Northwestern is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. The University has several undergraduate schools and is especially known for its Journalism and Music programs. The school is also popular with students looking to double major or complete multiple degrees (they have many dual degree options.) From Big 10 Sports to specialized programs, Northwestern has a lot to offer. However, that has also made them competitive to get into.
Last year, Northwestern had an acceptance rate of just over 7%, meaning it is highly selective. If you are serious about getting into Northwestern, you need to be a top candidate. We wanted to break down how to do just that and what Northwestern is looking for in a candidate.
What is Northwestern looking for?
Northwestern uses a holistic review process, which assesses candidates on several factors. It breaks down the relative importance of these factors in a yearly document called the Common Data Set.
Pay close attention to the factors marked “important” and “very important.” These are the categories that you absolutely have to excel in. Like leave no crumbs. Let’s take a closer look.
Rigor, Class Rank, and GPA
Northwestern first looks for an excellent transcript. They assess transcripts in a couple of ways. First, you should take their recommended classes.
Northwestern doesn’t have any required units to apply, but you should treat their recommendations almost as requirements. But it’s not enough to take these classes alone; you should also try to take as many as you can at a high level.
Depending on what your high school offers, this could mean IB, AP, Honors, Accelerated, Dual Enrollment, etc. Northwestern wants to see students that push themselves and take rigorous classes. There is no magic number of APs that you need to take, but you should try for as many challenging courses as you can while still maintaining a competitive GPA.
If you google “Northwestern accepted GPA,” you will likely get 4.1. Take this number with a grain of salt. But, we think that sounds about right. However, it should be noted that Northwestern doesn’t publish an average GPA. It's not a great metric, honestly. Not every 4.0 is made the same. If you are taking a challenging class load, your 3.9 might be far more valuable than an easy 4.0. That being said, they want to see great GPAs. You want to push for a great one.
Finally, Northeastern looks at class rank. If your school doesn’t rank, that's fine. However, this data point can still be helpful. 96% of the class of 2026 came from the top 10% of their high schools, which shows that they really value top students. Even if your school doesn’t rank, you should push yourself to have an academic record that looks like you’re at the top of your class.
One Note on Standardized Tests
Northwestern is currently test-optional. However, last year, 78% of students sent tests. And we see where revoking test-optional test policies are going. Sending tests will help your chances of getting in, especially if your scores are higher than the average submitted score or 50th percentile, which can be very high for Northwestern.
Note that several of the 75th percentile scores are perfect, meaning that 25% (or more) of students submitted perfect scores in those categories. It is a lot to ask, but ideally, you should be keeping up with them when it comes to scores.
Extracurriculars
Not everyone with excellent grades gets into Northwestern; you need more. Northwestern has a blog with advice on how to apply. They say, “The activity chart is your opportunity to be thorough about the depth and range of your involvement, whatever it may be.” Pretty much, they want you to follow your interests as far as you can.
At least one of your extracurricular interests should be connected to what you want to study. For example, if you are applying to the journalism program, taking your school's AP Comp Lit class isn’t enough. You should also be interning at a paper or media company, for example. You should be the editor of the school paper. You should be submitting your work to writing competitions or screening your own documentaries. It should be clear that you are pursuing your academic interests outside of class.
Extracurriculars are opportunities to showcase your talents and abilities. You want to grow your skills and show commitment and leadership through your resume. Northwestern won’t be impressed with a one-hour-a-weekeek club. They want to see you pursue your interests no matter what they may be.
Essays and Recommendations
Essays and Recommendations are doubly important because they are the main way to communicate your personal qualities and character. Ideally, these two sections should really feel like you. Get personal. Ask teachers who have great things to say about you and ask them early if you can… trust us; they will thank you for respecting their time.
While you can’t really control what your teachers say in your recommendations, you can control what you say about yourself in your essays.
Northwestern has a supplemental essay, which we have an entire blog about here. For the essay, you need to connect one of your experiences to specific opportunities at Northwestern. This requires a little brainstorming and a lot of research to do well, so make sure you give yourself enough time.
One odd thing about Northwestern is that your Common App essay is optional. However, you should still send one! Imagine not sending it! Northwestern is too competitive, and essays are too important to not write one. And it shouldn’t be just any Common App essay. You need to write an amazing one. We have a ton of blogs on how to do this, but if you don’t know where to start, this one is a great primer. However, if that’s still a little TLDR.
Your Common App essay needs to do a couple of things:
Tell a good story
Highlight some positive characteristics about you
Be well-written and creative
This might seem simple. However, it can be hard to pull off in just 650 words. If you don’t know where to start, reach out. We have you covered.
Consider Applying Early
Northwestern takes about half its class during Early Decision. If you are serious about going to Northwestern, it can be worth applying Early. The early acceptance rate has been around 20% in past years, so while you still need to be a great candidate, it can give you a bump.
It takes a lot of work to be a great candidate at Northwestern. Between grades, scores, extracurriculars, and writing, it can be a lot to ask of a student. However, we believe in you and would be happy to help!
Want professional assistance? Reach out now!