Hi! Northwestern is my absolute dream school and I’m totally planning on applying ED, unless my financial situation changes drastically in the next few months.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to apply to the school of communications, and I hope to do a double major in communication studies and american studies (at Weinberg). My GPA is pretty strong (3.9 UW, 4.5W) and I’m happy with my ACT score (33), which I really have no interest in retaking. I have fairly good extracurriculars with leadership but I wouldn’t call them especially unique or remarkable. I’m a good writer so I’m not too worried about my personal statement, and I think my recs will be good.
Now I’m just left wondering…what else can I do?? I want to get in to NU so bad; it’s honestly been my goal since freshman year and I think about it all the time. I want to have the best possible chance of admission, so besides applying ED (which I’m already going to do), is there anything else I can do to make my application stand out? Any new advice?
Oh and BTW I’m a white, Jewish female from CA, so no luck in the diversity department 
Thanks in advance!
Probably the only things you can control now are your essays, what you do this summer, and test scores. You are a bit above the 50% mark in test scores. It would not hurt to have a higher test score if you decide to study and retake.
Frame your application in a way that makes your passion - both for NU and for whatever else you’re interested in - clear. One way to do that is through your essays. Start on them early, as intparent said.
Also, do something related to your passions/interests this summer if you can. In addition to it being fun and a good learning and whatnot experience, it may look good on college applications.
Also, contact the teachers/other people who will be writing your letters of rec early so they have time to work on them, and so they aren’t also juggling many other letters of rec at the same time, which would dilute the effort and care they could put into yours.
Keep up those grades too. While your ACT score hypothetically could be higher, its pretty good already (well inside the middle 50% range for NU), and taking the test sucks (I never wanted to sit through it again after taking it once as well), so I think it would be okay not to take again.
Best of luck!
Your plans to double major are a good start. The latest NU campaign is “And is in our DNA” - NU is looking for students that are interested in more than one area. http://admissions.northwestern.edu/ Good Lock!
Yes. Research NU. Try to figure out what they want in kids (they do like multiple strengths and kids who love NU and can add to the conmunity). Work out the reasons why you love NU.
I don’t think there’s a need to retake the ACT.
Visit if you can.
No need to retake ACT. If your personality is a fit in your essays, you will have a strong chance of admission.
Chance me back
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