Are you thinking for Fall '22? I’d say it’s tough given your ORM and it’s been a tough year with TO and Covid. If you want to go in '23, I’d ED. It’s also going to depend a lot on which state you come from. If you aren’t from CA or another populous state, then I’d say your chances are much better.
I’d suggest really looking at both curriculums and seeing what aspects of each program appeals to you. Then figuring out which one is the best fit. They might have EA as well. But ED usually gives you a much better chance as you commit to them and they know that if accepted, you’ll come.
WashUStL is very sensitive about being one’s first choice school, while Northwestern prefers candidates who have strong numbers and who reference particular programs or interests specific to NU.
I think you would be a strong applicant for either one of those institutions. Unfortunately, however, there are way more qualified applicants than there are spots, thus chances of admission are not great. But I think you stand as good a chance as anyone based on the information you’ve shared here.
Please make sure you have a balanced list of schools that you decide to apply to. There should be schools that you are extremely likely to be admitted to (90+% chance) and that your family is willing and able to afford without jeopardizing a financially secure retirement or taking out loans. Most importantly, make sure that you would be very happy to attend any school on that list Should you need any suggestions for likelier admittances, let us know.
My Asian GD got into WUSTL 2 years ago RD with a very similar profile to yours. NU is a harder hill to climb. You’re qualified for both, but these schools have so many applicants that it becomes a numbers game to the point that there’s a lot of luck involved.
On their common data set, NU says that rigor of your HS classes, grades, and class rank are the most important factors in their decision making process.After that, they look at your essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, talents, and personal qualities. So, do a good job on your essays, get good recommendations, and take your chances. They say that they consider test scores but don’t place much importance on them.
WUSTL is a little different. They place equal importance on rigor, grades, class rank, AND test scores as well as essays, recommendations, talents, and personal qualities. A little further down are extracurriculars, first gen, volunteer work, and work experience. So, they look at more factors and their cut off us a little lower but still daunting.
Can you tell us a bit more about what you are looking for in a university? Based off your choices of Wash U & Northwestern it appears as though you’re looking for a mid-size university in or near a big city in the midwest. Is that correct, or are there other options you’d consider? Which parts of the country would you like to go to college? Are there any particular experiences or extracurriculars you would like to have while in college?
And what is the budget? Has your family run the NFC calculators to see what the colleges think they should be able to pay? If the EFC works for your family, then you can apply to schools that don’t offer merit aid. If the EFC doesn’t work for your family, then you will need to apply to schools whose sticker price meets the budget or that are likely to offer sufficient merit aid to meet your family’s number.
I’m not a big fan of match/target/safety terminology, but I am giving rough percentages to illustrate what I mean by my terms. But this is based off my own thinking and not some computerized analysis of all factors. Others may disagree, and I welcome them to voice their opinions.
This list is categorized based on my very fallible sense of what might be your chances of acceptance. This was limited to colleges in suburban/urban areas in midwestern (or near midwestern) states with an undergraduate enrollment between 3-9k. If you’re open to smaller or larger colleges, or different parts of the country, or rural areas, let me know. And I suspect you would receive generous merit aid from all the schools in the Extremely Likely category.
Guaranteed (100%)
Extremely Likely (80-99%)
Saint Louis U. (MO)
Creighton (NE)
Bradley (IL)
U. of St. Thomas (MN)
Likely (60-79%)
Toss-Up (40-59%)
Possible (20-39%)
Case Western (OH)
Less Likely (20% or less)
Vanderbilt (TN)
Your GPA and ACT scores are competitive enough to get in anywhere. Unfortunately, there are just so many applicants of your caliber that are targeting the most well-known academic schools, leaving the schools with admissions rates of 5-15%. Thus, the vast majority of students who receive waitlists or denials are just as qualified; they just didn’t get selected.
ETA: If you’re willing to consider a rural school, Missouri Science & Technology is also highly recommended, and @blossom praises it regularly.
You’ve got a solid academic profile and good ECs but these are really tough schools to RD for an unhooked Asian male ranked #32. You have a chance but it’s not a good one. ED-ing your favorite would be better.
Why not ED? What is your college budget? Run each school’s net price calculator (NPC) to get a cost estimate. If your parents are divorced, own real estate beyond a primary home, and/or own a business the NPC may not be accurate…are any of those the case for you?
I agree you need a balanced list, including at least one affordable safety. What school (schools) will be your safety? Perhaps your state flagship? What state do you live in? Would you consider liberal arts colleges?
I’m open to most options that have a good bio program and possibly a good pre-med program. I live in NC so not necessarily looking for schools in the midwest; its just that WashU & Northwestern are my dream schools. Open to go all parts of the country. So yes, I am open to larger colleges and different parts of the country. Would prefer suburban/urban area colleges. I am not going to get any financial aid as I am above the bracket…
Its just as my parents are not comfortable paying 70k+. Looking for max of 50 to 55k and hence hoping for merit, but that looks difficult in the case of washu and northwestern. I live in NC so my safeties rn are UNC Charlotte & ECU.
