Chane a to-be NU ED applicant

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northwestern University
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<p>Hey guys! I made one of these last year as a sophomore and would like to update it and get any feedback</p>

<p>GPA - 4.44 W, 3.9 UW
%- school doesn't rank but probably 2-3%.</p>

<p>APs taken - AP Gov (A/5)
Taking now - BC Calc (A), AP Chem (A), AP Bio (A), AP Lang (A)
Will take- Multivariable (Dual credit), Spanish 5 (Dual credit), Ap Com Science, AP Physics, AP Stats.</p>

<p>Have taken hardest curriculum in every category except for humanities (just dont like it = /)</p>

<p>SAT: 2260 (retaking in march to get that CR 720+ for a 2300+ super score)
680 CR 800 M 780 W 9 Essay</p>

<p>SAT II: Physics (790) Math II (800)</p>

<p>ACT: 34 w/ 11 essay as of now but getting scores back in a week. Thinking 35-36</p>

<p>E.C.
Math team (9,10,11)- Have gotten a perfect test, and have participated on team during the years we won state and 2nd place in state (Illinois)
Debate team (10,11)- Captain as a junior and hoping for captain again next year. Will get a varsity letter this year for Debate (lolwut?)
JSA (11)- Love this, will be going to Spring State if anyone is going!
Key Club (9,10,11)- Not a very active member but I participate as often as I can
JETS (11)- Just started this year. On the JV team.
Model UN (next year)- Heard it's amazing so I am going to persue it next year.</p>

<p>Volunteering- Will have about 250-300 hours by the time I apply
Dupage Children's Museum (100 hours!) just got 100 today = D! This place is awsome to volunteer at. I get to play and help kids learn 2 hours each Saturday.
Lit. Center Tutor at school (some 50 hours)
Library (started this week but will have around 50-60 by the time I apply)</p>

<p>Misc.
Internship at Fermi Lab this coming summer (havent done it yet)
Played piano since I was 5 (so 11 years)
Played violin from 4th grade to 9th grade (6 years)
Soon to be national merit scholar commened (213 = ( and it will probably not go down from 214)
Raised over $235 for Haiti at school after the terrible earthquake struck
Participated in the NCTE (National Counsil of Teachers of English) writing competition. One of 32 kids nominated at my school (800 in class). Didn't win though.</p>

<p>Letters
My couselor really likes my family so that letter should be awsome
Letter from AP Lang teacher--I talk a lot in her class but she loves my writting likes me as a person... lol
2nd letter probably from BC Calc teach. Will have her again next year and for math team</p>

<p>Just wanted to get some opinoins and suggestions for how I can improve my application. NU is my first choice and to get in would be incredible. Plus I wouldnt have to take the time to apply everywhere else ; ).</p>

<p>Oh wow, typo in title. I look smarttttt = p</p>

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<p>Northwestern is very predictable within your range. I’d say that provided you keep your grades up you are a definite admits.</p>

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<p>That would be amazing!! Should I start getting in touch with the school/visit during spring break to show my interest?</p>

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<p>You could get into some really upper tier schools ED and even if that didn’t work out you’d still get into NU RD.</p>

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<p>You are a lock. I am looking at NU for my #2 son - he’s a soph now, and getting recruited by everyone it seems because of his PSAT scores. I wonder if NU will allow an ED for a HS Soph?</p>

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<p>^schools have database systems that take in data from testing board, automatically flag the higher scorers, and send them marketing materials. they do that to all higher scoreres to get their applications in; it’s all done by computers. the computer may not “know” he’s a soph.</p>

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<p>Just because they send you letters doesn’t mean they want you, just that your name showed up on a list. I got a letter today from Caltech. Trust me, Caltech doesn’t want me.</p>

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<p>ur in. i made it in ED…ur stats are awesome.</p>

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<p>^ thanks a lot smarty. What are you going to major in?</p>

<p>Oh and btw quick question, should I begin to contact NU about my interest or is now too early?</p>

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<p>im prolly gonna major in biochem and maybe another major/minor in math…gonna be doing premed at NU </p>

<p>and about contacting NU…its prolly not 2 early…i did my college visit in march of junior yr.</p>

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<p>^ AWSOME! me too lol. but not biochem. AP chem this year has reminded me how much I hate chem. I’m thinking a biophysics or something along those lines.</p>

<p>Oh and yeah I’ll probably go visit during Spring break so that would be March as well.</p>

<p>And could I ask you guys one more question? So I got my ACT scores back today and they were lower than I thought they would be… turns out I got the same exact score as last year but with different sub scores but same essay. Assuming the manditory ACT in April doesn’t get me a better score, should I send both 34.25 w/ 11 essays to NU and hope that they see each time I did good in different parts and in their minds (not officially) superscore it? lol… wishful thinking. </p>

<p>Anyway heres what I got.
English 35 (was a 32)
Math 36 (was a 35)
Reading 33 (was a 34)
Science 33 (was a 36)</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for the input.</p>

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<p>For now I’d suggest you send everything. Your CR SAT score is fairly low but offset by stronger ACT english/rdg #'s. NU won’t superscore, but they will look at the “whole package.” The fact that you have had strong performance (if not consistency) across the standardized test board should be well reviewed. If March’s SAT yields the nice increase in the CR score you’ve predicted, the additional ACT submission may be superfluous. If I dare make predictions, I’d suggest with these scores you’re a very likely admit ED, a likely admit RD.</p>

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<p>^ haha so much for that prediction. I thought just buying the Direct Hits book would help me, but it doesn’t read itself = p. Im going all out for May though. And I really appreciate that, I would love to get into NU ED.</p>

<p>I hate to bring this thread back from obscurity, but I found out our team got 9th in State for Jets (IL) this year. Notable achievement or just meh?</p>

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<p>Good thing you didn’t apply this year because you would’ve blocked me out of a spot :).</p>

<p>No, but seriously, you’ll get in.</p>

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<p>Letter of rec from your debate coach would help substantially, especially if you are from a well known debate school and in policy debate. Northwestern has won multiple NDTs in the past years and has been known to recruit people for debate. They care.</p>

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<p>^ That’s a good idea. I don’t know how much effect it would have since our school isn’t very big at debate, but we are huge with math team (state winners 16 of the past 17 years).</p>

<p>Also anyone here know how much weight the AIME holds? I qualified for it this year and was wondering what score would be like a threashold to break as an accomplishment.</p>

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<p>LOL got a 2 on the AIME. 4 STUPID MISTAKES!! AHHH!!!</p>

<p>Is it even worth sending in? Or just the fact that I qulified instead of my score.</p>