What kind of people are Northwestern looking for?

Northwestern recruits students of demonstrated academic achievement from diverse social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.

What type of students does Northwestern look for?

Students who are passionate, intellectually curious, and academically driven fit into the idea of Northwestern. For extracurricular involvement, Northwestern is looking for passionate, focused students, as most other elite universities are.

What values does Northwestern look for?

What do Northwestern admissions officers look for?

A GPA close to or above the Northwestern average GPA; standardized scores at or above the average Northwestern SAT scores; and other aspects of your application. Ultimately, with a highly qualified candidate pool, Northwestern undergraduate enrollment is a game of chance.

What does Northwestern focus on?

Northwestern is a leading research university that is home to more than 90 school-based centers and 35 University research centers. With an interdisciplinary culture, our research spans a spectrum of areas including neuroscience, nanotechnology, biotechnology and drug discovery.

What is Northwestern looking for in a student?

What does Northwestern look for in essays?

We want to be sure we're considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background, your identity, or your school, community, and/or household settings have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern's community, be it academically, extracurricularly, ...

What is Northwestern acceptance rate?

Northwestern University has an acceptance rate of 7%. Half the applicants admitted to Northwestern University who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1490 and 1570 or an ACT score of 33 and 35.

How can I increase my chances of getting into Northwestern?

What does Northwestern prioritize?

Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.

Why is Northwestern so hard to get into?

To be seriously considered for admission to Northwestern, students must perform very well academically. In addition to having a high GPA, students should challenge themselves within the curriculum available to them at their high school. This means that students should display a high level of rigor in their coursework.

How do you demonstrate interest to Northwestern?

Yes, demonstrated interest is considered by the Northwestern admissions team. To show demonstrated interest, you'll want to engage as much as you can with Northwestern. Open their emails, attend virtual programming, sign up for an interview, email your admissions officer, and visit in person if you can.

Does Northwestern look at legacy?

But it does, on applications to hundreds of selective universities across the country. Locally, both the University of Chicago and Northwestern have held on to the practice, called legacy admissions — despite concerns about its impact on students from historically marginalized communities.

Does Northwestern look at class rank?

There are four factors that Northwestern University ranks as being “very important” to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, and standardized test scores (test-optional through at least 2024).

Does Northwestern offer interviews to everyone?

Given the limited availability of alumni volunteers, it is not possible for us to offer interviews to all applicants. Interviews are not a required component of the application, therefore applicants who are unable or choose not to interview are not at a disadvantage in the admission process.

What is the vibe at Northwestern?

As for what stands out, it's definitely the 'work hard, play hard' mentality. My student has never been busier, but they also have never had more fun or felt more fulfilled. Hope that gives you a glimpse into the vibrancy of Northwestern!

Does Northwestern read personal statement?

Yes! While we no longer require the personal essay with your Common Application or Coalition Application with Scoir, should you choose to submit one we will still be able to review it, just as we can any optional or supplemental application materials.

What does Northwestern consider first gen?

Recognizing that individuals can identify with the terms "first-generation" and "lower-income" in a variety of ways, a note about how Northwestern defines the phrases: First-generation college students represent the first generation in their families to graduate from a four-year college or university.

How to prepare for a Northwestern interview?

Know Yourself

Reflect on your education, experiences, accomplishments, strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values and how they relate to opportunities you're seeking. Review your résumé and practice how to articulate your skills and accomplishments.

What are the odds of getting into Northwestern University early decision?

Northwestern's early decision acceptance rate is 24% because 4,545 students applied to Northwestern through the early decision process and 1,105 were accepted. Early action or early decision acceptance rates tend to be a bit higher than regular decisions acceptance rates.

Does Northwestern care about extracurriculars?

Beyond academics, we consider candidates' engagement outside the classroom — extracurriculars, family obligations, work experience — and read their essays to gain further insight into their personal context, interests, values, goals, etc.

Can you get into Northwestern with B's?

Admission to Northwestern is highly competitive. Typically, under 15% of transfer applicants are admitted each year. Strong applicants have completed course work across the full range of the liberal arts and sciences courses and maintained a B average.

Is it harder to get into Harvard or Northwestern?

Therefore, the acceptance rate alone is not a good indicator that Harvard University is a better school or will be more difficult for you specifically to get into. On the flipside, Northwestern University is easier to get into based on acceptance rate alone.

How stressful is Northwestern?

There's probably never been an undergrad at Northwestern who hasn't felt some degree of academic stress. Pressure to make the required pre-med grades, to meet family expectations, to maintain the GPA needed for a scholarship, or simply to meet your own expectations can all create feelings of stress.

Can I get into Northwestern with low grades?

You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Northwestern. If your GPA is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests.

Is Northwestern worth the money?

Northwestern College has been recognized in College Factual's 2021 “Best Colleges for the Money” ranking as being among the nation's top 5% of schools for overall value. Northwestern is ranked as the 48th overall best value in the nation out of 1,472 colleges analyzed.