Unique situation

Colleges & Universities A-Z Northwestern University
1

<hr>

<p>I really want to attend Northwestern, and after a visit and tour last week, I am going to apply RD next year. However, I have a complicated situation, and I hope the admissions officers will understand this. I have been living through child abuse for a decade, having a fatally ill father, and a mother suffering from a mental illness who has been through a pyschiatric ward twice, and maybe going on her third, plus having restrictions on the amount of time given for school work on the computer, so there have been many limitations for me throughout my life. I also want to stress in my essay that in my father's family, there have only been four college graduates in the entire family ever, including 3rd cousins ect, therefore going to college and becomming a college graduate is a very important thing for me. As these are very difficult circumstances to have to have put up with throughout my life, I hope that Northwestern will understand this. Below, are some of my stats:
Gender: F</p>

<p>State: MA</p>

<p>Ethnicity: African American</p>

<p>GPA (unweighted)-3.4 </p>

<p>GPA (Weighted)- 4.17</p>

<p>SAT: Reading, 800
Math: 760
Writing: 800</p>

<p>Extra Curricular Activites: </p>

<p>9th, 10th, 11th, (and 12th for next year) member and violinst of the school orchestra
Copy editor of the school newspaper 10th grade
President and creator of my of high school STAND chapter (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur) 11th grade, and will continue till I graduate
Member of Tri-M Music Honor society- 11th grade, (and continue next year)</p>

<p>Interests in Volunteering: </p>

<p>One of the things that I am most passionate about is increasing the literacy rate for lower-income children across the nation. I am really passionate about volunteering, and am considering entering the Ameri-corps after college graduation for a year. I had tried to volunteer at non-profit organizations that were geared towards my interest in education and literacy, especially catering towards helping lower-income children in inner-cities. It is important for me to help these children, especially since I have a parent that grew up in a very low-income inner-city Boston neighborhood, and came out of the Boston public school system. I also still have family that live in poorer areas in inner-city boston, so it is close to my heart to help many of these disadvantaged children throughout the country.</p>

<p>Volunteer Work: (450 hours and counting)</p>

<p>Registration Coordinator for First Book, a non-profit organization based in D.C, which helps distribute free or reduced-priced books to lower income children across the nation. As a registration coordinator I had reached out to many different Title 1 schools, and after school programs that serve over 80% of low income children. To date, I have helped over 25 schools and after school programs including Washington D.C, New York City, and around the inner-city Boston area in Massachusetts, recieve free or reduced priced books. </p>

<p>Volunteer at an elementary school after-school program in my hometown, (11th grade and continue on in 12th grade)</p>

<p>Volunteer for Student Solutions, a non-profit organization based in North Carolina, which helps increase the literacy rate in children across America by providing literary and eduacational resources to schools in need. As a volunteer, I helped create databases of schools across the country that Student Solutions would reach out to to provide educational resources and materials to.</p>

<p>Volunteer for Nanubai, a non-profit organization based in India, which helps keep women and children in schools and India, and also helps increase the literacy rate among them. </p>

<p>Awards/Achievements:</p>

<p>Winner of First Book Registration Coordinator Challange</p>

<p>Presidents Volunteer Service Award- Gold</p>

<p>Congressional Award- Bronze Certificate</p>

<p>Congressional Award- Silver Certificate</p>

<p>Congressional Award- Gold Certificate </p>

<p>*The only problem is that I go to a really competitve high school where most people do well,( I have a class of about 360) I'm probably not going to be in the top ten percent of my class, bt maybe the top quarter, I'm not sure yet. Do you think I still might have a chance? </p>

<p>*I am also about to start my own non-profit organization called "Change for Changing Lives" that helps benefit low-income children in inner city schools and will raise money to help provide educational resources.</p>

<p>*Does it also help that my school is not diverse at all, and I'm one of the only African Americans at my school? Do colleges pay attention to that?</p>

2

<p>write about your situation in your application essays, it will help</p>

3

<p>Just try not to make yourself sound like a victim. If you’re gonna tell a story about how your life has been hard, say that you’re a winner, focus on your victories, and merely state the hardships. Don’t embellish, don’t relish, and don’t focus too much on them.</p>

4

<p>You have a very compelling story and your SAT1 scores are awesome. Keep up the good work and you should have a good chance at getting into any of the top schools you’re looking at.</p>

5

<p>bump… 10Char</p>

6

<p>Great chances. That GPA is a little low, but that SAT will get the adcoms’ mouths watering. And the URM is a huge bonus. I’d say above average chances.</p>

7

<p>thanks 10Char</p>

8

<p>Yeah you still have a good chance, and guidance counselors are supposed to explain situations like that in their letters, so I think you still have a very good chance regardless.
Best of luck to you :)</p>

9

<p>thanks… I might apply to Medill, I havent’t decided yet. If I had a recommendation from my Honors Journalism teacher who I had for half the year, and a recommendation from guidance counselor and English teacher that would be okay for Medill?</p>

10

<p>you want to be careful with abuse essays. as others have said, try not to simply sound like a victim, but more about your perseverance through your hardship.</p>

<p>iv been interminably beaten and abused since i was 6 years old with both parents having extreme narcissism and thus denial, projection, and continued abuse for over 12 years. By 6th grade i welcomed the beatings for the stability such abuse offered. In 9th grade i fractured my spine and have had severe neuropathic pain for 4 years now, being hospitalized for it when the pain grew uncontrollable.
Adapting and growing through the abuse has been one of the most excruciating challenges of my life; however i did not talk about the abuse at all in my essays. the same for my interviews whenever my alumni would ask “is there anything else you would like the admissions office to know about?”. Still, my interviews could not have gone better.</p>

<p>What matters is not what you’ve been through, but what you’ve become. Remember that regardless of whether you decide to write on the abuse or not. My guidance counselor didn’t mention the abuse at all, though god knows she’s knows about what goes on, but she still told me afterwards “i couldn’t have written a stronger recomendation.” Show them you’re growth, not you’re hardship and that’s what people will truly admire about you. :)</p>

11

<p>Amazing chances, but Srry to hear that :(</p>

<p>When u write your essay DEFINITELY mention this, but mention how you rose above it (talk about the after part more than the actual event). Perseverance and determination have much more to offer than a drama, take it from myself who had to write a non-related yet still dramatic matter. </p>

<p>Best of Luck!</p>

12

<p>thanks! 10Char</p>

13

<p>

</p>

<p>Yes - this is key.</p>

<p>Considering everything, I think you have a pretty good shot.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

14

<p>Given your URM status you can bet the mortgage that you will be accepted. You don’t even need to get into the other stuff.</p>

15

<p>wow! have you considered questbridge (assuming you’re in the correct income bracket)? look into it; it may be perfect for you!</p>

<p>you are incredible. congratulations.</p>

16

<p>I apply to the Questbridge Program.
Northwestern is one of its schools and in addition to an acceptance letter you get a decent (full-ride) scholarship!</p>

<p>[QuestBridge</a> Home Page](<a href=“http://www.questbridge.org%5DQuestBridge”>http://www.questbridge.org)
2010 National College Match</p>

17

<p>bump 10char</p>