What about Northwestern?

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Alcon said:
Hey guys,

I got in last Thursday morning, and I've been struggling to decide where I want to go. As of tonight I am thinking Northwestern, but I have yet to inquire about financial aid (especially since I would be applying for it this late).

Has everyone found a place to live? I've heard that the dorms are overpriced, and it seemed that way on interview day, so I'll probably look for an apartment during the next couple months. Is there a forum or website where incoming students can look for roommates, etc.?

Thanks, and I hope to see some of you soon!

Alcon
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thought u were going to u of miami?

there isnt a roommate website or anything because in previous years a good portion of the first year classes(including a good portion of my class) have been living at the lake shore center. consequently there hasnt been a need for a roommate search center/board/website. each year the lsc has been raising prices and i'd say their raises have finally caught up to them such that it is no longer a good deal to live in lsc. so a roommate search thingamajig would be useful starting this year.

any web gurus in the incoming class? last year someone in my class setup a yahoo message board for our class and also set up a webpage for our class around this time. perhaps someone from your class will take the initiative to set something similar up and it can double as a way to find roommates.
 
I'm with Web (UCLAMAN)... don't even think about living in the dorms. If you have any doubts, come over to my place. 34th floor with a full wall of windows to see the Sears, Hancock, etc etc etc... Oh, and I am paying less than I did when I lived in LSC when you factor in that you have to buy a 200$/month meal plan in LSC. It just doesn't make sense. The only thing that is nice about the dorm is having the gym in the basement. If you want to get ripped like UCLAMAN and not have to go outside to get to the gym then go ahead and live there. But you can't say that two people who know better didn't warn you...

Any of you poker players? If you are and happen to be around this summer, shoot me message and I'll get you in on a friendly M2/M1 game. 🙂
 
Alcon said:
Hey guys,

I got in last Thursday morning, and I've been struggling to decide where I want to go. As of tonight I am thinking Northwestern, but I have yet to inquire about financial aid (especially since I would be applying for it this late).

Has everyone found a place to live? I've heard that the dorms are overpriced, and it seemed that way on interview day, so I'll probably look for an apartment during the next couple months. Is there a forum or website where incoming students can look for roommates, etc.?

Thanks, and I hope to see some of you soon!

Alcon
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Wow, so the list's still moving...that's good news I guess. I wonder if I'll have any luck this month...
 
CalBeE said:
Wow, so the list's still moving...that's good news I guess. I wonder if I'll have any luck this month...
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dude...what r u talking about?

u will most likely end up at columbia. isnt the second interview pretty much just a formality?
 
Woo!

It's confirmed - I'm moving into Chicago August 2, and my family and I are going to be hanging out for a week before I'm finally on my own in the big city. Most of that week will be taking advantage of the family minivan for furniture runs 😀

I'd be real interested in meeting up with any other 'early arrivals' or students who don't mind exploring the city with a naive M1-to-be in the two weeks before orientation. Just drop me a PM, or we could post general info here.

04DukeBio
 
UCLAMAN said:
dude...what r u talking about?

u will most likely end up at columbia. isnt the second interview pretty much just a formality?
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It's getting late in the app cycle, and still no news from either school. I had my Columbia 2nd interview but Dr. Frantz wasn't able to offer me a spot at the end of the interview..."overbooked by a few people at the moment", he said.
 
^

Stick on to Northwestern CalBee! Keep them updated. I heard last year a few people were offered spots just a few days before class started.
 
Do you need a car when living slightly off campus? The school may be within walking distance from the apartment, but what about grocery stores, etc.?
 
Alcon said:
Do you need a car when living slightly off campus? The school may be within walking distance from the apartment, but what about grocery stores, etc.?
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the playboy building has a treasure island. jewel-osco is on grand. some people use www.peapod.com (they deliver right to your door). walgreens is on michigan and word on the street is that another one is opening up in the holmes building on mcclurg. there is a...crap...i forgot its name...but theres another supermarket off mcclurg across the street from the fox and obel. mcclurg court has a white hen downstairs and there are other white hens around. white hen is a rip though. i do most of my shopping at jewel and treasure island. these are all walking distance from the apts around the hospital. you may want to purchase a folding cart if you plan on going on major grocery runs.
 
a car is practically useless downtown as you can get anywhere you need to go whether it be the grocery store, bars, clubs, etc. via walking, cab or the L. it will be fairly expensive to keep a car downtown and pay for a parking spot somewhere.

if you are like me, when you go home for turkey day or xmas break you will beg your family to be their chauffeur. it was also kinda weird being inside of a car at all after a few months of not being in a car...i almost forgot what that was like. cabs dont count as cars.
 
