Thoughts on Northwestern?

[Anonymous]

Northwestern is nearly impossible. Might as well ED at Duke if that’s what he prefers. Plus fit more likely to shine through. And that matters.

[Anonymous]

If you want everyone else's uninformed opinion, go into Naviance. They have lots of lists of "schools like X" for every school X.

[Anonymous]

If you’re applying from Kansas, Arkansas or Alabama, then worth the ED. If applying from DMV, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure a NW ED is a good strategic choice. it's really difficult to get into from the DMV (a hair away from impossible) Also, if you're coming from private you better be a URM. 2023 admits from DC privates were about 10/10 URM.

How would you ever know that other than anecdotally?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Impossible to get into..but an amazing school with incredible teaching, beautiful lake side and safe campus/ 25 min from downtown Chicago, incredible STEM/humanities programs. Student body is much more intense with double/triple majors but it’s a dream school for most.

Agree.

Student body is friendly, low key, and hardworking. Not really much of a privileged student vibe as another poster suggested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Impossible to get into..but an amazing school with incredible teaching, beautiful lake side and safe campus/ 25 min from downtown Chicago, incredible STEM/humanities programs. Student body is much more intense with double/triple majors but it’s a dream school for most.

Agree.

Student body is friendly, low key, and hardworking. Not really much of a privileged student vibe as another poster suggested.

How can you dismiss that person’s experience? How familiar are you with being middle class there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up next door to Northwestern. It was the dream school for many suburban kids, but all we ever heard is "impossible to get into from Chicago suburbs". I'm now fascinated to see the same comments about DMV kids. I always thought Northwestern was a big east coast draw.

When I was there, it seemed to have a disproportionate amount of Chicago private school and suburb kids. But also lots of kids with two homes. So maybe they were applying as a resident of the other state?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Fiske Guide To Colleges shows that those who apply to Northwestern University most commonly apply to these schools as well:

Duke, Stanford, U Penn, Yale, U Michigan, Princeton, WashUStL, & Harvard. Of course, if admitted to Princeton, Harvard, or Stanford, the student will almost always pick one of these schools over Northwestern--but that is true for any school as well other than MIT and Yale.

College Transitions views Northwestern's overlap schools as:

Cornell, Duke, U Chicago, U Michigan, & U Penn.

While the Fiske Guide list is the actual overlap list of schools, College Transitions' list of "overlaps" is more realistic in the sense that a student accepted to all might likely select Northwestern as he/she would any school on this list (except if admitted to Penn's Wharton School of Business).

DS got into and is attending Northwestern from the DMV (regular decision) and the DMV admitted students reception was decidedly not full of URM no matter what this board seems to think. A few but not a lot. Many Asians, however --East and South-- who are NOT under-represented at NU. Nevertheless, on admitted students day at NU it was pretty interesting how many of the same schools accepted everyone we talked to, regardless of region -- NU, Berkeley, Rice, Wash U, Emory, Duke, Michigan. Lots of waitlisted at Columbia and Penn. No's at Princeton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale, UChicago > Northwestern = Cornell, Johns Hopkins > Vanderbilt

(UPenn, Columbia, Yale) > UChicago > (Duke, Northwestern, Cornell) > (Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt)

Ivy fetish?

Realistically for undergrad, it's UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale > UChicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins > Cornell, Vanderbilt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northwestern is nearly impossible. Might as well ED at Duke if that’s what he prefers. Plus fit more likely to shine through. And that matters.

Northwestern ED is not impossible. Duke ED will be harder, it's 20% ED acceptance rate for Northwestern and 16% for Duke. Considering Duke's heavier emphasis on legacy, big donor admits, and athletes, Duke ED is extremely difficult especially from the DMV. But agreed it's probably worth applying if that's the top choice. UPenn also a great ED choice but similarly difficult as Duke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Fiske Guide To Colleges shows that those who apply to Northwestern University most commonly apply to these schools as well:

Duke, Stanford, U Penn, Yale, U Michigan, Princeton, WashUStL, & Harvard. Of course, if admitted to Princeton, Harvard, or Stanford, the student will almost always pick one of these schools over Northwestern--but that is true for any school as well other than MIT and Yale.

College Transitions views Northwestern's overlap schools as:

Cornell, Duke, U Chicago, U Michigan, & U Penn.

While the Fiske Guide list is the actual overlap list of schools, College Transitions' list of "overlaps" is more realistic in the sense that a student accepted to all might likely select Northwestern as he/she would any school on this list (except if admitted to Penn's Wharton School of Business).

DS got into and is attending Northwestern from the DMV (regular decision) and the DMV admitted students reception was decidedly not full of URM no matter what this board seems to think. A few but not a lot. Many Asians, however --East and South-- who are NOT under-represented at NU. Nevertheless, on admitted students day at NU it was pretty interesting how many of the same schools accepted everyone we talked to, regardless of region -- NU, Berkeley, Rice, Wash U, Emory, Duke, Michigan. Lots of waitlisted at Columbia and Penn. No's at Princeton.

Different than our experience. The only other school commonly mentioned was Stanford--to which none were admitted, but a few were waitlisted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northwestern is nearly impossible. Might as well ED at Duke if that’s what he prefers. Plus fit more likely to shine through. And that matters.

Northwestern ED is not impossible. Duke ED will be harder, it's 20% ED acceptance rate for Northwestern and 16% for Duke. Considering Duke's heavier emphasis on legacy, big donor admits, and athletes, Duke ED is extremely difficult especially from the DMV. But agreed it's probably worth applying if that's the top choice. UPenn also a great ED choice but similarly difficult as Duke.

My point was they are both extremely tough admits and I don’t think it’s worth choosing Northwestern over Duke for a perceived advantage. I don’t think it’s there. I’d go for the one he prefers and where fit is likely to shine through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale, UChicago > Northwestern = Cornell, Johns Hopkins > Vanderbilt

(UPenn, Columbia, Yale) > UChicago > (Duke, Northwestern, Cornell) > (Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt)

Ivy fetish?

Realistically for undergrad, it's UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale > UChicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins > Cornell, Vanderbilt

Duke booster. You realize Cornell is an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale, UChicago > Northwestern = Cornell, Johns Hopkins > Vanderbilt

(UPenn, Columbia, Yale) > UChicago > (Duke, Northwestern, Cornell) > (Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt)

Ivy fetish?

Realistically for undergrad, it's UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale > UChicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins > Cornell, Vanderbilt

Duke booster. You realize Cornell is an Ivy.

NP... Cornell is the weakest ivy for undergrad by a good amount. I would agree with PP's classification, UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale > UChicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins > Cornell, Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt could make a case for the middle grouping in the next decade though, it's been getting quite popular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale, UChicago > Northwestern = Cornell, Johns Hopkins > Vanderbilt

(UPenn, Columbia, Yale) > UChicago > (Duke, Northwestern, Cornell) > (Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt)

Ivy fetish?

Realistically for undergrad, it's UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale > UChicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins > Cornell, Vanderbilt

Duke booster. You realize Cornell is an Ivy.

NP... Cornell is the weakest ivy for undergrad by a good amount. I would agree with PP's classification, UPenn, Duke, Columbia, Yale > UChicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins > Cornell, Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt could make a case for the middle grouping in the next decade though, it's been getting quite popular.

It does not matter what you or the PP think. Most kids will choose UPenn, Columbia, or Yale over Duke if given the choice.