<p>If you don’t think you have a chance based on your numbers, Northwestern does admit a few students every year that it wants to take a risk on. I personally knew a few (and they were not athletes or URMs) who ended up being really successful in college. If you are one of those people whose numbers are lower, it’s really up to you to make sure other parts of your application are extremely compelling. You must convey a powerful voice in your personal statement (that shows analytical insight into something you genuinely care about) and your recommenders should also be painting a very strong image of you that’s consistent with what you portray yourself to be. Your personal statement and recs can overcome lower #s in my opinion if the committee believes you can offer something valuable and different, and can do the work anyway. For example, if your rec says you are “extraordinarily gifted” and your essays are powerful, it’s very easy for that kind of narrative to dominate a committee’s discussion instead of the numbers (granted they are respectable, maybe a little below median but not too much lower; also especially true if one of your numbers [e.g. gpa] is high and the other is lower [test score]). This approach is not about lowering standards as much as it is about thinking of a different way to measure “merit.” Grit, creativity, and practical skills count. My point is: if you really want Northwestern but don’t have the confidence to apply, just do it and do it really well. The worst that can happen is they say no.</p>