Is an ED wasted at Northwestern with this profile?

[Anonymous]

NYC private school ds with a UW 3.9 GPA, all top rigor classes, two varsity sports and a bunch of solid ECs (nothing hook worthy), part-time job during the year and full time counselor in summer loves a program at Northwestern. His SATs don't look like they will crack 1480 since he doesn't do well on timed tests. Taking them the last time in June. He would be happy at Michigan or Wisco (his school sends a bunch there every year) but wants Northwestern. Is this a waste of an ED? his school is trying to steer him elsewhere and is saying scores not high enough. Would you try and go test optional? or submit those? Or be realistic with him and say if he really wants to ED a school he should look elsewhere?

[Anonymous]

He has to have some agency here. If that’s where he wants to try, I can’t see how you would say no.

I’d have him work all summer writing some kick-ass essays that really tell a compelling story about how this program at Northwestern is a match and what he will bring to the classroom.

Go test optional and apply ED.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure how any of us could begin to tell you better than your school's own college counseling office. This seems like a fool's errand. We have no way of knowing what history your school has with admitting kids to Northwestern or what your kid's GPA is relative to others in his class or historic classes.
For example, at my kid's DC private a 3.9 could very well put a kid #1 in the class. At another school it might mean a kid is at the 75th percentile.

[Anonymous]

I’d say his chances are not great, even ED. However, there is a fairly small chance it will workout and only he can decide if it’s worth using the ED.

[Anonymous]

I think he has a chance, we know several kids in the past two years in our private school with those stats but only one varsity sport or less EC and got an acceptance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how any of us could begin to tell you better than your school's own college counseling office. This seems like a fool's errand. We have no way of knowing what history your school has with admitting kids to Northwestern or what your kid's GPA is relative to others in his class or historic classes.
For example, at my kid's DC private a 3.9 could very well put a kid #1 in the class. At another school it might mean a kid is at the 75th percentile.

I would say he is somewhere in the top 10% of the class but not #1. It's a school that tends to send the top kids to Brown, MIT and Yale though.

[Anonymous]

A NYC private school parent is on a DC-based website asking about college admissions, won’t identify the school the kid attends, and even if she did the overwhelming majority of readers won’t know much if anything about it - and still expects to get useful advice? Really?

[Anonymous]

He is a great candidate and don’t believe otherwise. I know someone who got in with similar stats and they went TO although I don’t know SAT score. I may be deluded but 1490 sounds like a good score-has to be in 95 percentile so I would get more info from a counselor on what to submit.

[Anonymous]

Take a look at Northwestern's common data set a 1480 would put him in the bottom 25% for SAT scores, so go TO. They don't break out by GPA but 95% of admits are in top 10% of class. This along with guidance counselor input should be enough to decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure how any of us could begin to tell you better than your school's own college counseling office. This seems like a fool's errand. We have no way of knowing what history your school has with admitting kids to Northwestern or what your kid's GPA is relative to others in his class or historic classes.
For example, at my kid's DC private a 3.9 could very well put a kid #1 in the class. At another school it might mean a kid is at the 75th percentile.

This, some schools have a far better history with NW than others.

[Anonymous]

his school is trying to steer him elsewhere and is saying scores not high enough

This is what you're paying for, OP. Why are you asking a bunch of randos on an anonymous message board? You already have your answer. Take their advice and apply elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Talk to parents of current seniors at the school and ask if the counselor's advice was spot on. If they did not listen to them, did they regret it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NYC private school ds with a UW 3.9 GPA, all top rigor classes, two varsity sports and a bunch of solid ECs (nothing hook worthy), part-time job during the year and full time counselor in summer loves a program at Northwestern. His SATs don't look like they will crack 1480 since he doesn't do well on timed tests. Taking them the last time in June. He would be happy at Michigan or Wisco (his school sends a bunch there every year) but wants Northwestern. Is this a waste of an ED? his school is trying to steer him elsewhere and is saying scores not high enough. Would you try and go test optional? or submit those? Or be realistic with him and say if he really wants to ED a school he should look elsewhere?

An important factor regarding your son's chances for admission to Northwestern University is that he "loves a program at Northwestern". Your son needs to let Northwestern admissions know this and explain why.

High school counselors priority is to get all students accepted to a college or university; typically, they are not concerned about fighting for one's top choice school. Lots of turnover among high school college counselors.

If you want to share the particular program, I will try to suggest alternatives. It would also be helpful to know the schools suggested by his college counselor.

Regarding your son's academic requirements, he has what appears to be a high GPA in the most rigorous classes. Without an actual standardized test score (ACT or SAT), it is difficult to comment on test optional versus submission of test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:his school is trying to steer him elsewhere and is saying scores not high enough

This is what you're paying for, OP. Why are you asking a bunch of randos on an anonymous message board? You already have your answer. Take their advice and apply elsewhere.

op: I think like many private schools, ours tries to push the kids toward the "easiest" path for everyone. They prefer for non-legacy/recruited athletes to go ED to somewhere that is a high target. We saw it happen a lot this year so are trying to see how much weight we should give their advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NYC private school ds with a UW 3.9 GPA, all top rigor classes, two varsity sports and a bunch of solid ECs (nothing hook worthy), part-time job during the year and full time counselor in summer loves a program at Northwestern. His SATs don't look like they will crack 1480 since he doesn't do well on timed tests. Taking them the last time in June. He would be happy at Michigan or Wisco (his school sends a bunch there every year) but wants Northwestern. Is this a waste of an ED? his school is trying to steer him elsewhere and is saying scores not high enough. Would you try and go test optional? or submit those? Or be realistic with him and say if he really wants to ED a school he should look elsewhere?

An important factor regarding your son's chances for admission to Northwestern University is that he "loves a program at Northwestern". Your son needs to let Northwestern admissions know this and explain why.

High school counselors priority is to get all students accepted to a college or university; typically, they are not concerned about fighting for one's top choice school. Lots of turnover among high school college counselors.

If you want to share the particular program, I will try to suggest alternatives. It would also be helpful to know the schools suggested by his college counselor.

Regarding your son's academic requirements, he has what appears to be a high GPA in the most rigorous classes. Without an actual standardized test score (ACT or SAT), it is difficult to comment on test optional versus submission of test scores.

Continuing:

OP: In response to your question, no an ED application to Northwestern University is not wasted for one with your son's profile combined with a specific reason or reasons for targeting a particular program offered at Northwestern.