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Northwestern University is an excellent choice for college, but can you easily explain just why you want to go there? If you're planning to apply to Northwestern, you'll need to submit the Northwestern supplemental essays —supplemental statements that describe why you've chosen to apply to this school and what you think Northwestern can offer you in terms of your future goals.

In this article, we'll go over what these supplemental essays entail as well as why you're required or encouraged to submit them. We'll also cover various topics and tips you can use to craft a compelling Northwestern supplement essay.

Feature Image: Herb Nestler /Flickr

No More Northwestern "Why This College" Essay

In the past, Northwestern asked students to write an optional "why this college" essay , which asked students to explain why Northwestern was a perfect fit for them. As of 2023, Northwestern no longer requires a "why this college" essay as part of the application process. 

Instead, the Northwestern application now has new essay prompts  that students have the option to answer. 

While Northwestern no longer has a "why this college" essay , many other schools require it.  Other schools that require or offer this type of essay include NYU , Tulane , and Brown .

If you're considering applying to a school with a "why this essay" prompt, reviewing 

Do You Need to Submit the "Why Northwestern" Essay?

According to the Northwestern application, although you are not required to submit the "Why Northwestern" essay, Northwestern strongly recommends that you do so anyway.

On both the Common Application and Coalition Application (depending on which system you use), you'll be shown this message on the Northwestern application:

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.)

You'll then select either "Yes" or "No" from a drop-down menu. If you select "Yes," you'll get a blank space in which to type/paste your essay. While you technically have a choice about whether to submit the "Why Northwestern" essay, we strongly recommend that you complete it.

Here's what the Northwestern application requirements page says in regard to the essays that applicants must submit with their applications:

"Applicants to Northwestern complete two sets of essays: essays appearing on the Common Application or Coalition Application, and the Northwestern Writing Supplement essay [i.e., the 'Why Northwestern' essay]."*

*Bold emphasis mine

Interestingly, there's no mention here of the "Why Northwestern" essay being optional at all—you're simply expected to write it. It's safe to say, then, that this "extra" essay actually plays a hugely important role in the application process, and that the majority of Northwestern applicants write two essays for their applications: the Common App/Coalition App essay and the (supposedly optional) "Why Northwestern" essay.

Additionally, it's worth noting that Northwestern highly values the concept of "fit" within their community . In this sense, it's not much of a surprise that Northwestern wants applicants to spend some time thinking about what kind of relationship they want to develop with the school.

Overall, you should treat the Northwestern supplement essay as a required part of your application.

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The Northwestern Essay Prompt Analyzed

You should definitely submit the Northwestern supplement essay—but what is the prompt asking you to do, specifically? Also, how should you answer it so that you can give yourself a solid chance of getting accepted to the school?

In order to answer these two questions, let's take a look at the Northwestern essay prompt:

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.

Your "Why Northwestern" essay can be a max of 300 words, making it rather short. (Most college essays are around 500-550 words.) This means that you'll need to be clear and concise in order to get your point across and ultimately be able to craft an effective response.

This Northwestern essay prompt isn't that different from other "why this college" essay prompts in that it really just wants you to answer one big question: how will Northwestern help you further your interests and achieve your goals?

Northwestern already has a general idea of how you can contribute to the school; now, it wants to know how it can help you .

The "Why Northwestern" essay is more of a "why us" essay than it is a "why you" essay because it's asking you to elaborate on why you're applying to Northwestern specifically, and how an education there will help you fulfill your academic, professional, and/or personal aspirations.

Here are some topics you could write about in your Northwestern supplement essay:

  • Your experience visiting the campus and talking to current students or professors and why this experience helped you envision yourself feeling at home at Northwestern
  • Specific professors you want to work with or classes you want to take and how they'll help you achieve your goals
  • Specific activities, clubs, or events Northwestern offers that you wish to participate in and why these are important to you and your aspirations
  • Any other specific resources the school offers, such as internship opportunities, career fairs or connections, lectures and talks, study abroad programs, etc., that you believe will benefit your intellectual and professional growth

If you're not sure what to write about for your Northwestern supplement essay, spend some time doing research. Start by perusing the official Northwestern website , paying particular attention to pages about any programs, courses, and/or majors you're interested in.

You can also browse other student-geared websites to see what people have to say about Northwestern, including what makes it unique.

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Real Northwestern Essay Examples + Analysis

Below are two real Northwestern essay examples for you to use as references when writing the "Why Northwestern" essay. The essays were both written by admitted applicants and should give you a good idea of what kinds of topics and styles you can use in your own essay.