Can we access and use our new NU (md.northwestern.edu) email? I was notified or found my new email address on the directory -- but can't remember receiving a password. Can we contact anyone to use the email or must we wait until Orientation Week? My undergrad email expires soon.
 
marydee said:
Can we access and use our new NU (md.northwestern.edu) email? I was notified or found my new email address on the directory -- but can't remember receiving a password. Can we contact anyone to use the email or must we wait until Orientation Week? My undergrad email expires soon.
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u will setup your password during o-week. i dont know if there is a way to set it up right now as i dont even remember which websites i visited to set it up last fall(i do remember setting it up on campus in the tarry computer labs tho so perhaps the only way to set it up is on campus during oweek). perhaps if you snoop around on the nu information and tech pages(search for "nuit" on the website) you may come up with some answers. so if u want to give out your spiffy new email u can but i dunno if the account is even active yet and even if it was you cant access it without your netid password.
 
There are tons of grocery stores downtown, and they are popping up all over the place. A couple ones UCLAMan missed were the Whole Foods Market and Dominicks that are all over the place. I think just within one mile of campus are a good 5-6 grocery stores, probably more. If you haven't noticed downtown Chicago is booming as far as retail, residential, etc. goes.

I think a car is a waste. I don't know about you but I found it to be a waste in college. I guess it depends where you go though, since some regions of the country are not very dense and a car becomes necessary.
 
BTW... on a totally different note.... Anyone want to guess why we kick so much ass? 😉 What I mean is... I was looking at the MSAR today out of curiousity and it looks like Northwestern gets more applicants than almost any other school. It was something like 6000 while the vast majority of other schools were hovering around half that, some more, some less, but NU Med stood out in a big way. Is there a reason why so many people apply to NU? Probably because of its unique location or curriculum? Or is it all in a name? Or does it just seem like a school that a lot of people would throw into their mix of applications? Any guesses?
 
I was recently in Chicago and saw Northwestern's med school by chance (wasn't looking for it). It's definitely in a primo location.

ctwickman said:
It was something like 6000 while the vast majority of other schools were hovering around half that, some more, some less, but NU Med stood out in a big way. Is there a reason why so many people apply to NU? Probably because of its unique location or curriculum? Or is it all in a name? Or does it just seem like a school that a lot of people would throw into their mix of applications? Any guesses?
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6000 isn't that many - the Medical College of Wisconsin had over 5500.
 
ctwickman said:
BTW... on a totally different note.... Anyone want to guess why we kick so much ass? 😉 What I mean is... I was looking at the MSAR today out of curiousity and it looks like Northwestern gets more applicants than almost any other school. It was something like 6000 while the vast majority of other schools were hovering around half that, some more, some less, but NU Med stood out in a big way. Is there a reason why so many people apply to NU? Probably because of its unique location or curriculum? Or is it all in a name? Or does it just seem like a school that a lot of people would throw into their mix of applications? Any guesses?
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I think many people are drawn to NU because of its name and the fact that it's competitive, but not overly competitive to get in. I didn't know that it's in a very nice location until I read about it here...which was after I submitted my app.
 
Well, 6000 isn't that many. All of the big city schools get tons of applicants (i.e. New York, Boston, Chicago, DC, LA, etc.) Heck, GW received in excess of 11,000 applicants this year according to what I heard.
 
6000 is a lot. See this link....

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2003/2003school.htm

...some of your guys facts or what you heard is a bit off. Medical College of Wisconsin got 3,695 applications last year, not "over 5500," and George Washington, though hovering very high around 9,132, is still far less than "in excess of 11,000 applicants."

Either way, 6000 is a lot of applicants and way above average. The average school appears to get around 2500-2700 according to MSAR.
 
The point I was making was that almost all metropolitan schools get a ridiculous number of applicants. Even other schools in Chicago (Loyola, Finch and Pritzker) have comparable numbers to NU. It's a city thing.
 
