chance for my dream school?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Northwestern University
1

<p>Hi to all,</p>

<p>Background: I'm a junior at a top Illinois public school. I skipped the second and third grades but went back a grade for athletics when I transferred to a public middle school. My ADHD really affected my freshman and sophomore years as it went untreated, but with medication I've really been able to buckle down and get some really good work done.</p>

<p>Ethnicity: My mother's a second-generation Puerto Rican/Spaniard and my father's a complete mutt--Eastern European/Russian/Ashkenazi Jew, etc.</p>

<p>GPA: (W, since classes were all honors/AP)
Freshman--3.80/5.00 (My freshman year was completely mediocre--see above--with a 3.80/5.00 while in all honors classes. I think that was mostly due to the ADHD, an elongated acclimation period and my immaturity compared to my peers.)
Sophomore--4.05/5.00
Junior--4.90/5.00</p>

<p>Class Rank: 32/630</p>

<p>AP's: Junior--AP English Lang/Comp (5 on test), APUSH (5 on test)
Senior--AP English Lit, AP US Gov't, AP Comp Gov't, AP Psych, AP Physics C, AP Stats</p>

<p>EC's:
-three year class council member
-baseball soph/jun (being recruited to play D1)
-club baseball every summer
-swimming frosh
-1st chair alto sax in wind symphony frosh/soph
-1st chair alto sax in jazz band frosh/soph/jun
-writer on school newspaper frosh/soph, production editor jun, will be co-ed-in-chief this year
-writer for the teen newspaper of the Chicago Tribune (very, very selective)
-member of Tri-M music honors society
-Project Lead the Way pre-engineering courses frosh/soph/jun
-captain of/leading scorer for scholastic bowl frosh/soph/jun
-volunteered for Habitat for last two summers
-internship at major engineering firm next summer
-eucharistic minister and minister of care for Archdiocese of Chicago
-summer courses at Northwestern University</p>

<p>Standardized Tests:
AP Comp--36
SAT--2380 (800 CR, 800 W, 780 M)
PSAT--236 (National Merit Semi-Finalist)
Will take US History, Math II, and Physics SAT II's</p>

<p>Recommendations:
-Editor for my teen newspaper
-School psychologist
-Former swim coach and/or baseball coach
-Dean of students
-Engineering teacher</p>

<p>Thanks, everybody!</p>

2

<p>Despite your (relatively) poor freshman/sophomore grades, you’re still top 5% so that’s good. Just take the most rigorous courses you can this fall that you can still get As in. The goal is to show NU you’ve improved since and are ready for the challenging years ahead. If you did well in the courses you took at NU, even better.</p>

<p>Also, your testing is excellent and your ECs are very good. With good essays, you’re probably in ED and RD.</p>

3

<p>well, here’s my senior schedule:
AP English Lit, AP US Gov’t (second sem), AP Comp Gov’t (second sem), AP Psych, AP Physics C, AP Stats, Newspaper Practicum (for editors), Senior Physical Education.</p>

4

<p>Obviously you understand how your freshman and sophomore years look - mediocre. Not horrendous, but not spectacular. However, if you plan to maintain your grades this year, which looks challenging but not impossible if you apply yourself, you have a VERY clear upward trend. This is excellent and looks good on a transcript. It shows that you just needed some time to mature, and now you are ready for the big guns.</p>

<p>Your test scores are excellent as I’m sure you know, and your ECs - especially clear and dedicated focus areas like writing and engineering - look really good on the page. I do think you have way too many recs, as most people just do a counselor and two teachers. I’d say go for the dean of students, editor, and engineering teacher. The latter two sound like they will know you very well, and they’ll be able to say a lot about what you are dedicated to.</p>

<p>I’d say I agree with brebeuff. Put in some good essays and keep up with your grades this year (more important if you apply RD, but still good to turn in a solid final transcript), and you have an excellent chance.</p>

5

<p>bumpity bump bump.</p>

<p>just so everyone knows, those are potential recs.</p>

<p>and i will apply ED if that helps. that’s how committed i am to the school. i’ve gone to baseball camps, tournaments, summer camps, saturday school, etc. there–so i’ve basically spent half of my childhood there. it’s my dream school. hopefully that’ll come across im my essays.</p>

6

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<p>does anyone know if applying ED helps or hinders an applicant? I have seen both opinions on this board (in various thread over many different schools).</p>

<p>I have heard that ED is a higher caliber pool of applicants that you are competing against since they are the ones looking to get certain scholarships (merit, presumably) as well as applicants who have their college application engines well tuned and in high gear.</p>

<p>I have heard , however, that the UNI will give you a couple admission points ED since you are a captive customer - no need for the uni to think they might lose you to another college.</p>