Before we look at the two essays, though, be aware that both are answering an older, slightly different version of the "Why Northwestern" prompt, which was as follows:

What are the unique qualities of Northwestern—and of the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying—that make you want to attend the University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified?

Northwestern Essay Example 1

As noted above, this first essay responds to an older version of the "Why Northwestern" essay prompt: it asked applicants to focus on the specific qualities that made the school unique and explain why these were ultimately appealing to them.

Since this student wanted to study in the Medill School of Journalism, he mainly writes about this facet of Northwestern.

At about 350 words, this essay is a little longer than what the current word limit allows (300 words), so just know that you'll have to write more concisely for your own essay.

Here's the sample:

One unquestioned pillar of journalism is the importance of accuracy in a journalist's work. So when my counselor at the National High School Institute, a current Northwestern journalism student, proclaimed, "Medill kicks your ass," I knew she had given my fellow cherubs and I the straight-up truth. Many exchanged nervous looks, and several immediately dismissed any chance of attending the Medill School of Journalism.

I surveyed the room, surprised at the fear hanging over the group. After all, we were 83 student journalists giving up a substantial portion of our summer to learn about and participate in the art.

Northwestern's reputation as a top-rated academic institution immediately drew me to the school. Specifically, the close connection with high-caliber professors was one quality that I originally found appealing even before my summer stay. I was also intrigued by the abundance of resources and facilities within the university and the city of Chicago. The journalism school has unmatched amenities and a rigorous curriculum designed to produce top-of-the-line journalists. But above all, Medill has a reputation as the best journalism school in the country.

Outside of the classroom, I would be the first to get involved with resources such as the Northwestern News Network, The Daily Northwestern , Northwestern Radio WNUR, and other student periodicals.

Northwestern's outstanding academics combined with an athletic program in the Big Ten Conference makes the university unique. It is certainly fun for everyone (except maybe for the Northwestern football team) to see the Buckeyes and Wolverines roll into Ryan Field every couple years.

I would be able to use my experience writing about the Detroit Lions to report on Northwestern teams. And by covering the lowly Lions, I would be prepared for any sort of losing season thrown at me.

But I am sure of one thing: I am attending college in order to learn, contribute, and to become the best journalist I can be. So while my friends may be having an easy, fun time at some school not named Medill, I'll be getting my ass kicked. And to tell the truth, I won't mind at all.

Here's what makes this "Why Northwestern" essay work:

  • It's super specific. There's no doubt this essay was written for, and only for, Northwestern. The applicant goes into detail about the School of Journalism specifically and also mentions many unique opportunities he's interested in, such as working with The Daily Northwestern and the Northwestern News Network.
  • It's got a lot of personality and humor. The applicant injects bits of humor with references to Medill "kicking his ass" and the Detroit Lions' losing streak. These quirky areas add tons of color to the essay and give balance to the student's more practical and academic reasons for applying to Northwestern.

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Northwestern Essay Example 2

This second "Why Northwestern" essay example was written by an admitted student who chose to focus on extracurriculars at Northwestern and how the School of Engineering and Applied Science would benefit their desire to learn several skills at once. Once again, like the first essay, this essay is responding to the older version of the "Why Northwestern" prompt (given above).

Note that this essay is exactly 300 words long —the max length you are allowed to do for your own "Why Northwestern" essay.

Sweat drips onto my violin as we are filing into the auditorium.

I just arrived from a basketball game, I'm not nervous. However, that changes when I realize that I still have my basketball shoes on. And that I still have a plethora of edits to make in the newspaper room. And that I have three tests the next day.

Although it was stressful, I enjoyed every minute of juggling such diverse extracurriculars. I appreciated the many opportunities that my high school gave me, and took advantage of as many as I could handle. Thanks to these opportunities, I've fallen in love with various topics in different disciplines; all of which can be nurtured at Northwestern.

I'd be thrilled to pursue membership in the University Singers and the Philharmonia. It would be a great opportunity to learn from nationally recognized Emily Ellsworth with the Singers. I would also love to continue working with orchestral music in the Philharmonia.

The excellent humanities classes at the Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences also interest me. I'd love to pursue further education in subjects I was introduced to in high school, such as physics, psychology, and economics.

