I’m a senior in the process of applications, Northeastern is my absolute favorite school. A brief synopsis of my stats are below…
ACT: 32 (35s for eng/reading, 28s for math/science)
APs: AP Bio (4), AP Eng Lang (4), APUSH (4), AP Span Lang (4)
Current classes: Anatomy&Phys (college course), AP Micro, AP Eng Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Govt
ECs: Varsity Soccer captain (4), Class President/Treasurer (3- Planned prom), Editor in Chief school paper, editor in chief renowned student science publication, Club Soccer (25hr/week) Captain, Key Club (comm. service) VP, President of Venture Crew, Freshmen Orientation Leader, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, prestigious state personal essay award, 150+ hr of comm service started a few service projects myself
I love Northeastern, for so many reasons. I’ve been stuck between it and UPenn. But, I’ve finally realized my heart is at Northeastern. I have many siblings, so academic aid is important to me. I’m wondering if anyone has any advice about whether I should apply ED or EA in order to get the most academic aid possible. In past years, has Northeastern given more merit aid scholarships to ED or EA applicants? And how much merit aid do you think I could realistically get? Thanks a bunch!!
Based solely on numbers- yours and theirs- I wouldn’t think much. Your ACT is solidly in the middle 50% of admitted students (31-34). Only 4% of NW students get non-need merit aid- and the average amount is >$3K. You can see the data [url=<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg03_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1803%5Dhere%5B/url”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg03_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1803]here[/url].
If financials are a factor, apply EA. ED has not been shown to be a significant boost at Northeastern, with similar acceptance rates across EA and ED, though no one can say the quality of each pool since NEU hasn’t released stats.
Supposedly, you can upload extra documents after you submit your application. Adding something relevant and extra to your app would be a great way to show you’re serious but not take on the financial commitment.
Also, as much as I love Northeastern, options are never a bad thing. Noting your preferences down is great for your personal decision-making process though, and as a current student, I understand the feeling for the school
Good luck! I don’t see your GPA, but other than that, you seem to be a match candidate! You have a chance at merit, but no one would be able to give you any really accurate numbers.
The middle 50% ACT range for NEU is 31-34 - while I think a 32 is competitive, I wouldn’t say it is in the running for big merit aid. Merit is offered to the top 25% of the admitted class holistically.
@ OP. I don’t know to what extent, but you mentioned you may be a candidate for financial aid, which could be substantial if NEU is now meeting 100% of need. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this ?
Hey, I’m currently a first year at Northeastern in the honors program. I actually had the same ACT score with a lower GPA (3.8), and received a small scholarship. I applied EA, but that was because I was incredibly indecisive. If you have any questions, feel free to message me!
I disagree profusely with those that say not to apply ED if you need financial aid. Just be prepared to walk if they don’t provide you with a package that enables you to attend. You get to decide what that is. If there are too many loans, you can ask them to release you, and they have to. Applying ED is a signal that, assuming they can make it work financially, that Northeastern is your first choice and you will attend if accepted. EA is a signal that you want a safe admit in the bag before the big deadlines in January to reduce both your anxiety and the number of applications that you have to file.
