court outdoor courts); Sailing Center; Flyod Long Field (4.75 acres of grass playing fields, three softball fields, three touch-football fields); and the Lakeside Athletic Field. Moreover, there are 400-plus student organisations on campus.

Admission. Northwestern is “most selective” in its admission with an acceptance ratio of 23.1 percent. According to a university spokes-person, admission is “determined by a detailed review of an applicant’s academic records, test scores, recommendations from teachers or counselors, involvement outside the classroom, and submitted essays”. The minimum eligibility requirement is successful completion of Plus Two. In addition, Northwestern requires all undergraduate applicants to submit the results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT Reasoning Test) or American College Test (ACT) in writing. Offshore applicants are also required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores.

The completed Common Application and Northwestern University Suppl-ement together with secondary school reports, teacher recommendations, required standardised test scores and non-refundable application fee of $65 (Rs.3,315) must be submitted before January 1 for admission into the term beginning September. For further infor-mation contact Office of Undergraduate Admission, Northwestern University, P.O. Box 3060 Evanston, Illinois 60204-3060. E-mail: ug-admission@north western.edu or nuinternational@ northwestern.edu; website: www. northwestern.edu.

Accommodation. Approximately two-thirds of undergrad students at Northwestern live in university residences, with all incoming freshmen guaranteed on-campus housing. The university’s 31 residences house from as few as 27 students to more than 600. Most rooms are double, but some residences also have single, triple, and  quadruple rooms and suites. All Northwestern residences provide lounge and recreation spaces and laundry facilities.

Degree programmes. Northwestern’s 12 schools offer more than 150 majors, minors, certificates, and concentrations for undergraduate students and over 100 graduate programmes (see box).

Summiya Yasmeen