<p>UW GPA: 3.58
SAT: 2280
SAT2
760 Lit, 750 Bio, 800 Math2c</p>
<p>My grandpa, who raised me when I was little, died my soph year and caused my grades to deteriorate (2 Cs)</p>
<p>EC:</p>
<p>VERY actively involved in national circuit LD debate; extremely dedicated to the task and its effects</p>
<p>Champion of 2 tournaments</p>
<p>CEO and founder of a non-profit corporation to help teach kids of any economical background critical reading, thinking skills, etc.</p>
<p>300+ hours volunteering at a local school by tutoring</p>
<p>Applying to all UCs</p>
<p>As you know, you can probably write a rather compelling essay detailing your life before/after your grandfather's death. I am not sure how much that sways adcoms, but if you have a story, might as well tell it and see what happens! Also, they probably want to see how you bounced back the year after, so if you were about to turn things around, you're in good shape. Your test scores are above NU's average which will only bode well for you. You definitely have a shot if you apply, so go for it. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that while NU has a highly revered policy debate team, there is no LD in college, so I doubt your success will mean much to them aside from just showing your passion/leaderhip for/in an EC (That of course, not to detract from your amazing accomplishments in debate, I know it's hard.) </p>
<p>Do you live in California?</p>
<p>Umm...there IS LD in college. It is a part of NFA (National Forensic Association) and Northwestern does compete in that league. LD is run through the NU Speech Team, which is among the top 20 teams in the country despite a smaller size and less funding than many state schools.
If you really want to do LD, you can. Be aware that LD is a bit more like high school policy debate. In any event, NU has a rich tradition of accepting and enrolling many national finalists and champions from the high school ranks.</p>