Application Hook for Northwestern: harp?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northwestern University
1

I am currently a junior considering applying for Northwestern computer science next year, and I was wondering if playing the harp could be a helpful hook on my application?

To give you some background, I’ve been playing harp since the second grade. I was the principle harpist for my region’s ILMEA orchestra as a freshman, and I took orchestra as a class my freshman and sophomore year. However, I am not outstanding; I didn’t get selected for ILMEA as a sophomore, (and didn’t even audition this year,) I stopped taking lessons this year, and I didn’t sign up to take orchestra as a class (though I still try to participate in it.) I’ve found out that if someone isn’t very good at an instrument and doesn’t plan to major in music, then it supposedly won’t help much on his/her application. Is this true? What do you advise me to do regarding harp? Would this even help me when applying to Northwestern for CS - do I even have a decent chance?

Info to consider about me:

Other extracurricular activities:
-Math team (9th grade - present)
-Science Olympiad (9th grade - present)
-Math peer tutoring at school (9th grade - present) 50+ hours.
-Shelving books at the library (9th grade - present) 50+ hours.
-Science research program/entry into regional fair last year.
-Computer science club (joined this year)
-Science national honor society (joined this year)
-C++ programming class at community college this past summer

Awards:
-Math team: several invitational and regional awards, all conference award freshman year, state qualification each year.
-Science Olympiad - several invitational and regional awards.
-Gold Award at regional science fair.
-Several student of the month awards, department certificates for high achievement/being a top scholar (including two from science,) prize for getting 98th percentile on Spanish national exam, etc.

And other useful information:
-GPA: 4.85 weighed, 4.0 unweighted.
-ACT: 34 (36 math, 36 English, 31 science, 31 reading.) Still retaking.
-Classes:
Freshman:
honors geometry
honors biology
honors English
honors world history
honors Spanish
orchestra
Sophomore:
honors pre-calculus
honors chemistry
honors English
AP Euro, (5 on exam)
honors Spanish
orchestra
health plus two quarter long regular classes required for graduation.
Junior: (currently)
AP Calculus BC
AP Computer Science
AP Physics I
AP English Language
AP US History
honors digital electronics
Currently getting all A’s.

School: public - about 500 people in class
State: Illinois
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female
Income: $70k - 80k

In advance, thank you for all advice.

2

I once heard an admissions officer from say that a harp player can be a bit of an advantage – but only if the college orchestra happens to need a harp player. Since there is generally only one harp player per orchestra the need arises once every four years or so. You may want to try and get in touch with the orchestra leader at the college late this year or early next year.

3

If you are not applying to Bienen School of Music it is probably not a hook.

Is there another school you are considering not attached to a top ranked school of music?

4

I’m not sure how the good the music school there is, but I’m also considering UIUC

5

That is a good school of music too. Think schools with a department of music.