As there are thousands of college options, choosing the right school for you initially seems impossible. Even if you think you don't, every person has at least one thing they would like to have in college, whether it's a big-time football team, a ton of parties, plenty of famous speakers, a specific temperature range, proximity...

I think that Northwestern's environment was perfect for me. It is a highly academic school that ranks along with the top universities in the world, but it also has Big Ten sports. The...