This has been stressing me for days now, so maybe I can get some input from this thread.
Decision: Accepted
Objective: Mechanical Engineering
SAT I (Comp, Essay, CR, M, CW): N/A
ACT (Comp, Essay, Eng, Math, Read, Sci):32 (Essay10, 35, 28, 34, 32)
SAT II (Type, Score): N/A
Weighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.08
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.79
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): Bio, AP Euro, APUSH, Calc AB, Lit and Comp, Comp Sci
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Gov/AP Econ, Spanish IV, AP Chem, Newspaper, Comp Sci principles, Physics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
- Co-editor-in-chief of school newspaper (12th)
- Newspaper staff member (11th)
- Iowa Girls Code member (11th)
- Piano (10 years, placed in several statewide competitions)
- World Cultures Club (11th, 12th)
- Mission Compassion (club to raise money for kids who need school supplies, 11th)
Job/Work Experience: - Team member at Dairy Queen (most of 12th)
Volunteer/Community service: - Volunteered at multiple food shelters this year
- Junior Counselor at 2 different camps during the summer (2-4 weeks per summer)
- Made blankets for kids who have cancer going to camp
- general district activities, i.e elementary school fun nights.
-Summer Activities: - Volunteered at summer camps
Essays: Common App (9/10): I wrote about what it’s like being the only black girl in a nearly all-white neighborhood/discovering self-acceptance.
Why Northwestern (6/10): Pretty generic, wrote a lot about my visit there last summer and how I fell in love with the campus. Also wrote about my love for music and engineering, and how I liked that NW allowed me to explore both my passions.
Teacher Recommendations:
Advanced Comp./Newspaper teacher (8/10): I’ve had her since freshmen year, from advanced comp and newspaper. We’re pretty close and I think she knows a lot about me.
Programming teacher (10/10): I’ve had him since sophomore year, probably one of the few teachers I can say really made an impact on my learning as a student. Knows me well and pushes me to do better. We’re pretty close (as far as teacher-student relationships)
Counselor Rec (6/10): She doesn’t know me all that well, but she loved my sister when she was in HS so that might’ve helped (joke)
Other
State (if domestic applicant): IA
School Type: Large public
Ethnicity: Black
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: >=$150K
Assets: N/A
Property: N/A
Extenuating Circumstances: N/A
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Don’t know if this counts, but I’m a first-generation American. My parents immigrated from Kenya, but both went to graduate school in the states. And, yeah, I’m a black female.
Why you think you were accepted/not accepted and general comments: I honestly have no idea how I was accepted. My test scores are average for Northwestern, especially for the engineering program. Though I am an editor-in-chief, I really don’t see what else stands out. I was talking with some classmates and some had ACTs 3 or even 4 points above mine, and they didn’t get in. Really made me feel bad, like I shouldn’t have gotten in. NW is my dream school and I’m beyond thankful, but I can’t help but feel like I’ve received something I don’t deserve and I’m worried others may think the same…
Accepted to: Case Western Reserve, St Louis University, Bradley University
Waitlisted: None
Rejected: None
Still waiting on: USC, Cornell University (the longshot ivy I know I won’t get into lol)