Life at Northern Illinois University
Chartered in 1895 as "Northern Illinois State Normal School," NIU is located in DeKalb, IL, approximately 75 miles west of Chicago. Having lived just west of Chicago and commuted to NIU for three years, I can attest to generally easy access to Chicago, which is a plus for those who enjoy big-city activities. Conversely, I later moved closer to campus (Sycamore, IL) and enjoyed being more of a “local” for 12 years. I now live in Saint Charles, IL, which is about 30 minutes to the East. DeKalb itself is a relatively small town of just over 40,000 residents; contrast that statistic with NIU’s total enrollment of approximately 19,000* students. Of these, roughly 4,600 are graduate students. Of all students, 51% are women, but this does not hold for the clinical psychology training program, which is more than 80% women. The racial background of undergraduate students is 57% White, 16% Black, 15% Hispanic/Latino, 5% Asian, 3.5% who identify as multi-racial, and 0.2% Native American. NIU is home to approximately 1,200 international students representing 77 countries. I note this specific information because I like being part of a diverse community and NIU fits the bill.
The Department of Psychology is one of three NIU departments that consistently produce the most graduates interested in health-related sciences. Indeed, Psychology is one of the most productive and respected departments that NIU boasts, which is a real positive in terms of our standing within the university. We have good resources, and that includes our undergraduate student body. My impression is that our students are not unlike many on large college campuses, but our strongest strike me as motivated, hard-working, and a genuinely friendly group of young people. Of course, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the strong rooting interests in NIU Huskie sports, particularly football.
For detailed information about Northern Illinois University see this link:
http://www.niu.edu/index.shtml
For detailed information about the city of DeKalb, IL, see this link:
http://www.dekalb.org/
*See here for more such data:
www.niu.edu/at-a-glance/fastfacts.shtml
The Department of Psychology is one of three NIU departments that consistently produce the most graduates interested in health-related sciences. Indeed, Psychology is one of the most productive and respected departments that NIU boasts, which is a real positive in terms of our standing within the university. We have good resources, and that includes our undergraduate student body. My impression is that our students are not unlike many on large college campuses, but our strongest strike me as motivated, hard-working, and a genuinely friendly group of young people. Of course, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the strong rooting interests in NIU Huskie sports, particularly football.
For detailed information about Northern Illinois University see this link:
http://www.niu.edu/index.shtml
For detailed information about the city of DeKalb, IL, see this link:
http://www.dekalb.org/
*See here for more such data:
www.niu.edu/at-a-glance/fastfacts.shtml