<p>i'm about to be a junior, and i'm all ready convinced that Northwestern is THE college that i want to attend. i see all of the ACT ranges and everything, but then i hear about people with scores at the top of the range getting rejected. i was just wondering what it takes to be accepted, realistically. if anyone would be willing to post their stats, that would be awesome.</p>
<p>I was accepted, but I won't be attending.</p>
<p>White male from competitive suburban high school.
UW GPA: ~3.5
W GPA: 4.0
SAT: 1520 (800 V, 720 M)
Nat'l Merit Scholar</p>
<p>you didnt by any chance have a huge list of extracurriculars to go along with that, did you? because i'm pretty weak in that aspect.</p>
<p>If you want to go to NW apply there regardless what people post about their stats. I knew it was the place for me as well when i visited it as a Sophomore and I applied despite a low GPA and got accepted when every other kid in my class but one (all with much better GPA's) got rejected.</p>
<p>White Male from an elite, very competitive private high school
GPA: 3.57
SATs: 2130
Tons of extracurriculars and outlandish but very good essays </p>
<p>Just show a lot of interest and write something original for your essays and you have a good shot.</p>
<p>My extracurriculars weren't that impressive, but my essay went into depth about one activity I had done and the impact it had on me, so that may have helped.</p>
<p>Jeffz26, I agree with NW87. Do the best you can to get your stats up, but don't shy away from applying if you love NU. It's not just about stats. They care about things like character, passion, and your connection with NU. Be sure to visit and let them know as soon as possible that you are interested. They like students who show early and sustained interest.</p>
<p>i agree with nan. i was accepted into medill but before I applied i freaked out because i saw the sat scores they accept and mine were lower than the median. but i was loved NU from the moment I learned about them and talked to many professors and deans. it does pay to know people; get in contact with them and talk to them as often as you cna.</p>
<p>is it possible to show too much interest? also, would you recommend contacting the admissions office or simply the professors. if you have some advice on how to go about this, that would be great. i appreciate all the help you all are offering.</p>
<p>there's no such thing as showing too much interest!</p>
<p>yeahh! show SO MUCH INTEREST that they'd feel guilty rejecting you! i wrote my "why northwestern" one about how i'm a "northwesternaholic," and it worked! what's great about NU is that htey put a huge emphasis on the applicant's character and drive. you're not strictly a GPA or SAT score like other schools...</p>
<p>"SO MUCH INTEREST that they'd feel guilty rejecting you!"
^ that is some great advice.</p>
<p>tennisbv, how did you go about making the connections?</p>
<p>haha yeah! i got in as a transfer, and i made them feel soooo bad about rejecting me in the first place. send them on a guilt trip! i hope u get in!</p>
<p>Jeffz26 -- The first thing i did was continue emailing the dean of admissions after he came by for a preview program in my area. i made sure to keep in contact with him and ask him as many questions as I could think of that wouldn't be answered by the NU website. thankfully i did have some connections through journalists who referred me to professors at Medill and former alumni who have influence there. Even if I didn't have a question, I would tell them what I was up to; how I was doing in school, what I'm doing on the newspaper staff, etc. The most important thing, in my opinion, is contacting the school that you're going to apply to, not the dean of admissions. Mainly because the school accepts and rejects you, which in turn decides your fate in the NU admissions process. I don't know how much it helped in the admissions decision period, but it certainly didn't hinder. If anything, at least the adcoms get a better picture of who you are besides the 100 page application you turn in (it FELT like 100 pages). Anyways good luck, and hope to see you there in a couple years!</p>
<p>thanks a lot you guys. you have been a huge help and have given me a huge deal of encouragement!!!!!!!!</p>