<p>I actually found this website by accident. However, I have found that a lot of posters on this website have very little (or accurate for that matter) knowledge about NU admissions. I have seen countless posts, asking for chances, and putting down NU as a "match." Many of these posters do not even have SATs in the 1500s. I do not know what is going on. In my opinion, NU is a reach for about almost any applicant, besides those "auto" admits into Harvard and Yale. Of course, NU will be a match for those applicants. However, how can someone with a 1430 SAT and reasonable ECs say NU is a "match." That is absolutely absurd. I saw one poster who had CMU and Cornell as reaches and NU as a match. How is that even conceivable. NU has higher entering stats than both schools. Perhaps, this is just reflective of east coast bias against midwestern schools. I really do not know...Just thought I would share my thoughts with my limited experience on these boards.</p>
<p>I agree^^^</p>
<p>Yeah the chance thread responses are bogus. I agree, NU ain't a match school.</p>
<p>well at least nobody tried to claim NU as their safety school...</p>
<p>It's the east coast bias. :)</p>
<p>i agree...i love this forum its helped me a lot. i have a 1410 but i wouldn't have it be a safety ever. its a very high ranking school as said before.</p>
<p>I have a 1570 and I'm still quite convinced that I'm going to be rejected...</p>
<p>People just aren't aware of how amazing NU is. And I agree with Sam Lee, east coast is all about the ivies despite the fact that NU is just as good as any ivy.</p>
<p>There is just no way to know exactly what the admissions people are looking for. They want a cross section of students so some applicants with 1500+ SATs and impeccable grades, essays and ECs may be rejected while those who appear to be numerically lesser qualified are accepted.</p>
<p>I have a friend who was rejected from Tufts and accepted at USC. I have a friend who was rejected from Boston University and got into Dartmouth. I have a friend who appeared to exceed all standards (plus is a strong athlete) at Boston College and Bucknell and was rejected by both.</p>
<p>I had SATs in the low 1400s, great recommendations, many meaningful ECs and my essays were solid. I was pleased with my application, believing it told NU about who I was, and I was accepted. I did apply early which may have been my ticket in.</p>
<p>Still, I don't think it is possible to definitively guess who will get in and who will be rejected. There are too many variables and the admissions officers do look for some diversity in the freshman class.</p>
<p>I know this is super late but I have two questions: Does NU superscore? and does it look at the writing section?</p>
<p>Thanks, I'm just growing really anxious as decisions approach.</p>
<p>no and....I don't think so.</p>
<p>We were told that they notice the writing section of the SAT if the score is very high.</p>
<p>A lower score may be noticed but would not be held against you unless it was in strong contrast with the strength of your essays. (i.e., if you got a 500 on your SAT and your essays were superlative, they may try to determine why those essays were so strong when your writing ability seems to be less than great).</p>
<p>The east-coast bias on these boards is generally brutal, and a lot of people make grand and confident pronouncements about admission practices when, in reality, they have no idea what they're talking about. The culture of educational snobbery in this country, however, really lives and breathes on the east coast, whereas you will find that it is far less pronounced in most other corners of the country. </p>
<p>It's an extension of what I experienced as a graduate student in NYC, where people's reaction to my being from Chicago sometimes included quips about cornfields and barnyard animals.</p>
<p>That's the danger of using the boards as a serious resource. It's great supporting material, but it's "buyer beware" when the info is free and comes from anonymous posters with screen names like "IvyLeagueMom" (disclaimer: haven't actually seen this moniker, but you get the point). </p>
<p>Confidentiality prevents me from revealing aspects of my background that qualify me to speak about admissions, but suffice it to say that I know much of what is thrown around here to be false information. </p>
<p>Much of it is also excellent information, but when in complete doubt, the best source is always the school itself. They may not be able to tell you your chances, but the numbers and information that they distribute about the process is accurate and useful.</p>
<p>The make-up of the student body at NU is very similar to that at Penn, Cornell, Brown, UoC, Duke, etc. and even Stanford (overall, schools like Stanford and Penn have a slight edge).</p>
<p>And with the figures that the admissions office has been hinting at, this year's class should be very comparable with NU's peer schools.</p>
<p>"That's the danger of using the boards as a serious resource. It's great supporting material, but it's "buyer beware" when the info is free and comes from anonymous posters with screen names like "IvyLeagueMom" (disclaimer: haven't actually seen this moniker, but you get the point)."</p>
<p>I second, third, and fourth this post. CC is worthless in many respects, outside of the bits that actually come from admissions counselors (i.e. Libby Pearson and LauraR). I think it is massively important that everyone takes everything they read here with a grain of salt, as 90+ percent of the people that post here (myself included) know little about college admissions. It is simply nice to hear someone say, "Yea, you look like you have a really good chance!" Just my two cents.</p>
<p>Take the advice here with a grain of salt, yes, but at least this site is more reliable than that god-awful "theu.com".</p>
<p>"CC is worthless in many respects, outside of the bits that actually come from admissions counselors (i.e. Libby Pearson and LauraR)."</p>
<p>I didn't realize they were actually admissions counselors. I haven't seen either of them post very often. Do they and I'm missing it?</p>
<p>they post sporadically, though i think they get bombarded with chance questions. I know if you look in the MIT boards, the counselors are on CC quite often. It really depends on the adcoms</p>
<p>I think what this website is really good for is simply knowing you're not alone. It's so nice to come on here and see what other people are feeling and finding that we do, many of us, think in similar ways, regardless of the credibility of the information. It's also great to see that you're not the only one going insane waiting for admission decisions!</p>
<p>I agree with the above. Take it for what it's worth, and that may be a lot.</p>