Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth it. Not worth the time applying. Only folks we know who got in were URM.

This is weird because the only two Northwestern kids I know were white UMC kids, one from southern California and the other from NYC.

At the DC privates and even Jackson Reed (DCPS) they are all URM. Pretty much like 15 out of 15 kids.

I would never apply to Northwestern from a DC school in 2023 if I was white or Asian. It's a waste of an application.

IMO having observed the last few admissions cycles, without a hook it’s a waste. And wasting ED when you are an unhooked kid who sees themselves at a top 20 college is disastrous... your kid could be entirely shut out of the top 50 in RD. I would aim a notch lower - like a tufts, wake forest, BU, etc. try to find a similar program at a school in the 20-30-40 ranking.

Anonymous wrote:Not worth it. Not worth the time applying. Only folks we know who got in were URM.

This is weird because the only two Northwestern kids I know were white UMC kids, one from southern California and the other from NYC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth it. Not worth the time applying. Only folks we know who got in were URM.

Same here. I know about 12 Northwestern admits from DC privates and 11 are URM.

+1 and I am sure they worked hard - very hard - but so did my kid..hmmmmmm.......

Anonymous wrote:Not worth it. Not worth the time applying. Only folks we know who got in were URM.

Same here. I know about 12 Northwestern admits from DC privates and 11 are URM.

Not worth it. Not worth the time applying. Only folks we know who got in were URM.

Confused by what the question here is? Are you saying he's too good for Northwestern (which many would argue, no one is), or that Northwestern is too good for him?

Anonymous wrote:Varsity sports don't matter for Div I, unless he is a recruited athlete. What race you are, matters a lot with that score. If you are white, just forget it. Top schools are openly hostile to unhooked white kids from private school.
I would target WashU, Vandy, Tulane

Vanderbilt is as hard if not harder admit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

A waste of an ED is applying to a school you’re not passionate about just to get one with a slightly higher ranking at USNWR.

What is up with the PP insisting on "passion" in the applications process? That's just absurd. First, don't fall into the trap of letting a kid fixate on a 'dream school' - most kids can and will be happy and successful at a range of different schools, and many 'dream schools' just lead to disappointment either in the admissions process or if they actually attend. Second, ED won't help your kid get into a school where their stats are a little low. Maybe it worked that way once upon a time, but nowadays all competitive schools have more than enough applicants whose stats meet or exceed the bar set by previous classes.

ED is a valuable way to give your kid a leg up in the admissions process at many schools. It's absolutely worth doing if you are not shopping for merit aid. But use it wisely.

Not really. Sure, it signals to the school "top choice" - but when you factor in the athletes and the priority kids that the schools want, there really isn't a bump for the unhooked applicants.

Schools don’t share data about who is accepted during what round, so it’s really hard to know how real the ED advantage is.

That said, I do wonder if the biggest advantage for a student who might be on the bubble in terms of stats but has great recommendations/essays/ECs is simply being in a smaller pool of applicants. I assume AOs are able to spend a little more time on each applicant in ED, and I would think the applicants are slightly less likely to run together. So a kid with a great story might stand out more and get a closer look in ED than they would in RD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:op: Thank you. He is very interested in a program called MMSS. It is a degree program that uses a mathmatical approach to social science. His coursework and ECs support a lot of the directions it goes. He also wants a school with a golf course and sports/school spirit feel and not too small. He does not want to go far south. College counselor thinks UMich, Vandy, Maryland/GW(he likes politics and DC)/Wisco as safer choices. Tufts is on the list for other reasons.

Maybe he could see if he could go to another school in Chicago but take some MMSS classes at Northwestern.

Also, given how much the social sciences get trashed, maybe a guy who’s sincerely interested in the social sciences has an edge.

You don't just "take some classes at Northwestern". As PP mentioned, you can create something similar at any school---program is just a combination of Econ, math and some social sciences. He could even take most of those courses if he got into NU and not the MMSS program. However NU is extremely challenging to get into

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?

Unless he has a hook,I agree with the counsellor - scores are low.

You say he'd 'be happy at Michigan' - i'd be very careful making assumptions there...please do 'expectation management' on that one. It's foolish to regard Michigan as a 'safety school' for Northwestern rejects. Wisconsin is probably a better bet.

I would suggest you cast the net wide - good for him he's carrying two V sports. But be careful he doesn't end up as part of that group of kids that gets washed everywhere he applies.

Are you wanting to pay for private/OOS if he doesn't get Northwestern?

Ironically, DS got into Northwestern but did not get into Michigan, so yeah, don't assume.

Anonymous wrote:

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?

A waste of an ED is applying to a school you’re not passionate about just to get one with a slightly higher ranking at USNWR.

What is up with the PP insisting on "passion" in the applications process? That's just absurd. First, don't fall into the trap of letting a kid fixate on a 'dream school' - most kids can and will be happy and successful at a range of different schools, and many 'dream schools' just lead to disappointment either in the admissions process or if they actually attend. Second, ED won't help your kid get into a school where their stats are a little low. Maybe it worked that way once upon a time, but nowadays all competitive schools have more than enough applicants whose stats meet or exceed the bar set by previous classes.

ED is a valuable way to give your kid a leg up in the admissions process at many schools. It's absolutely worth doing if you are not shopping for merit aid. But use it wisely.

Not really. Sure, it signals to the school "top choice" - but when you factor in the athletes and the priority kids that the schools want, there really isn't a bump for the unhooked applicants.

Listen to your college counselor. They see the stats that you, as a parent, do not. The SAT score is going to be too low (even though it is a solid one).

Anonymous wrote:According to the 2021-22 common data set for NU, 82% of applicants submitted test scores. Not sure if this year will be lower. 1490 is 25th percentile.

That stat is not exactly right, for two reasons: First, it’s percentage of students attending, not applying or admitted. This is true for all test score data in CDS—it refers only to the pool of students who accepted their admission offer. Second, CDS reports numbers of students submitting each test—ACT and SAT. There’s going to be some overlap in those students, so the percentage will be lower.

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?

A waste of an ED is applying to a school you’re not passionate about just to get one with a slightly higher ranking at USNWR.

What is up with the PP insisting on "passion" in the applications process? That's just absurd. First, don't fall into the trap of letting a kid fixate on a 'dream school' - most kids can and will be happy and successful at a range of different schools, and many 'dream schools' just lead to disappointment either in the admissions process or if they actually attend. Second, ED won't help your kid get into a school where their stats are a little low. Maybe it worked that way once upon a time, but nowadays all competitive schools have more than enough applicants whose stats meet or exceed the bar set by previous classes.

ED is a valuable way to give your kid a leg up in the admissions process at many schools. It's absolutely worth doing if you are not shopping for merit aid. But use it wisely.