Plan Your Visit

There are several ways for you to experience Northwestern in person. Make the most of your time on campus by exploring any or all of the following options:

Admission Information Sessions and Campus Tours

Our 45-minute information session, led by an admission director, provides an overview of the University and its six undergraduate schools, student life, and the application process and financial aid, with time for a question/answer session at the end.

Most visitors pair their information session with a campus tour. Student-led tours depart from our building immediately following information sessions.

School-Specific Options

In addition to our general information sessions and tours, Northwestern offers a variety of school-specific visit options. For more information, please see the specific school below:

• Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences information sessions
• School of Communication information session and theatre tour
• School of Education and Social Policy information session
• Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science information session
• Medill School of Journalism information session and McCormick Center tour
• Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music information session

Attending Classes

One of the best ways to sample Northwestern's academic experience is to observe classes. Each quarter, the Office of Undergraduate Admission compiles a list of pre-approved classes for students to visit. Please plan on arriving five minutes prior to class time in order to introduce yourself to the professor. 

Please note that class visits are not available during the first two weeks of the quarter, on weekends, holidays, summer, or during reading week or exam periods. A list of approved courses for the Spring 2013 quarter is available here.

Individual Overnight (ION) Visits

For a glimpse of student life at Northwestern, consider staying overnight in a residence hall with a current student. Overnight visits are available to prospective seniors on select weeknights during the academic year, October through March, on a space available basis. April overnight visits are reserved for admitted seniors only.

Overnight requests should be made at least one week in advance, through this website only.  Should you have further questions concerning our overnight program, please feel free to contact our office by phone or email. Please note, requests for an overnight visit cannot be made via phone. Please see our Visit Calendar to view available overnight dates.

Large Group Visits

For groups of 10 or more students, we are happy to make arrangements to provide an information session and tour outside our regularly scheduled events. You must submit your request for a special session by registering through our Large Group Calendar no less than three weeks in advance of your visit.