<p>Hi I'm new, i've been lurking for a long time and am terrified because of all the people with perfect stats who got rejected from northwestern or who don't have much of a chance!</p>
<p>I'm a senior in high school and I want to go to Northwestern for engineering. I have a 4.57 as of right nowand had a 4.1 average last year. My unweighted GPA is gonna be around a 3.5 if i keep a 4.57I'm only an average student though... but i have kind of a story</p>
<p>I come from an abusive home, so I've been in foster care since about 6th grade. All that moving around has taken a serious toll on me, and I've been diagnosed with depression. I barely passed 8th grade, and naturally didn't do to well in 9th and 10th grade. I failed about 6 classes between the 2 years out of 12 classes.</p>
<p>I did so bad because I just didn't feel like getting out of bed in the morning, I wanted to just sleep away all the pain. I know that sounds ridiculous but its the truth.</p>
<p>I've had an upward trend in grades since 9th grade, but like i said i failed pretty miserably. I read somewhere that just one C might mean a rejection from NW, so thats really scary.</p>
<p>I did pretty well on the SAT, I got a 2100. I know thats not that competitive but for a kid like me to pull that off, i think its pretty good. I've also become involved and I hold several leadership positions at school, and i've won a national award. I've also participated in some selective conferences and workshops for engineering students in my state.</p>
<p>If I have good recs and a good essay, do you think its even worth applying? If I explain to them what happened and how I picked myself up off the ground and how much of motivated student i am...do you think they'll even consider me? Or should I not bother applying at all?</p>
<p>Thanks for any suggestions...</p>
<p>by the way I'm from Indiana if you can't tell from my name... I don't know if that counts towards anything</p>
<p>But does anyone think I have a chance? Someone on the Chances board said I had like a 50-90% chance because of my background... depression...abusive home...</p>
<p>But then on the other board someone was asking for chances at Northwestern with ONE C and everyone said there was no chance.</p>
<p>How do I have a good chance if I've failed/gotten D's and C's? I made them all up and they're all now A's... and my SAT score is high. My recs will be good and obviously my essay will be pretty interesting.</p>
<p>hoosier07, I don't think anybody here knows the answer to your question. NU evaluates students on a number of factors, and it would be impossible for anybody here to say what your chances are. Have a look at the NU Common Data Set, and see where you fit with your stats. You can also see there how they weight different aspects of your application. </p>
<p>In the end, it doesn't matter what people here think. What matters is what you've done with the opportunities you've had, and how you present yourself. It's unlikely that your particular background will be the deciding factor. However, the way you managed those challenges will very likely make a big difference.</p>
<p>Applying is a nerve wracking process, so don't let it make you crazy. If you want NU apply, otherwise you'll always wonder. Meanwhile, find some other schools to get excited about too, if you can.</p>
<p>I remember as a senior/junior I posted all my "stats" here and in like 20 other college's forums. It was a great waste of time.</p>
<p>I suggest doing something more productive with your time. If you like northwestern and YOU feel like you have a decent chance, go ahead and do your best on the application and send it in. If you don't feel like you have a GREAT chance, but a GOOD chance, apply anyways, but apply to some backup schools as well. Good luck</p>
<p>I think your story is very inspirational (the improvement and all), and hopefully Northwestern's Admissions Office will also. You really haven't been given the same oppurtunites that 80% of the other applicants have been given, and Northwestern should understand that. Good luck with everything, but I'm sure you can succeed no matter what :)</p>