<p>Me and my friend are both planning on applying to Northwestern. We both have 32’s on our ACTs. Here is the debate… I am in more AP and honors courses, he is in more EC’s. I am ranked in the top 3 percent, he is top 10. The question basically is, who has the advantage: one with a lot of EC’s and not as high GPA or rank, or one with a high GPA and rank, not a lot of EC’s?</p>
<p>So I take it you are juniors? Also what is the spread btwn top 10 and top 3%??? You didn’t give quite enough information to compare.</p>
<p>Yes juniors. My rank is 23 in a class of about 800. His is 78. Is that what you mean by spread?</p>
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<p>I took what you posted to be that he had a higher rank than you did: some position out of 1-10 probably 3-10 actually for you would have mentioned Val or Sal stuff.</p>
<p>Yeah i see what you’re saying. No, I have better grades than him. So who would u say has the better advantage?</p>
<p>It also depends on how your essays are, and (to a lesser degree) how the interview goes.</p>
<p>Essays and are a big deal, recommendations count, and so do demonstrated prior interest and other things you are not likely to be able to compare. Any of those could easily outweigh the small differences you are describing. </p>
<p>As far as EC’s go, the sheer number isn’t the important thing. What do your friend’s EC’s show about him? What does your lack of them show about you? There’s no formula you can use to compare the two situations. </p>
<p>I doubt the interview carries much weight.</p>
<p>Yeah. Hes in a bunch of EC’s that involve little time and effort, where I’m not in much, but I’m on a varisty sport and I have a job where I work about 20-30 hours a week so I don’t really have the time for little clubs and activites. But all in all, does Northwestern care more on GPA/Rank/grades or EC’s.</p>
<p>basically try to make yourselves different rather than competing with each other and you both might get in. Basically the adcomms want a different person. They dont want a geek or a player.
If they take a geek you have to be different like some great competition or good research involvement or like.If they take a player then you should be good in what you do.
It isn’t what you do…its about how well you do it.</p>
<p>Judging by these posts, you better watch your grammar in your essays/SATs. Saying things like “me and my friend are…” and “I have better grades than him” will hurt you.</p>
<p>Sorry I’m not proofreading my CC posts. But all in all the question comes to what is more important to NU: great EC’s or great grades?</p>
<p>I think the point is that you can’t really just lump it together like that. I mean, I wouldn’t consider myself to have had great grades or great EC’s, I was just well rounded and I guess they liked my essays, recs, etc. It really does vary from person to person.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone has an answer to that. An applicant is a package. They are not looking for one specific thing. They are looking for a great package to make up a freshman class. It is best to have a balance between great grades and extracurriculars in my opinion. I think that which of you will get in (though you both could get in or get denied) would depend on how you presented yourself as a package and what they want to fill their freshman class.</p>
<p>The point is, admissions at NU are extremely holistic. There is no formula. Of course, excellent grades, test scores, and activities are very important, but beyond a certain point it’s really up to factors like essays, demonstrated interest, recommendations, unique qualities, and LUCK.</p>
<p>I was number 26 in my class…yet valedictorians can get rejected. I was in 5 APs total over the 4 years (granted, the most I could take at my school)…some people here have taken 12. But I had other intangibles and signs of interest in my app that made me NU material.</p>
<p>Good luck to both of you!</p>