<p>Sorry to hear it.</p>
<p>They're pulling somewhat of a WashU, but to a lesser extent.</p>
<p>How on earth is NU pulling a Wash U? I've yet to see massive wait listing.</p>
<p>Not the waitlist part. </p>
<p>It's a joke on CC that whenever a school makes an obvious effort to go up in rankings or become more elite, they're "pulling a WashU".</p>
<p>Yah I'm not new here. My question to you is: How is NU making any obvious effort here? Last time I checked, NU can't make applicants apply, and they definitely don't spam students like WUSTL does (I didn't get any information from NU until I specifically requested it, and they don't send representatives to my HS despite it being one of the top in the nation). Wash U sent me at least 5 pieces of mail in my junior year, one or two prior to my even taking the PSAT (and lets not get started about the iinundation after I got my high scores). </p>
<p>I got the "joke" you were trying to make, but for something like that to be funny, it usually helps for it to have some bearing on the situation.</p>
<p>Sounds like someone is pulling a WashU!</p>
<p>See, now it's funny :-p</p>
<p>Applications are up for several reasons, some known and some not. Certainly accepting the common application helped as did continuation of the Early Decision "ED" round when three high profile (Harvard, Princeton & Virginia) schools made headlines by discontinuing this option. The accept/reject ED decision is also popular, especially since Northwestern accepts a high % ED for such an elite school. (The accept/reject ED is very unlike Washington Univ. St. Louis). More focus on elite US graduate/professional schools also put NU in the limelight. High ranking law, business & medical schools. And the Univ. of Chicago adds focus on the Chicago area like several schools help Boston. If Northwestern wanted to pump up applications even more, all that is needed is a scholarship competition like UNC, Virginia, WashUStL, Pitt, Miami Univ. of Ohio, and a myriad of others. St. Lawrence Univ. is a LAC seeing an even greater unexplained explosion of applications. Last year up 46%, and the year before up thirty some %. Northwestern's academic reputation is superb, its endowment soaring, and the students are reputed to be some of the hardest working in the US, all while enjoying one of the most magnificant settings in the country. And a couple of great airports as well. Outside of CalTech, Northwestern and the Univ. of Chicago have strengths and assets equal to any school in the country, so it is about time that the apps. increase.</p>
<p>Top notch school. Hope I get in. ;)</p>
<p>they actually started giving scholarships--just enough for a family trip to carribean islands though.</p>
<p>my prediction is that the overall acceptance rate will be around 24-25 percent.</p>
<p>I'm assuming that's averaging in ED, since otherwise you're saying that the huge increase this year would have no impact on the admissions rate.</p>
<p>If the freshman student senator is able to get academic year exchange programs with Stanford, Dartmouth and Chicago in place (all trimester/quarter schools on similiar schedules), and a student accepted to one, including Northwestern, has the opportunity to study at any of the four for a year, interest and applications will dramatically increase. East Coast, West Coast, Mid-West (Chicago) alliance creates a tremendous number of opportunities for students and faculty.</p>
<p>Why ?</p>
<p>My D was getting mail from WUSTL when she was in the 8th grade. </p>
<p>Northwestern's surge in apps is probably due mostly to the surge in apps everywhere, no?</p>
<p>hmm... interesting, I haven't got any mail from WashU and I'm already a senior</p>
<p>everywhere except penn and stanford</p>
<p>arbiter123: Your question "Why?" may have been directed to my last post regarding a proposed one term to three term exchange program among Northwestern, Stanford, Dartmouth and Chicago-- all of which follow the same schedules of quarters or trimesters. The answers are varied and many and depend upon one's position, faculty or student, and course of study. Universities are in a competitive business which is judged, in part, on yield of accepted students. To compete with Princeton, Harvard, Yale, the label of "Ivy League", Penn, Cornell, and the other Ivies such as Columbia (a competitor for Chicago students). Competition is for the best students and professors. If a student has the opportunity to study at any of these elite schools for the same tuition and on the same transcript, it makes selection of Northwestern over an Ivy much easier. Engineering students by getting access to different courses, profs, research and location without breaking up the intensely demanding course of study. Applications and yield is easy now with a booming and record setting high school population, but that is only projected to last for a few more years. In short, more opportunities for studying, research, teaching and enjoying a different educational atmosphere in a different region of the US. SESP education students should be exposed to as many top notch educational institutions as they can get to. Econ students get access to Chicago's courses and profs. More collaboration among great universities, talented profs and gifted students.</p>
<p>@65 per application, and 25,000 applicants, that's a nice $1.625M to fund the admissions office :)</p>
<p>P.S. I predict the admission rate will be 22% for 2008. This is down from 30% in 2006.</p>