Why I chose to go to Northwestern?

Name: Alessandra Rizzo       

Undergraduate College: Northwestern University

Undergraduate Major: Journalism

Current Job: Advertising

Why I chose to go to Northwestern?

• The primary reason was that I was looking for a top journalism school so Medill at Northwestern was a natural choice.  I even applied early decision.
• Additionallly, coming from abroad (Italy) but having lived in Chicago as a child influenced my decision i.e. I knew my way around a bit, had some family friends close by, experienced less culture shock, etc.
• “Felt” right in terms of 1) size – not too big, not too small and 2) college culture – not a party school, not a “dead” school.

What Northwestern can offer students, that you won’t read about on its website?

• The right mix: a truly good balance of academics and extracurricular activities.
• Flexibility and cross-fertilization: regardless of your major, you can explore a wide range of other fields/courses.  In fact, I would encourage future students to not focus only on their major and major-related activities, but rather try new and unrelated experiences.
• Chicago: NU cites the closeness of the city, but it is truly a fantastic asset in terms of city life, things to do/see, architecture, etc.
• Hands-on: A lot of the courses I took were not purely theory, but putting what you learn into practice immediately.