@momofsenior1 Any suggestions, tips or hot button topics for the interview process that you can share beyond showing high interest and asking great questions? My son has a local interview on Feb. 1st and really hopes to nail it. NW is his top choice.
@DadInTheCLE Interviews are not going to the tip the scales so your son should be relaxed. It’s just another way to connect with someone else representing the school.
The main question he should be prepare to answer is “why NU”. A good deep dive on why it’s a great fit for him and how he can contribute to campus.
It should be a positive experience. Don’t stress 
@momofsenior1 Thank you for the insight. He’s very excited!
My D20 interviewed in December for ED and it would’ve been a very short interview if my D hadn’t gone in with questions of her own. The interviewer asked the “why NU” but really wanted to be able to answer questions as much as ask them. So, I’d just encourage my child to come up with some good questions that can’t be easily answered by the website. My daughter asked about her interviewer’s personal experiences at NU - that kind of thing.
What are people doing if they got deferred?
My daughter interviewed in November for ED and was asked about what she wanted to major in at NU and about some of her ECs activities in high school. The interviewer was a doctor whose son is a junior in the same school as my daughter…
Interviewer: “By the way, we’re going to see Macbeth at school tomorrow. Can you tell me about your theatre activities?”
Daughter: “I’m in Macbeth…”
@cc200222 I visited again, asked my counselor to call NU to ask how I can improve my app, and sent a LOCI :)!!
I received three degrees from NU (two Bachelors and an MBA), consistently donate (though not a large amount), and have had two NU alumni reps email and visit me this year (one was just at my house last week! Lovely people). My DD not only spent 5 weeks at NU after she was accepted to Screenwriting/Cherubs, but won multiple awards for her work, is a full IB Diploma student, many awards, activities, anchors school news, club leader, huge Thespian, makes movies, featured in film festivals, etc. NU interviewer told her it was a great interview and he’d give her an extremely positive review…BUT one recommendation was “pending” and never successfully sent until too late (?, still two other great ones they received), she consistently has a B or a C in IB French (from a teacher that never gives A’s, and rarely a b), and she had a 30 composite ACT . The standardized test score and being Caucasian really hurt her chances, in MY opinion. All other factors were in her favor. She’s now been accepted early to 7 other schools (!) and applied ED2 to Boston University. So, to answer the question re: what next after deferral: we have no faith that she would get in as a deferred applicant, even after having another great recommendation sent in and by writing a very good letter of continued interest and more recent awards. If the regional rep doesn’t go out to bat for the applicant, then the chances of admittance are low.
My son had a fantastic interview on Saturday here in Cleveland. His interviewer was a world-renowned doctor and philanthropist, truly an amazing man. My son left the interview even more excited about Northwestern. Probably his top choice, certainly in his top 2. Hoping for some good news in March!
@FLBeaches123 I just wanted to chime in to say that my son (current freshman at Northwestern) has a good friend who sounds so similar to your daughter. Both her parents, one grandparent and her uncle graduated from NU and are involved alumni and her brother currently attends. She had great gpa from a great school, extremely strong ECs and recs, but 30 or 31 ACT and was deferred ED. She DID get in RD and is currently attending. There is hope! Good luck.
My DS received an email stating no interview for you, and this won’t disadvantage him. He elected not to do anything but wait. Hope that is ok. Any suggestions?
“Thank you for expressing interest in interviewing with a member of the Northwestern alumni base. Unfortunately, we have reached capacity for interviews in your area, .If you intended to use the interview to convey part of your story to the committee, please feel free to email additional context to ug-admission@northwestern.edu and ask that it be included in your file.”
Hey all, I applied RD for Theatre. Good luck!!
@Classof2020Kid My D also applied RD for Theatre. Does anyone have any sense of how many they took ED for Theatre and how many they plan to take overall? They told us at Info session last summer that it is entirely an Admissions Office decision but I have a sense from others that there is a maximum number accepted to this program. My D submitted the “optional” musical theater supplement (which lots of people told me is not really option) but admission to Theatre program does not guarantee admission to MT certificate (you mus audition once you are there); and b) they kept saying that it would not impact Admissions decision but them why ask for it of it impacts neither of these things? Anyone know?
My daughter graduated with theatre degrees last year. If nothing has changed, they take 100 kids total into this program.
MT is fun and competitive and you are part of a smaller group within the theatre group. That being said, these kids get so involved in so many theatre opportunities and beyond that it doesn’t really matter if they are in it or not.
It hasn’t changed - they take 100 (that’s what we were told when a rep visited my d’s high school last fall.)
FYI - my daughter was accepted to theatre ED and did NOT do the optional MT supplement (so, it really, really is optional!)
Hey, I’m super-nervous.
Can anyone chance me?
McCormick Computer Science
Int’l Student from India, applied for Financial Aid
1420 SAT, 88.4% expected CBSE Board Percentage
SAT Subject: Math2: 800, Physics:790
AP CS A: 4
EXTRACURRICULARS
- Paid intern at a startup: taught coding online for about 6 months
- Supported Ministry of Railways with one of their meets
- Founded the Editorial Club at my previous school
- Taught at an NGO for two years
- Got a scholarship by Coursera in Deep Learning
6.Was State rank 11 and top 100 nationally at an informatics olympiad (india’s population is about 1.2 bn, so this is good considering there are a lot of students competing) - Awards at Multiple MUNs
- Others were not any special
LOR: Computer Science Teacher, Math Teacher (also happens to be the school principal) , English Teacher at Previous School, Employer. Enjoyed a good rep with all of them so shall be good.
Also talked about a book I'm currently working on using the additional info session. It would talk about certain philosophical ideas through a scientific theory and do a bit of social commentary.
I’m just trying to get a rough estimate of when I might expect this year’s decisions to be released.
When did regular decisions come out last year (or any recent year)?
Based on threads here from last year, it was March 22nd.
Can anyone please follow up on that?
Also, I mentioned about that book on the additional info section only 5-6 days ago. So would they consider it while evaluating my application or will it just go ignored?