Chicago! Chicago!

Last night was a bit tiring so I was happy to finally get some rest. I woke up and headed down for breakfast. Since today we were scheduled for the tour of Northwestern University we headed out towards the Ventra. It’s so weird to call it Ventra since I’m so used to calling it BART. I just can't get over the fact that now I am in Chicago, it just doesn't seem real.

We navigated our way to Northwestern University. We checked in at the Segal Visitor center and then headed out to explore a bit. I was pleased to find a beach behind the center. I definitely give bonus points to the university for awesome location.

The water seems so nice

The Segal Vistors Center

Before the tour we had a presentation. The presenters were Chad (an admissions officer) and Connie (a current student at Northwestern). I got to hear about the different schools available and I was surprised to hear that they had a school for Journalism. The university works on the quarter system, which allows you to take a great deal of courses. When talking about the admissions process Chad stressed that the university generally accepts the students who challenge and push themselves and strive for excellence given their resources. I also found out that the university gives a lot of need based scholarships, which are pretty generous, so students don’t have any obstacles in their way.

The amazing campus surroundings

Soon it was time for the tour. Since it was a large group we were all split between 5 tour guides. Our tour guide was Ehana, she was full of energy and an awesome tour guide. We got to walk around the campus and listen to the different campus traditions and quirks. Something I really like is that it seems like many groups and clubs are affiliated with philanthropist groups. I also really liked how the university had various different levels on how much you wanted to be invested into sports.

Soon the tour came to an end and it was time to head back to the hotel. On the way to the hotel we dropped by and had a sandwich. About an hour after being at hotel it was time to head out to Gibson’s Steak house and meet the admissions officers, alums and students of Northwestern.

I got to sit next to Viral Patel, an alumni, and Sue Kwan, Associate Director at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Lucky me - Sue used to be involved in the study abroad program and financial aid office so she was truly helpful. I was glad to hear that Northwestern is really geared towards making sure that the students get the right kind of financial assistance. Also I was really excited to hear that the university is really geared towards research and has amazing tools to help you go abroad. I learned that the transcripts plays a vital role in the admissions process and how when it is analyzed the officers take into account your school and the resources you were provided with.

I was also fortunate enough to sit next to Viral Patel who was a pre-med major. I found out from her that the university has some good study groups and research tools specifically catered towards helping pre-med students. I found out a bit more about how the dormitories are like. One thing I did realize after hearing all the admissions process and financial aid stuff was that these kinds of top universities and me maybe applying here feels more realistic now. Back in California I was thinking about applying to several colleges out of state but I felt like I had no real chance of going to them but now all that just seems more achievable.