Road Trip: Getting Friendly With the Windy City

For number and variety of colleges and universities, the Chicago area rivals the Northeast, making it the ideal base for a road trip. We didn't have to go far to find four very different schools, from venerable Northwestern to a technology powerhouse with ambitions of national recognition. Sure, we asked about academics. But we also asked students what gave each institution its unique vibe. They took great pride in telling us.

Chicago schools:

• U.S. News Went on College Road Trips So You Don't Have to
• DePaul University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Northwestern University
• University of Illinois-Chicago

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