Good all around

Introduction
NU is great because it works for a wide variety of people from partiers to lock yourself in the dorm with video games geeks. The campus is gorgeous, downtown Evanston and Chicago rock. There's a very high-power, fast-paced urban glamour feel. There's everything you could ask for for entertainment and to top it off the school has good, well-rounded academics and prestige. Only downside is the dating scene is lacking, but mostly those complaints come from people who never had much luck in high school and some how thought awkward smart people would magically become more social in college.

Campus Life and Social Life
Big 10 football is great. I know many a person who said they didn't like football but are now adicted to the atmosphere of a big game. Clubs are mostly super-achievement crazed people who can't kick the do-everything habit from high school or who are trying to advance their career chances. But if you have a passion the groups are there and top notch. People complain about the dating life being non-existent but if there are so many people complaining the problem is obviously them. Loads of fun stuff to do around town and in Chicago. Never a dull week goes by. Advertisement
Academics
The good thing a bout a school with money and prestige like NU is they have the resources to bring in incredible staff and guest speakers. I have classes where high-profile speakers fly in once a week. Journalism is great, but you have to be a major to get in a lot of the good classes. Art history department sucks. Great Russian Lit, arabic, and comp sci. Poli sci seems pretty dull, but maybe it's just me. Most of the professors are great with rare exceptions. Most of them do better in smaller class sizes but there are a few legends who can hold a lecture hall of 200 in awe.

Student Body
NU has a real range. There're partiers, total relcluses, geeks, jocks, greeks and normal people. But no matter what they tend to be very smart and work like crazy (work hard/play hard). The common joke when there's something in the paper about Harvard students having a protest or something is, "Where do they get the time to do that? We don't sleep and we still don't have enough time to study." That's not to day there isn't plenty of partying and hanging out with friends though. We have to stay sane somehow.

In Closing...
Teachers know there stuff, TAs rock, social life is good for a top-notch school, resources incredible, reputation when finding a job priceless, Chicagoland to die for.