Hey there! You're here, so you're probably considering applying to Northwestern University. That's awesome, first of all. But we know it can also feel a little like standing at the base of a mountain looking up at a peak shrouded in clouds.

It's exciting, sure, but maybe a bit overwhelming too.

Don't worry: that's why we've created this post. Think of it as your friendly trail guide leading you through the Northwestern admissions wilderness. We'll tackle everything from the towering Northwestern acceptance rate to the seemingly impenetrable thicket of SAT and GPA recommendations to the winding path of application deadlines and essay prompts. By the end of the process, you might even find the journey as pleasant as Northwestern’s ample green spaces.

To be sure, there’s a lot to excite prospective Northwestern applicants (e.g., the revered Kellogg School of Management) and a few things that may intimidate them, too (e.g., a 7% undergraduate acceptance rate in 2023). The good news is we’ve created this guide on how to get into Northwestern to help you navigate its admissions requirements. Enjoy.

A quick note on college rankings: we think they’re generally a bad way to think about where you should go to college. We talk about why rankings are bad in greater detail here, but essentially, a lot of college rankings don’t actually tell you whether you and the school would fit well together, or that the school is someplace you’ll thrive. That said, we also understand that many students/families are confused regarding and have questions about aspects of the application process, so we’ve built the post below to hopefully clarify things, so students/families can make informed decisions.

How hard is it to get into Northwestern?

It is extremely difficult to get accepted to Northwestern. The grade point average of people who get accepted to Northwestern are in the top of their class. People who successfully get into Northwestern also tend to have impressive extracurricular activities and college applications essays.

Northwestern Acceptance Rate

The Northwestern acceptance rate is 7%, making it one of the most competitive universities in the world. Acceptance rate is generally an indication of how competitive a school is, but it is also an indication of how popular a school is. To get into a school like Northwestern, you will need to excel in almost every major college application factor.

Northwestern University Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, and Transfer Acceptance Rate

Northwestern’s early decision acceptance rate last year was 24% because it received 4,545 applications and accepted 1,105 students. As is the case here, early decision acceptance rates tend to be a bit higher than regular decision acceptance rates. Needless to say, Northwestern is one of the most applied to schools in the country, so if you’re confident that Northwestern is a top-choice school for you, you might consider applying by the early decision deadline (more on that later).

GPA Requirements to get into Northwestern

The recommended GPA requirements to get into Northwestern are between 3.9 and 4.0. You will need an incredibly high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top of their class in order to get into Northwestern. If your GPA is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests. If your grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.

96% of admitted students were in the top 10% of their class.

What GPA is required for Northwestern?

Though Northwestern doesn’t publicly report GPA for admitted students, Northwestern applicants’ GPAs should ideally be between 3.9 and 4.0 to be strong candidates. Having less than this will require compensating by having outstanding extracurricular activities or personal statement.

it’s safe to assume you’ll need a high GPA to be a strong candidate for Northwestern: “Academic rigor” is one of the top criteria Northwestern considers when reviewing applications.

SAT Requirements to get into Northwestern

The recommended SAT requirements to get into Northwestern are a 1400 to 1600 composite score, combining the reading and writing, and math sections together. If you’re submitting scores (more on that below), you will need a very strong SAT score in order to get into Northwestern. If your SAT is lower than suggested, you may have to perform above average on your other standardized tests or have spectacular extracurricular engagement to compensate. If your grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.

Northwestern is a “Test Optional” school, meaning it does not require standardized test scores, but will consider them if submitted. It’s up to you whether to submit your scores or not. There are a number of factors to consider as you make this decision, and you can read more about them here.

Northwestern Average SAT Composite Score: 1520

SAT Score Distribution	Reading %	Math %
700-800	86.90%	90.40%
600-699	11.50%	8.30%
500-599	1.60%	1.20%
400-499	0%	0%
300-399	0%	0%
200-299	0%	0%

What SAT score is required for Northwestern?

Applicants should score between 1520 and 1600 on their SAT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. (Again, Northwestern is currently a “Test Optional” school—if your scores are below the median, they likely won’t help your chances.)

ACT Requirements to get into Northwestern University

The recommended ACT requirements for Northwestern are a 32 composite score combining all English, mathematics, reading, and science sections. If submitting, you will need an incredibly high ACT score in order to get into Northwestern University. If your ACT wasn’t as high as you’d like because of difficulties or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.

Again, Northwestern is “Test Optional”—see the guide linked above for more info on how to decide whether to submit scores.

Northwestern Average ACT: 34

ACT Score Range	Composite Score %
30-36	95.03%
24-29	3.85%
18-23	1.12%
12-17	0%
6-11	0%
Below 6	0%

What ACT score is required for Northwestern?

Applicants should try to score between 34 and 36 on their ACT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will likely require compensating by things like having an above-average GPA.

What does Northwestern look for in students?

More than many other schools, Northwestern explicitly focuses on how a student and the school fit together (they call it the “Fit Factor”). Yes, having competitive grades and a gleaming personal statement is important. But most students who get rejected from Northwestern have applicants with those qualities—you need to show how you and the school will make a great team.

How do you know if you and Northwestern fit together? And how do you demonstrate to the school that you think you do?