Finally, I believe that I am a perfect fit for the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science due to its unique philosophy. The idea of "Whole-Brain Engineering" meshes perfectly with my interest in a wide array of subjects and disciplines. I have always believed in equal emphasis on logic and creativity in problem-solving situations, and an education at McCormick (and Northwestern in general) will bolster my well-roundedness.

My Northwestern experience isn't only about reaching an engineering career, but growing as a person. Such balanced growth will allow me to succeed through analyzation and innovation, preparing me to have an impact on the world.

  • It's got a creative, attention-grabbing opening. There's not a lot of space to write for this essay, yet this applicant manages to come up with a memorable hook that grabs you almost immediately and thrusts you into the story. Within just the first few lines, we learn—through showing, not telling—that the applicant plays basketball in addition to helping out with the school newspaper. While these activities have contributed to increased stress, they've also (and more importantly) led to a stronger sense of intellectual satisfaction.
  • It's highly specific. Like the first sample essay, this essay uses clear examples and details to discuss what attracted the applicant to Northwestern in particular . These include things such as the University Singers and the McCormick School's philosophy concerning the importance of a well-rounded education.

How to Write a Great "Why Northwestern" Essay: 3 Tips

Once you have an idea about how you want to approach the Northwestern essay prompt and what you plan to write about, use the following three tips to help you produce a great essay.

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#1: Focus On What Makes Northwestern Unique

One of the most important tips to remember when writing the Northwestern supplement essay is to concentrate on what makes Northwestern different from other colleges. Think about it: If Northwestern didn't offer anything unique, why would students want to apply there specifically?

Don't just say you want to go to Northwestern because it's super prestigious or because your mom went there and loved it. Think deeply about why you've chosen to apply to Northwestern over the thousands of other colleges in the country.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Does Northwestern offer the major(s) you're interested in pursuing? Is it well known for a specific program or field of study you want to enter?
  • Are you interested in specific clubs, sports, or other extracurricular activities offered at Northwestern?
  • Are there certain professors you wish to work with?
  • What unique features of Northwestern do you like or think will be useful to you? For example, perhaps you're a fan of the school's close proximity to Chicago, where you'll have convenient access to research positions, internships, and other professional opportunities. Or maybe you love Northwestern's emphasis on small class sizes, or its impressive array of 100+ study abroad programs.
  • Have current or former Northwestern students said anything about the school that made you want to apply there?

Although the Northwestern essay prompt is pretty open ended, take care to avoid writing about how prestigious, popular, and selective it is (after all, lots of schools are like this!) .

#2: Be Specific and Use Concrete Examples

You don't have a lot of space (just 300 words!) for the Northwestern essay, so try to write as clearly and specifically as possible. Use concrete examples to ground your story in reality and to make it clear to the admissions committee why applying to this school is so important to you.

For example, if you visited Northwestern, don't just say you went there and liked the campus—talk about something specific that happened to you and why this experience had such an impact on your decision to apply there.

Perhaps a professor said something encouraging to a student that made you realize how much you appreciated the supportive nature and sense of camaraderie there. Or maybe you noticed how earnestly students studied and could readily envision yourself doing homework alongside them.

In addition, if you plan to mention a specific professor you want to work with or a class you want to take, try to go beyond simple name-dropping. Instead, discuss why working with that professor or taking that class will help you attain your future goals, and why Northwestern is the only place you can actually do this.

#3: Polish It Up

As with any college essay, you need to spend some time editing and proofreading your "Why Northwestern" essay. Doing this will ensure that you're submitting a clean, polished, and overall well-written statement.

Here's what to do: once you finish writing a rough draft of your essay, put it away for at least a few days. Don't look at it during this time; you want to have a fresh perspective when you take it out again.

After some time has passed, take out your essay and begin to look for any glaring typos and grammar errors, as well as any areas you can expand, add, or delete. Pay attention to the organization and structure of your essay, too. Ask yourself: is the focus clear here? Am I being specific enough? Does the general flow make sense?

Once you've done this entire process a few times, give your essay to someone you trust, such as a mentor, teacher, parent, or older sibling. Have them look over your essay and offer comments on its topic, style, and structure. They should also check for technical errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Finally, make sure they read the Northwestern essay prompt so they can confirm that you're actually answering what's being asked of you.

What's Next?

Applying to Northwestern means you'll also have to submit an essay for either the Common App or Coalition App. Check out our guide to the current Common App essay prompts for tips on how to compose an unforgettable personal statement.