Well, Loyola and Finch are not in Chicago, and if you look at those stats 6000 is still way above average. I guess my point is "why Northwestern"? We know why places like Finch have a lot, and its not because they are in a big city (Finch is an hour north of Chicago).

So I guess we can conclude that most premeds want to be in an urban environment after college? That was kind of my reason for choosing Northwestern---it seemed like a natural step from the bubble and small town atmosphere of college--almost like I would be part of Chicago's work force and nightlife and cultural scene, which is definetly more mature than, let's say, being 25 in Madison or Chapel Hill only to catch myself accidently hitting on a college freshmen with a fake ID at some dive college bar. 😉 I guess, too, as I get older I want to "settle" in a way--college towns are so transient. They empty out during the summer and 90% of the student population has no idea what they want to be, who they want to be with, or where they will end up living. Places like big cities you are going to meet residents, not just transients and students who may be leaving/graduating next year. You can actually live there year round and settle in permanently. It's more like real life--you'll see babies, 70 year olds, people of all kinds--in most college towns, seeing a baby or someone other than "ages 18-24" is like some big event and it makes you realize what kind of bubble you are in! And when you're single in your twenties, it would be nice to talk to some people and ask something other than "What's your major and what year are you?" :laugh:
 
ctwickman said:
Well, Loyola and Finch are not in Chicago, and if you look at those stats 6000 is still way above average. I guess my point is "why Northwestern"? We know why places like Finch have a lot, and its not because they are in a big city (Finch is an hour north of Chicago).
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to you those schools are not "in chicago." but thats because you are very familiar with the area. when i was applying(both years i applied) if u told me finch and loyola i would tell u "chicago." consequently those schools went on my list of schools to apply to because to me they were in the chicago area. a lot of non chicagoan do not know the difference between loyola's and nu's locations. or maybe its just a californian thing...since it seems californians have no concept of geography outside of california. in any case i would argue that most applicants who are "shotgunning" their list of schools are not as discerning as to which schools are actually in chicago or not.

so i agree with the flash...most metropolitan schools get a lot of applicants. 6000 is not all that much IMO(for a metro/desirable location school). its right on par with all the other schools that are in desirable locations. although finch or loyola may not be in a desirable location people dont really know that when they are listing their schools. they think it is in chicago and chicago is a good city to be in in their minds. but of course finch's low stats also adds to that school's appeal.

off to taste of chicago!!! 😀
 
UCLAMAN said:
off to taste of chicago!!! 😀
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You should definetly head up to Milwaukee for Summerfest if you haven't done that since you moved here. I think more Chicagoans go to Milwaukee for Summerfest than they do Taste of Chicago. You can check it out at http://www.summerfest.com/

It's basically one massive party with hundreds of bands and literally hundreds of thousands of people (and millions of cups of beer 😉 ). It is literally the world's largest festival of music and last for about a week. Milwaukee is also going through a huge redevelopment/gentrification movement which is incredible to see--condos popping up all over, a brand new river walk, etc. It's like a mini-Chicago with the river and the lake, but I prefer Milwaukee's lakefront because there are 200 foot bluffs overlooking the water, and it is a much more natural shoreline with huge woods and natural spaces.
 
Has anyone visited (or heard from others about) Cityfront Place? I am considering a studio there, but probably won't get to visit until move-in time.

Thanks!
 
Cityfront Place is awesome. Unbelievable location, good prices, and great views. They were offering unbelievable incentives, such as 2 months free rent, $250 off first month's rent, and no move-in fee. I toured the place and it was on my short top 2 list along with One Superior Place, but ended up renting at One Superior because of the location, and you get your own washer/dryer---in general River North is more active, exciting, and is all young people compared to Cityfront's quieter Streeterville location, so River North is more my style, but IMO from all the research I've done you can't go wrong with either one.

Cityfront Place: http://www.habitat.com/residences.asp?m=intro&id=62&state=IL

One Superior: http://www.superiorplace.com/
 
ctwickman said:
...some of your guys facts or what you heard is a bit off. Medical College of Wisconsin got 3,695 applications last year, not "over 5500"
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MCW's own stats said they got ~560 in-state applications and ~4720 out-of-state applications.
 
