NU's campus is awesome.

siemprecuriosa
Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:32:58 +0000

Make sure you have a great “Why NU” essay. I think that’s part of what got me in. Have lots of specific details, and make sure it’s not the case that you could submit the same essay to a different college and switch out the name. For example, saying that NU has a beautiful campus (even though in this case is true ;)), could be said of pretty much any college, since it’s hard to prove/disprove. Talk about specific programs, or maybe residential colleges that you are interested in.

Overall, you seem like a solid candidate. Like brebeuff said, your SAT I score is pretty competitive. Your SAT II scores are a little low; you might want to consider taking some more and trying to get at least two around the 740+ range. Your AP scores are a little low for NU, but I’ve heard that AP scores don’t matter so much in admissions as the fact that you took the classes, so that might not be anything to worry about. Have you tried taking the ACT? It might be worth giving it a try, just to see how it compares to your SAT I score.

Your volunteer activities seem really unique and interesting. Translating abroad for the Olympics? How cool is that? Make sure you include that on your application.

Overall, I think you have a good shot. Good luck!