Start by exploring Northwestern’s mission and values, both through its mission statement and through what it outlines in its discussion of its strategic plan. Notice, for example, how often the focus is on “intellectual” pursuits (this is a top-tier research university, after all!)

How do you see yourself aligning with this mission and these values? What parts of your story demonstrate that you have already worked toward these things, and that Northwestern is the place for you to take your next steps? How will you and the Northwestern community make great partners in trying to solve the world’s problems?

How else can you demonstrate that you and Northwestern fit together? Think about your answers to these questions:

How do you see yourself contributing to the academic diversity and interdisciplinary priorities that Northwestern values?
What steps have you taken to foster diversity and inclusion in your current academic community, and how would you continue this commitment at Northwestern?
How might you contribute to Northwestern's research eminence in a field of your interest?
Northwestern places a high value on balancing its present and future needs. Can you provide an example of a time when you successfully balanced present demands with future goals?
Northwestern is committed to enhancing the experience of first generation, low income, and underrepresented students. How can you contribute to this commitment, either from personal experience or allyship?
How can you contribute to Northwestern's goal of becoming a global academic presence and reputation?
Northwestern values innovation and entrepreneurship. Can you provide an example of a project or initiative where you showcased these qualities?
Northwestern places importance on improving the alignment of people, processes, policies, and systems to support the core work of faculty, students, and staff. Can you provide an example when you demonstrated understanding of this balance? Northwestern values strong relationships within the local and global community.

Northwestern University Application Deadlines

The Northwestern application deadline for regular decision is January 2. Northwestern also provides an alternative form of application in addition to regular decision: early decision. The application deadline for Northwestern’s early decision is November 1. Below is a table showing the deadlines for each of the steps of the November 1 admissions process.

Notification Plan	Application Material	Application Deadline
Early Decision	Submit Test Scores	December 5 (preferably sooner)
	Submit Application and Financial Aid Application	November 1
	Admissions Decisions Released	Mid-December
Regular Decision	Submit Test Scores	February 20
	Submit Application	January 2

Northwestern’s Early Decision Policy

From Northwestern’s site:

If you are certain that Northwestern is where you want to enroll, we encourage you to apply under our Early Decision plan. As with all traditional Early Decision plans, you agree to withdraw all applications at other colleges and enroll at Northwestern if admitted. Students interested in the Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME) must apply under the Regular Decision plan.

Applicants who choose Early Decision send a strong, positive message to Northwestern. Given their high level of interest and overall academic and personal strength, Early Decision applicants enjoy a higher rate of admission.

If you are admitted under Early Decision and apply for financial aid, you will be notified of your aid decision around the time of your acceptance, provided your family has filed the College Scholarship Service Financial Aid Profile (CSS Profile) by December 1. Students admitted under Early Decision may be released from the commitment to enroll at Northwestern only for demonstrated financial hardship.

Northwestern University Supplemental Essay Prompts

To complete Northwestern’s supplemental essay requirements, applicants must write one required supplemental essay (300 words max), and have the option to write up to 2 optional 200 word essays. Their prompts are below and the Northwestern supplemental essay guide that they were sourced from can be found here.

PROMPT #1

We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background, your identity, or your school, community, and/or household settings have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise? (300 words max)

PROMPT #2

NOTE: Northwestern is no longer requiring the CommonApp essay as part of the application. They write, "The supplemental questions below touch on areas we see as important for building Northwestern’s Class of 2028, but you should feel free to repurpose essays you've written for other applications (including the Common Application personal essay, which we no longer require) if they tell the story you'd most like to share."

The following questions are optional, but we encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question:

Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?
Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?
Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.
Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?
Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?

How to get into Northwestern University—Essay Tips

The guide linked above (and again just below) offers specific examples and analysis, so we’d recommend checking that out, but here are a few quick tips.

Notice that the required essay and two of the optional essays are essentially Community/“How will you contribute” prompts.

For a fuller “How will you contribute” guide + examples with analysis, check out that link, but here’s the short version.

Essentially, a way to think of this kind of prompt is that it’s a combo of “community/identity/background” and “why us” prompts: use some of your response to show how you’ve become who you are, and then show how those experiences shape what you will bring to the college through linking to specific opportunities/groups/details. Connect your unique upbringing, in a very broad sense of the word, with what the school offers and how you will make a great team.

STEP 1: BRAINSTORM (ALL ABOUT YOU).

Do the “If You Really, Really Knew Me” Exercise. Yup, the same one mentioned above.

STEP 2: RESEARCH THE COLLEGE (LEARN ALL ABOUT THEM).

Make a copy of the “Why us” Essay Chart 2.0, research the school you’re writing your essay for, and fill in the first two columns. (This is the same chart mentioned above.)

Once you’ve done these exercises, you’ll have a better sense of:

YOU: A bunch of different talents/skills/identities/qualities that you’ll bring to a college campus, and

THEM: A variety of programs/courses/clubs/affinity groups that your college offers.

STEP 3: CONNECT YOU… TO THEM (I.E., THE COLLEGE YOU’RE APPLYING TO).

Make connections between what the school offers and what you’re interested in.

Interested in more specific guidance on how to write the Northwestern Supplemental Essay? Our comprehensive guide is a great next stop on your Northwestern application journey. You got this!

How to get into Northwestern: Admission Requirements 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS