I will be attending Northwestern this fall, and I just wanted to emphasize this as you all prepare to apply here!
Unlike other T-20s, this school has AMAZING financial aid and is very open to negotiation with regards to matching scholarship offers (from places like Vanderbilt, UChicago, etc.) as well as cheaper attendance at in-state schools (UNC, UTSW, UMich, etc). Unlike other T-20 schools that do primarily need-based aid (Cornell, Emory) or assign merit scholarships independently of negotiation (Vanderbilt, UTSW, WashU, Mayo), this school cares a lot about student interest, and the dean of admissions will work with you to make this school affordable. The recent cuts to funding at Northwestern did not seem to affect the financial aid I received, and we were assured during Second Look Weekend that NW will stand strong and keep supporting its students. There are two waves of acceptances (December and late February), but preliminary financial aid offers are NOT released with acceptance as they are in other schools (Vanderbilt), but rather in batches in mid-to-late March depending on when you were accepted. You can negotiate all the way up until April 30th!
I will say that the Northwestern undergrads are well-represented in the class, but I was still successful as someone with no ties to Chicago and as a January interview invitee. They also do NOT review in order, and you can be invited to interview well into January, with interviews concluding in mid-February. DM me if you want me to read over your secondary for this absolutely amazing school or need any advice with applying! I've got plenty of time this summer! Best of luck! 🙂
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