Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois – about 40 minutes away from Chicago. Although, at the time of writing this, Google Maps says you can get there in 35. Northwestern is famous for its journalism program, which boasts a #4 ranking out of all undergraduate journalism programs in the country – and it’s a hard school to get into too, with a 7% acceptance rate. Northwestern has approximately 9,000 undergraduates and one of the largest endowments of any college, 16.1 billion. Famous alumni include Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Pharrell, George R. R. Martin, Seth Meyers, and Megan, Duchess of Sussex. And potentially you!!
They haven’t changed their supplement from last year, which we covered here, but we want to give you some fresh tips on how to write a winning supplement that will help you stand out. Let’s dive in.
While other parts of your application give us a sense of who you are, we are also excited to hear more about how you see yourself engaging with the larger Northwestern community.
In 300 words or less, help us understand how you might engage specific resources, opportunities, and/or communities here. We are curious about what these specifics are, as well as how they may enrich your time at Northwestern and beyond.
Do you plan to complete the ''Why Northwestern'' statement?
(we strongly encourage a response, as your answer will help us connect the dots across your application to imagine what kind of college student you might become.)
Okay first of all, you absolutely do plan to complete the Why Northwestern supplement. So jot that down.
This is a classic Why X College essay, and thankfully we have a super clear formula on how to write this. You’ll need to declare a major for the sake of the essay, and it’s okay if you change your mind once you get there. We recommend choosing something that can be reflected in your current extracurricular profile.
Your Origin Story
Start with telling them how you came to want to major in the thing you want to major in. If you want to study journalism, walk them through the moment that idea was conceived. Maybe you loved watching the local news, or looked up to a reporter in your town. Maybe you wrote for your student paper and loved the rush of digging up a good story. Whatever it is, bring us into the scene with you and tell it like you’re really there. Then you’re going to…
Declare your major
And that’s why you want to study Journalism at Northwestern.
Classes
Next, you’ll have to do some research. FInd a few upper level classes in your major that interest you, like maybe Journalism of Empathy or Media History: Watergate's Legacy: The Press and the Presidency. Don’t pick any intro classes – any college with a journalism program has Journalism 100. You want to prove that Northwestern fits perfectly with your goals and your interests, and it’s the only place in the whole world that will help you get there.
Professors
Go find a few professors in your program that you’d want to mentor you. Maybe they are doing awesome research that you want to be a part of, maybe they have specific experiences or work with something that aligns with your interests. Use this part as a pitch, explain why they fit so perfectly with your whole thing.
Extracurriculars
Find a club or two that you’d want to participate in. If it’s Journalism, maybe it’s the student paper. Whatever it is, try and draw a throughline from what you did in high school to what you want to do in college.
Location
Talk about why you’re excited to be in Evanston. It’s a college town, so maybe highlight a coffee shop or bookstore or general college-student-hotspot that you want to go to. Talk about how the proximity to Chicago will help you further your career and open you up to awesome internship and job opportunities. This part doesn’t need to be long.
And that’s the essay. It’s not an insanely cryptic question, but it is one you’ll find at a lot of schools. Your first draft will be longer than 300 words, so make sure to cut it down and make it flow nicely from section to section. Edit it for grammar and have a few other people put eyes on it before you press submit. Good luck!
If you need help with your Northwestern application, or any others, drop us a line today.