Registered Student Organizations (RSOs)
Registered Student Organizations (RSO) are student-run, student-led organizations typically based on campus, spanning a range of students’ interests. Students often engage in one or more RSOs to continue existing or explore new interests. The organizations we highlight below focus on current pre-health and identity based groups for enrolled Northwestern undergraduates, typically based on the Evanston campus.
Wildcat Connection
Wildcat Connection is the official database of all recognized student organizations (RSO) at Northwestern. Visit wildcatconnection.northwestern.edu and search by specific keywords or highlight specific categories to find all of the current offerings.
Featured RSOs
African Students Association
ASA is a student organization that provides a community for African students and promotes African awareness to the greater Northwestern community. Our main goal is to create and sustain community for those interested in engaging African culture. In the Fall, ASA hosts Afropollo, a mock of Showtime at the Apollo, where various students perform for a prize. Jabulani, the annual Cultural Show is hosted in the Winter which entertains all with a fashion show, skits, and performances. Throughout the year, we have community bonding events and hold discussions on topics related to Africa and also partner with various on-campus and off-campus organizations on relevant programming.
Contact: asanorthwestern@gmail.com
African Dance Group
The African Dance Group at Northwestern University to promote African culture by showcasing traditional and modern African-themed dance moves and music.
Contact: d-nwankpa@northwestern.edu
Black Formal
A collective of students, representative of members that both do and do not hold formal leadership positions in Black student organizations, pulled together to identify an event based on a community need. This event was intended to mirror other Northwestern-funded student formal affairs- with students dressing up and going to an off-campus venue for an evening of entertainment, food, and fun. The Black community has not had an event like this in recent years. Most formals or balls that occur within the Black community are hosted by Black Greek-letter organizations. This formal is unique because it is not affiliated with any student organization in the community and aims to create an inclusive space. This formal is in celebration of the Black community, and seeks to fulfill the needs expressed in the Black Student Experience Report.
Contact: alyscia.raines@northwestern.edu
Black Graduate Student Association
The purpose of BGSA shall be to foster a sense of community among the Black graduate student body by representing and acting upon its academic, cultural, intellectual, social, and political concerns and interests.
Contact: bgsa.nu@gmail.com
The Black Mentorship Program (BMP)
A mentorship program for Black identifying undergraduate students at Northwestern. We believe our mission is to improve the undergraduate experience of Black students at Northwestern through mentorship, community building, racial identity development, and engagement with community resources. During its pilot and subsequent years, the program will hold regular meetings throughout the school year with topics ranging from study skills and getting acclimated to college life to what it means to be Black at Northwestern. We are student led and hope to be an asset to the broader Northwestern community by creating a strong Black community and producing confident Black student leaders. Our mission is to improve the undergraduate experience of Black students at Northwestern through mentorship, community building, racial identity development, and engagement with community resources.
Contact: travis.martin@northwestern.edu
Blackboard Magazine
Northwestern University’s historically Black student publication. Pulse seeks to facilitate the creation of an open forum for student expression. Blackboard has served as a voice for the Black community, but now seeks to stand in solidarity with the multicultural community at large. As a student organization, Pulse challenges readers to think critically and connects the multicultural and greater Northwestern communities.
Contact: thepulseofnu@gmail.com
For Members Only (FMO)
Serves as Northwestern University's premier Black Student Alliance. FMO serves to encourage political, social, cultural and intellectual unity and growth first and foremost within Northwestern University's Black community, but also within the broader Northwestern community as well. FMO is the representative and political voice of Northwestern University's Black undergraduate student body. FMO sponsors a Freshman Mentoring Program, hosts a Spring Concert, Fall Speaker, and various other cultural and community-building events throughout the year! Come out and join us for General Meetings, events, and time at the Black House (1914 Sheridan Road).
Contact: formembersonly@gmail.com
Minority Association of Pre-Med Students at Northwestern (formerly known as One Step Before)
The purpose of MAPS is to serve the minority pre-health students of Northwestern University, by providing valuable information that pre-health students need, prior to attending medical or graduate school, through meetings, workshops, events, etc. This organization works diligently to try to stimulate the interests, of pre-health students at Northwestern University by encouraging and promoting all minorities in medicine and other health professions. As the representative voice of Northwestern’s minority pre-health students, MAPS seeks to instill a consciousness in its members about contemporary issues and disparities of the medical world, especially those that pertain to minority groups. MAPS aims to prepare its members for the rigors of their health and science careers in an efficient manner.
Contact: mapsnu@u.northwestern.edu
Multicultural Greek Council (MCG)
The MGC is a unique community of fraternities and sororities; each of these member organizations’ foundations is founded upon celebrating cultural diversity and educating the community about its rich cultural heritage. The MGC and the Greek-letter organizations are powerful media through which group members can express and share their cultural pride. The members cherish the belief that the college experience is more valuable when it includes self-expression through the richness of diversity.
Contact: mgc@u.northwestern.edu
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) at Northwestern University
Consists of seven of the "Divine Nine" historically black fraternities and sororities. Each of the NPHC organizations evolved during a period when African Americans were denied essential rights and privileges afforded to other college students. NPHC organizations maintain high positive standards for its member organizations and ensure the perpetuation of responsibility and privilege through engaging in service to the African American community at NU and the community at large.
Contact: northwesternnphc17@gmail.com
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
NSBE's mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
Contact: nu.nsbe@gmail.com
Northwestern Community Ensemble
We are Northwestern's premier gospel choir founded in performing spiritual, gospel, and anthem music from the black Christian tradition. We seek to provide Northwestern's African American community as well as the broader Northwestern community opportunities to engage with Black culture, gospel music, and christian faith through our concerts and other performances.
Contact: nce1971@gmail.com
Soul4Real
Northwestern's premiere African-American a cappella student group. Founded in 2009, Soul4Real is dedicated to bringing authentic soul, rhythm and blues, gospel and negro spiritual music to Northwestern's campus.
Contact: soul4realnu@gmail.com
The Collective
The purpose of the Collective is to build community on campus through increased engagement with individuals who identify as Black men, regardless of their other salient identities. Knowing that the intersection of our Blackness and manhood often grant us power and privilege, we are constantly striving to acknowledge these benefits as we better understand how we, as Black men, both benefit and suffer from systems of oppression. We encourage our members to engage with this complexity and redefine black manhood in the process through self reflection, education, and group dialogue.
Contact:calebholland2021@u.northwestern.edu