Can I get into NU?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northwestern University
1

<p>Hey guys, I'm currently a junior in high school and am DYING to go to NU, but I don't even know if I'm good enough. At the very beginning of high school, my father died, and my entire high school career has been a dedication to him. But, I don't know if I'm good enough to get in, and NU is my DREAM SCHOOL and I'm planning on applying early decision!
Here are my stats:
GPA 3.7-3.8ish unweighted / 4.0 weighted
ACT: 35
SAT II: 700 Chem, 750 Math II, 710 USH
I dont know my class rank out of 500</p>

<p>Junior Year Classes: AP Chem, APUSH, Precal Hnrs, AP Lang, Spanish 3 (Will a C in chem hurt me) </p>

<p>ECs:
Freshman year: Grade Representative Junior Statesmen of America (JSA), Class Chief Justice</p>

<p>Soph year: ASB Executive Ambassador, JSA Activities Commissioner, founded an currently lead charitable organization to provide funding for education for underprivileged children in south africa, went to Nicaragua in the summer to examine coffee industry (also tutored english, renovated a village's school, and was immersed in the culture and life of Nicaraguans) </p>

<p>Junior year: ASB Vice President, President of JSA, President of a micro finance club, President of my charity, summer, going to intern (unpaid) at a world-renowned publishing company in London (I live in San Francisco) </p>

<p>I will be ASB President next year, VP of JSA, president of the micro finance club, still leading my charity, and treasurer of FBLA </p>

<p>Even with all this, I doubt my capabilities. What are my chances of getting into Northwestern University?</p>

2

<p>ED? Pretty good shot.</p>

<p>RD? It’s a crapshoot, and your GPA is lower than most, but you would still have a chance.</p>

<p>What are you planning on writing your Common App essay about?</p>

3

<p>I was thinking about writing about my stay in Niacragua and how it has changed my outlook on life. I could write about my dad’s suicide, but that’s not something I feel would translate well. What sort of personal statement topics would help me get in? I can pretty much write well about anything.</p>

4

<p>Wow, I didn’t realize that your dad committed suicide…I’m so sorry.</p>

<p>Honestly, don’t view the essay as something that will help you get in. View it as a candid expression of yourself, whether it be via an opinion, a story, or what not. Writing about something for which you feel passion will result in an essay that will “translate well.” If you feel more strongly about one event than the other, then go with your gut and write on it.</p>

5

<p>Let them see into your soul: dedicate your essay to your dad and how you are striving for a education for him. Maybe how you are overcoming the pain of his “abandonment” and coping with it through your success and trying to gain fulfillment with ECs and hard classes. How such things like community service helps you forget the horrible tragedy and see that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.</p>

<p>My two cents. Good luck. You have a great shot, for many top schools, so apply to a good number of top schools and you are bound to be successful with at least one! And don’t forget to take more AP classes senior year! And last of all, will a C hurt? Hmm, with your special circumstances, probably not. And my friend got a C in AP Calculus and she got into Georgetown, but they might have written that off as senioritis and therefore understandable.</p>

6

<p>Ah, okay, I’m taking AP Psych and a college level business class this summer to get my gpa to about a 3.75, AP Chem really screwed me over this year…</p>

7

<p>Based on your numbers, you’d have a competitive application, I don’t think anyone can say more</p>

8

<p>If Northwestern is your first choice and your family doesn’t have financial qualms, apply ED. Your chances will, roughly speaking, double. If you look at previous threads, a 3.7 is risky RD unless you attend a top prep school or generally a school whose students have been accepted with 3.7s and similar test scores in the past. Even ED is not guaranteed.</p>

9

<p>^^^I agree. If NU is your “dream school,” I would apply ED and tell them so.
Good luck!</p>

10

<p>The only bad thing I see in your application is the C in chem and the SAT 2 scores. Your GPA seems alright, should be pretty good. I think ED you should have a good shot at though, especially if you write a great essay. If you apply RD it might be risky, but you still have a shot.</p>

11

<p>Would it be stupid to apply to NU as early decision even though I’ve never visited?</p>

12

<p>Well, it does make one wonder why NU is your dream school.</p>

<p>If you need financial aid, with ED you give up comparing FA packages from other schools; you have to take NU’s offer or leave it, with the chance that you won’t get a better offer.</p>