TheProwler said:
MCW's own stats said they got ~560 in-state applications and ~4720 out-of-state applications.
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Well it's their word against the AAMC. Who knows who to believe, but I would tend to believe AAMC because they don't have any incentive to boost the numbers. Maybe it's just a matter of this year or last year though. Check the link: http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2003/2003school.htm
 
Hello fellow NU classmates 🙂 ! Hope you all are having a fun and relaxing summer. If any of you are interested, I thought I'd put together a list of people's screennames, so we can start getting to know each other or easily get in contact with eachother if any of us have questions. So, if you want, pm me your screenname and I will compile a list and pm it back to you. Otherwise I look forward to meeting you all in August!

p.s. by the way, if you've read the NU waitlist thread, i stated i was going to defer . . . I have changed my mind 😉 .
 
^ If you want we could just compile a list in this thread. Save you the trouble... maybe something useful like who is for sure going and when are they moving to Chicago so in case its Saturday night on August 7th and no one has any contacts they can just talk to a fellow student to hang out or something...

But honestly Nike I have a feeling that many of the posters in this thread may be on to other things and may not even check here anymore. But let's see....

So roll call... who's all going and still reads this thread? And I'm curious where people decided to live....
 
I'm pretty sure it's going to be Lake Shore Plaza.
 
Welp, I have a feeling many of the posters have left or at least don't check studentdoctor as often as before. Don't blame them either....

....but did anyone else get the mailing from Northwestern today? If not, you should receive it shortly. It's probably the most important mailing we have gotten so far, with tons of information, and signups for some great events. I am really impressed--it sounds like getting adjusted is not only going to be incredibly easy with what they are organizing, but also a BLAST!

The mailing today really hit home. Just wanna know if anyone else feels the same way.
 
Yeah, it definitely started getting me really excited. The retreat sounds like a blast!!
 
Nike... I think we are the only two left here from the original thread. I think I'm pretty much going to sign out and check back maybe once a week out of curiousity....

If any of you guys want to contact me for any reason just PM me...

Later... 🙂
 
No worries you two,
There's a third person at least still checkingg out the thread.

AOL Name is StrngoutAS so hit me up if y'all want to discuss next year.

I'll be moving into Onterie on the 14th of August... can't wait. Now I just need to figure out how to get some prime Cubbies tix.
 
Perhaps we're all getting distracted by summer and packing up to head out to Chicago :> I'm still here, albeit sidetracked by the fact I still have boxes of my college stuff that needs sorting and repacking 😛

By the way, for those of you who received the mailing, is there anything time-sensitive in it? I think it was sent to my Durham address and is (hopefully) being forwarded to me right now...

Hope y'all are enjoying your summer!

04DukeBio
 
04DukeBio said:
By the way, for those of you who received the mailing, is there anything time-sensitive in it? I think it was sent to my Durham address and is (hopefully) being forwarded to me right now...
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hmm...obviously i dont know what you guys received in your packets...but if it was the packet with info about breakaway then there probably isnt anything that is time sensitive. if i remember from last year the only time sensitive materials were the loans docs and the housing docs for lake shore center....but i think the loan docs may come a little bit later in the month and many a second year have already warned you guys against living in lake shore center.

the breakaway retreat is loads of fun...twinkie buses, stupid camp games with your classmates, camp skits, dodgeball against us second years(oh its on!!!), camp fires, drunken games (better brush up on your flip cup skillz yo) in the evening, secrets about each other revealed, football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, cooling off in the lake....and of course....who hooked up with who gossip!...all in the name of bonding with your fellow classmates.
 
hey y'all. i've been off SDN for a while (quit my job - don't have to sit in front of a computer all day), but thought i'd check in. i was in chicago for the past couple days and signed a lease on the SWEETEST apartment in wrigleyville. a big fabulous 2.5 bedroom place with big windows and a little fireplace and a parking spot (essential in wrigleyville from what i hear). so big compared to where i live now. i'll have to have a party, and you are all invited. while i was there, i saw a show at a really cool little place called abbey pub and ate so much good food every day. what a fun city. it is going to be good times in chicago. i just got back today and haven't really looked through the packet that came in the mail, but from what you all say, it sounds like fun stuff.

i'm still trying to get through my financial aid applications. my net-id they sent in the mail isn't working. i guess i will have to call them tomorrow. did anyone else have trouble with this?
 