Freaking out about how to write a killer college essay? First, take a deep breath. Second, read our step-by-step guide on how to write a college essay and take a look at our analysis of 100+ real college essays to get a feel for what colleges want—and don't want—to read in an application.

Learn more about Northwestern, including its average test scores and average GPA, by reading its admissions requirements page .

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Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Northwestern supplemental essays: tips and examples.

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Reviewed by:

Rohan Jotwani

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 10/5/23

Northwestern University is a popular addition to any college list . If you're ready to enjoy the vistas Lake Michigan offers, get ready to write the Northwestern supplemental essay. 

Female student on couch typing essay on laptop

Supplemental essays are an integral part of any college application. They show admissions committees why you're an excellent fit for their school and that you've done the research necessary to understand how its course offerings mesh with your educational goals. 

This guide will outline the "Why Northwestern?" essay and examples to guide your writing. Crafting the perfect essay for Northwestern doesn't have to be too challenging: read on to learn how to write a masterful essay and get into Northwestern ! 

Northwestern Essay Prompts

Student typing Northwestern supplemental essay on laptop

You'll need to write a personal statement as part of the Common Application or Coalition Application and the Northwestern Writing Supplement : 

“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?”

Your response should be no more than 300 words.

You will also have the option of responding to one or two of these additional Northwestern essay prompts. While it is not required, you’re highly encouraged to write at least one!

“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?”

Your response(s) should be 200 words or less.

How to Write the Northwestern Supplemental Essays 

northwestern university essays that worked

Writing these essays doesn’t have to be intimidating. These tips can help you create a masterful piece of writing that can boost your chances of getting accepted at Northwestern. 

1. Think Deeply About the Essay’s Purpose 

While the prompts are all relatively straightforward, it's helpful to think about each essay's purpose: what does the admissions committee want to see from your answer? 

For the required one, Northwestern wants to know why the school is the best fit for you and how getting accepted can help you reach your aspirations. The essay should show that you've considered why Northwestern is right for you and why you’re right for it. 

Each of your responses should indicate your passion and interest in Northwestern.  Prove that you’ve done your research, and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box for the supplemental essays! Admissions committees appreciate creativity and inquisitive thinking!

2. Brainstorm and Create an Outline

You have many options regarding what direction you take in your essays. You'll need to determine the main idea of your essay. Think of relevant stories or anecdotes related to each prompt.

An outline is a great tool to keep you on track. It can also ensure that your essay's introduction, body, and conclusion are easily identifiable. Outlines also help ensure you hit every crucial point you want to mention in your narrative and that it flows logically with no room for confusion. 

3. Align Your Writing With Northwestern’s Mission

Aligning your narrative with a school's mission shows that your goals and intentions match the value of the school. Relating your goals to Northwestern's mission can make you a more competitive applicant. Here is Northwestern's mission : 

“Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.”

Based on this mission statement, you can include anecdotes or elements related to your mission. How has your past influenced your future? What kind of person has it shaped you into, and how will this person contribute to Northwestern’s community?

4. Craft a Captivating Introduction

Think of your introduction like your first impression: you want to ensure you're memorable yet professional. Many applicants choose to start their essays by jumping right into a narrative. Starting your narrative in the middle of the action can grab the reader's attention from the first sentence. 

Make sure your introduction is punchy enough to catch the admissions committee’s attention without writing solely for a “shock” factor. Think about what emotions your introduction communicates. 

If you're the type of person who agonizes over essay introductions and spends hours rewriting until it sounds just right, don't feel pressured to start with the introduction. 

Remember that your handy outline can help you start writing at any place you want to! Sometimes it's easier to pull together a stellar introduction once the rest of the writing is done. 

5. Write the Essay’s Body 

The body of your essay includes rich detail and expands on the content from your introduction. Try to use concrete experiences to share that help illustrate who you are and why you want to attend Northwestern. Think about events, places, people, or things that influenced your decision. 

Don’t forget to include your reactions, feelings, and thoughts. Remember, your essay helps humanize your application!

6. Write a Satisfying Conclusion

Your conclusion should wrap up your essay in a cohesive way and leave the reader satisfied with what they read. Many applicants like to mention their hopes for their future and how an education from Northwestern will help them achieve these goals. 

However you decide to end your essay, make sure that it emphasizes that Northwestern is the school for you and you’re the perfect candidate for it!

7. Remember to Edit Your Work 

No one’s Northwestern essays are perfect after the first draft, and that’s okay! When you edit your writing, you can ensure that you’ve adequately answered the prompt and that the narrative is well-constructed and complements the rest of your application. Make sure to check for spelling and grammar errors as well. 

