<p>Northwestern has been a school I've always had on my radar. However, I feel like it might not even be worth applying. I think I am a fairly weak applicant in comparison to the students they accept. Overall, after looking at their acceptance statistics it feels they place a lot of weight on numbers. Is it worth applying to for me?</p>
<p>GPA (W): 4.32 (highest possible at my school is 4.5)
GPA (U): 3.97 (one B+, Honors pre cal)
My school does NOT offer AP classes. Only Honors. I have taken all the hardest classes available for me.</p>
<p>SAT: 1900 overall
620 Critical Reading
660 Writing
620 Math</p>
<p>No SAT IIs </p>
<p>Extracurricular Activities:
4 years of Sierra Club, 2 years president
2 years Key Club
3 years Model UN (with awards and leadership position)
3 years Yearbook, 1 year as editor
8 years swim team
8 years dance
I stopped swim team and dancing as an underclassman </p>
<p>Work/ Volunteer experience
5 years of Summer volunteering at a children's summer camp: over 200 hours each year
Because of this volunteering, I have not been able to get a paying job into my schedule (I'm there 8 hours a day, 4 days a week. I could not work during the school year because of transportation issues)
4 month long internship at a science research institute (jr year: unpaid)</p>
<p>Intended major: cognitive science (is this competitive at NU?) with premed </p>
<p>Do you think it's worth applying? Thank you.</p>
<ul>
<li>I can not apply EA because I am applying to a different school with REA</li>
</ul>
<p>I also have bits and pieces of other volunteer hours, mostly environmental related. I will graduate with over 1,000 hours.
I also have 3 units (1 class) of college credit from USD</p>
<h1>fisheralert.</h1>
<p>For real doe, stop fishing for compliments on the most neurotic site on the planet. “Your gpa is in the top percentile, good job!!!111!!!”. Theres very little productive about his excercise. But, since, I typed this alert out, I might as well chance you.
Gpa is good.
Sat is not.
Extracurriculars are okay.
Community service is good.</p>
<p>Maybe you get in, maybe you don’t. That’s life. But you know what doesn’t make life enjoyable? Fishing for compliments on College Confidential.</p>
<p>^I don’t think he was trying to fish for compliments.</p>
<p>Your GPA is strong but your ECs are so-so and your test score will hurt you. Northwestern ED or RD is highly unlikely to happen (even more so RD), sorry to say.</p>
<p>I definitely wasn’t fishing for compliments, hence why I said " I think I am a fairly weak applicant… is it worth applying?"
…</p>
<p>Northwestern doesn’t have EA to begin with. You wouldn’t have too much of a chance, but you’re wrong about Northwestern being extremely numbers focused. The only reason it seems like they are is because they attract such high level people, but they aren’t super numbers focused.</p>
<p>… is it worth applying.</p>
<p>For NU – the scores for the 25th percentile of the entering class are 680 CR, 700 M, 680 W. Unfortunately, your scores are significantly lower than this. Even with your excellent grades, your application would appear to be a ‘reach’.</p>
<p>However, given your grades, I wouldn’t say that admission is impossible. Further, your chances of admission are infinitely greater if you apply than if you don’t.</p>
<p>My ‘standard’ advice is that so long as you are applying to several schools where you are a statistical ‘match’ and at least one true statistical and financial safety, there’s nothing wrong with a reach or two – sort of like chasing a dream, and all it will cost is a few dollars and a few hours of your time.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>