Not sure about the net-id. I'll get all that stuff setup later on...

Speaking of Chicago though... check out this crazy thing they kind of got caught half "unveiling" today at the new Millenium Park... this will be the craziest park in the whole country, if not the world....

5905174-L.jpg


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5905190-L.jpg
 
Chicago is such a pretty city! 😀
 
CalBeE said:
Chicago is such a pretty city! 😀
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la is the best in the world though. ive travelled a lot and im yet to find somewhere better. yeah i have a bias, but no where has the same people, beautiful city and weather, and most importantly the resources and opportunities. ucla rules. haha.
 
Ugh... to each his own but LA is like the bottom of the barrel in terms of cities in the US. It's like urban sprawl to the worst degree with no good public transportation, terrible traffic, and a social scene that's overrated. Of course, I'm biased too 🙂

Anyone else living in Onterie this year or am i gonna be alone?
 
^

docmemi, have you ever spent a good deal of time in Chicago? The architecture, density, urbanity, parks, etc. are just unparalleled--it plays second fiddle only to New York in those urban areas. LA has more people over a wider area, but Chicago is MUCH more neighborhood/dense/street level. I don't want to get into a debate here, but Chicago and LA are apples and oranges. I prefer dense, walkable cities with tons of people on the streets rather than mostly in their cars on the freeways, but to each his own...

Weather is subjective too... I love extreme changes in the seasons since it keeps life interesting, I used to live in a monoclimate like LA and it was depressing after a while. That's not to say that Chicago winters don't get depressing by February and March, but I'd say year-to-year I am happier with the extreme changes. I get to reinvent myself and my wardrobe about 3-4 times a year because the climate reinvents itself.

I think it's impossible to say "LA is better" or "Chicago is better" because the cities are so different that it really depends on what you want, but I would rather walk in a crowd on the streets and peer in shop windows on the way, and then take the train home to a highrise apt, than drive a car on a crowded freeway over many miles like in LA. Chicago is a pedestrian paradise compared to LA. And things like the Chicago skyline are just breathtaking. And I think almost anyone would agree that the environment in Chicago, in general, is friendlier and less pretentious than in LA---which is a GOOD thing IMO--not that LA is a bad place by any means though, nor is Chicago some uber-friendly place, but it is definetly the friendliest of the big 3.

chi1302


Chicago.jpg


chi250
 
I wonder if Millenium Park's actually some sort of incubation station for a shiny cyborg pterodactyl creature that will emerge and wreak havoc, only to be stopped by a spunky band of Feinberg M1s armed to the teeth with heavy textbooks...

Or, just a pretty sculpture.

Anyways, it's finalized, I'll be living in a small studio off of Michigan Avenue. Don't want to post specifics here, but it's in a great location, nice and close to class. Too bad my view's not facing the Mag Mile... I get a beautiful panoramic vista, featuring The Building Across From Me.

August 2! Geez! Less than a month!

Oh, BTW - still haven't got my packet with the retreat info, etc etc. Anyone have dates of import that I should keep free? Thanks much - look forwards to meeting y'all in a few weeks.

04DukeBio
 
White Coat Ceremony is afternoon of Friday August 27th.
Breakaway student retreat is the weekend of the 28-29th.

Last day of M1 is May 30th 🙂

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.
 
Yeah and one of the cooler things I remember from the packet is that the first week we don't even have class.... it's all activities to get to know each other and Chicago.
 
Hey all,

I just moved into Lake Shore plaza after 4 days of hellish moving. Although I was pretty grumpy after all that moving, combined with being sick, I have to say that I am very pleased with my choice to go to NU now. It's amazing living in a skyrise downtown! This morning, I woke up to the sounds of the city and the morning sunlight streaming down on the lake and the skyrises... I think you all will be very happy here. Not to mention, all the best clubs, restaurants, museums, etc. are all close by.. It's great going out at night and just walking home, without having to worry about a cab.

For those of you considering Lake Shore Plaza, I highly recommend getting a SOUTH view. There aren't any buildings obstructing the view, and you can see the lake, the river, the Sears tower and many skyrises.
 
Damn... everyone's moving out early. It's not even August, much less the end of August. How's the summer Chicago weather?
 
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