Although it’s great to review your work yourself, it can be advantageous to have someone else look it over. Sometimes you can get so used to your own writing that you can miss errors that would be much more obvious to someone else.  

Consider seeking an admissions consultant’s help for a fresh perspective on your work; it can make a huge difference and help you boost your chances of acceptance! 

Northwestern Supplemental Essays With Examples 

These supplemental essay examples can help inspire your writing. Read on to learn why they worked! 

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt With Examples

The mandatory prompt should be viewed as both a “why Northwestern” essay and a “why you” essay. Here are a couple of sample essays of the “why Northwestern” type of prompt you’re required to respond to. 

Essay Example #1

“As I lay on a hospital bed, with the sterile scent of antiseptic in the air, and the gentle beeping of medical monitors nearby, I had an epiphany. My chest rose and fell, and I realized that medicine was calling my name.
Fast forward to 8th grade, a year that marked a turning point in my life. It was the year I set out to read 100 books. From the works of Emerson to John Green and Ernest Cline, I devoured the words of countless authors. With each page I turned, I felt a growing inspiration to craft my own narratives and essays. The world of writing beckoned to me, and I couldn't resist its pull.
But what about medicine? Was it not still a part of my destiny? I found myself torn between two passions.
What intrigues me most about Northwestern University is its commitment to the word 'AND.' Northwestern students can embrace diverse interests, combining computer science with music theory, poetry with Latin history, journalism with business. And so, I too can follow my dual passions of science AND English.
At Northwestern, I envision an educational environment that values the synergy between seemingly disparate fields. I see myself transitioning seamlessly from courses like PSYCH 361 - Brain Damage and the Mind to ENG 206 - Reading and Writing Poetry. 
At Northwestern, my educational journey will encompass the full spectrum of the human experience, exploring the intricacies of the human psyche, expressing my thoughts through writing, and translating them into action through scientific research.
Northwestern's emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and its wealth of resources align perfectly with my aspirations. It's a place where I can pursue my passions, discover new interests, and seamlessly blend them into a harmonious whole. My vision of education mirrors Northwestern's philosophy—it's about 'AND,' not 'OR.'”

Why This Is a Good Essay

This essay starts with an anecdote that immediately draws the reader in: where was the writer, and what was happening? We’re encouraged to read on and find out. 

The author does an excellent job setting up their passions to align with Northwestern's approach to interdisciplinary studies. They make a compelling case for why the school is the best fit for them and delve into some of Northwestern’s unique traits that they’re most interested in. 

Essay Example #2 

“My interests span across a wide range, and Northwestern has a place for them all.
As an enthusiastic programmer and advocate for positive minority representation in the media, I hope to combine both these interests and conduct research on the influence of media on society. To my delight as a prospective communications major, the School of Communication's research labs showcase project topics ranging from the depiction of STEM in media to improving digital communication. I look forward to taking advantage of the high-quality research, internship, and even career opportunities offered to explore my ideas.
My multiple passions keep me creative and energetic, and I plan to continue pursuing them at Northwestern. With years of editing and writing experience for school publications under my belt, for instance, I hope to join the staff of Helicon and North by Northwestern. 
Last but not least is the constant school spirit and sense of inclusion present within campus. During my campus tour, each tour guide seemed genuinely excited to introduce prospective students to the school. As my particular tour guide described the quarter system and tradition of guarding and painting the rock with passion in her eyes, I knew that only at Northwestern could I find students as enthusiastic about the school itself as they are about their majors. I also spotted many students of color while visiting; as an Asian woman, Northwestern's focus on diversifying reassures me that not only will I not be judged for my background, but that I will get to meet students of all ethnicities and cultures.
College is a time of self-discovery, and I firmly believe I can see my dreams become reality at Northwestern.”

Why This Is a Good Essay 

This essay takes a bold approach: although it doesn't begin with an anecdote, it still works and immediately connects the author's interests to Northwestern's offerings. The author writes about combining their passions and gives examples of the School of Communication's research projects that they would be interested in. 

The author weaves in their experience with writing and editing for school publications to show the value they would bring to the school: hoping to join the staff of Helicon and North by Northwestern. 

