@2017journalismhopeful As an alum, member of the NU Alumni Admissions Council for 20 years and a (former) donor; legacy is NOT a “HUGE leg up” as my daughter was rejected ED 3 years ago, along with countless other children of my fellow classmates. I’ve heard from 2 this year - one who’s child was waitlisted RD and the other who’s son was deferred ED and now rejected. All top achieving students, like many of those who were accepted. My daughter’s year, a fellow classmate with a far lower GPA/test scores/fewer APs was accepted RD after my child was rejected ED. I have plenty of first hand evidence that unfortunately legacy offers little to no edge in admissions.
@jellyjells dude SAME! I have similar stats and I got in NU, but waitlisted at UCLA -.-
@frankline thank you for the link! 
@jjmama NU does not really consider legacy. Huge legacy and qualified but deferred and rejected. Stopped donating after that. Same with other legacy families we know.
@jjmama We also had big legacy at UChicago going back for three generations and waitlisted, but NU was merciless
@jjmama @LindsayHarvard actually it does not improve your admission chances.
@PapaEstresado She sounds like a great kid and she will get in somewhere great! It is NU’s loss and she will be happier elsewhere.
@lindsayHarvard @jjmama I agree with you 100%. Legacy MATTERS at the Ivies but not so much at NU. Our family has been NU legacy for generations. We have donated huge sums of money to NU for decades, volunteered for NU, interviewed prospectives. Many other NU legacy families we know have been taken aback, disappointed, and confused when their well qualified kids have been admitted to the Ivies but deferred and rejected from NU, receiving that generic letter about “how hard it was considering your ties to NU” which we now learn are being sent to rejected students with NO ties to NU:) How can our kids be qualified for the Ivies but not NU? Our families have stopped donations to NU. It’s a shame. NU is more concerned about being a top 10 university on US News than actually caring about students (building new athletic centers and the lakefront Admission/Visitor Center instead of spending on much needed mental health and counseling services for stressed students at NU). This is not where we want our donations to go. @jjmama Your kid will go someplace great and do really well. Yes it is disappointing now but it really is for the best. Good luck to your kid!
@GeoffWii2 Northwestern now regularly rejects students admitted to Stanford Caltech and the Ivies. NU is just that huuuuuge now.
@anonstem NU is all about yield and making their numbers look good so they can be ranked top 10 on US News. Game on!
@SincererLove NU does not offer a lot of merit aid which is why most admitted students are those with means.
@Georgia101 It will get better and you will do great things.
@LindsayHarvard @anonstem um let me think about that…yes… they do really do that. Yield is a very real thing in the college ranking world.
@IsaacTheFuture @anonstem
“Also, when I said that you may not be a good fit, I wasn’t talking academic and EC wise, I meant essays (and interviews if you did one). THOSE are how schools get a feel for you as a student and how’d you fit into their school, and are often the determining factor.” Well said. Agree 100% which is why it is so ironic that schools such as Brown and UPenn require a personal interview while NU does not. If NU truly cared about fit and personal qualities and all that jazz it too would require an interview from every applicant.
@MMSS2020 Yes but Brown requires an interview and NU does not even offer interviews in some areas so not sure how you can say fit matters a LOT at NU.
@WGSK88 It’s a random process at NU for RD. It is literally like gambling at Vegas and no reflection on your daughter’s accomplishments.
@malvernvarna It is a lot easier to preach when you are admitted. You think you got in because you showed NU how much you loved the school. Perhaps there were hundreds of other ED applicants who also showed their love for NU and were rejected. Your love was not any greater or better than theirs. You got in. You are lucky. That;'s about it. People can wax on about why they did or did not get in - high scores low scores great essay horrible essay great recos bad recos unique ECs generic ECs, URM unhooked yadi yadi yadaa. It is luck. Pure simple dumb luck. The admissions process at these top tier schools is a crapshoot. So no one should pat themselves on the back or feel bad if they did or did not get in.
@denydenzig Could not have said it better. Agree that luck not love got this person admitted @malvernvarna
@Jbwag1 agreed Northwestern is definitely playing an aggressive yield game to boost their rankings. NU is rejecting applicants accepted to the Ivies MIT Stanford Caltech. Admissions is playing a game and it is not fair to the applicants.
@blackgirlmagic It was luck. Get real.