Optional Northwestern Supplemental Prompts With Example

Student typing on keyboard

For the five optional essays, here are some samples to inspire you:

Prompt #1 Essay Example 

“I would paint a butterfly on “The Rock”. This choice is deeply rooted in my identity as an Indigenous person, where the butterfly holds profound symbolism of transformation and metamorphosis.
In Indigenous cultures, the butterfly represents not only physical transformation but also spiritual growth and renewal. It embodies the idea that change is a natural part of life and that through struggle and perseverance, one can emerge stronger and more beautiful. This symbolism resonates with my own journey and the experiences of many Indigenous individuals who have faced adversity, colonization, and the challenges of preserving their cultural heritage.
Painting a butterfly on "The Rock" would not only celebrate my culture but also serve as a reminder to the Northwestern community of the importance of embracing change and transformation. It would symbolize the resilience of indigenous peoples and the beauty that can emerge from the process of personal and collective growth.
Moreover, the butterfly's presence on "The Rock" would promote awareness and appreciation of Indigenous cultures, fostering a sense of unity and understanding within the Northwestern community. It would encourage conversations about the significance of Indigenous symbolism and the importance of recognizing the contributions of Indigenous peoples to our shared society.”

Prompt #2 Essay Example

“My dream project would be groundbreaking undergraduate research aimed at exploring the potential of homeopathic remedies in breast cancer treatment. Having tragically lost three family members to cancer, I am fervently driven to investigate alternative, less invasive approaches to combat this devastating disease. Witnessing their suffering and the toll that harsh medicines took on their health has underscored the urgency of exploring gentler alternatives.
My ideal research project would assemble a diverse team of students from various academic backgrounds, including biology, chemistry, complementary medicine, and patient care.  
We would analyze the impact of homeopathic remedies on cancer cells, patient well-being, and quality of life. Additionally, we would collaborate with oncologists, herbalists, and holistic healthcare practitioners to bridge the gap between conventional medicine and alternative therapies. Together, we could unlock the untapped potential of nature's medicine cabinet.
This research project not only aligns with my personal passion but also exemplifies Northwestern's interdisciplinary ethos by bringing together students and experts from diverse fields to tackle a critical issue. We would strive to provide hope and more compassionate, effective treatment options for those battling breast cancer while minimizing the harm that traditional treatments can inflict on their bodies.”

Prompt #3 Essay Example

“I eagerly anticipate joining the pre-med community at Northwestern, a vibrant and supportive network where my passion for medicine will find a nurturing home. This community embodies my aspirations and values, as it fosters collaboration, learning, and a shared commitment to healthcare.
Within the pre-med community, I envision forging meaningful connections with fellow aspiring healthcare professionals who, like me, are driven by a deep desire to make a positive impact on people's lives. Together, we will navigate the challenging path toward medical school, sharing experiences, supporting one another through rigorous coursework, and collectively striving for excellence.
Furthermore, I am excited about the potential to engage in healthcare-related volunteer opportunities and research projects that Northwestern offers. These experiences will not only enrich my academic journey but also deepen my connection to the broader healthcare community on campus.
In the pre-med community, I see myself not only as a student but as an active participant in a collective mission to contribute to the well-being of others. Northwestern's commitment to community and belonging aligns perfectly with my vision for my pre-medical journey, and I eagerly anticipate becoming a part of this inspiring network.”

Prompt #4 Essay Example

“Growing up in Chicago, Lake Michigan was a place of cherished memories. My father and I would spend countless hours fishing on its shores, forging a bond that would shape my values and dreams.
As I embark on my own academic journey at Northwestern, I find myself drawn to this beautiful shoreline, which symbolizes both my roots and my aspirations.
My father, a dedicated Northwestern alumnus, left a lasting impact on my life. In his final moments, he expressed a profound sense of incompleteness. His legacy has become my driving force. Coming to Northwestern and being near Lake Michigan is, for me, a way to complete his mission. I aim to study political science and eventually law, follow in his advocacy footsteps, and work towards helping others in a way that he felt he couldn't.
This location is not just where I come from; it's where I am actively choosing to build my future and honor my father's memory. Northwestern's setting connects me to my biggest inspiration and reminds me of the potential for positive change in the world, making it the perfect place for my academic and personal growth.”

Prompt #5 Essay Example

“Growing up in foster care, I always had a suitcase packed by the door. This constant state of preparedness, always getting ready to move to a new place, made it challenging to ever feel truly at home. Yet, Northwestern represents the kind of community I've longed for—a place where individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the world come together to learn and connect.
Throughout my life, adaptability and resilience have been my constant companions. I've learned to embrace change, connect with people from various walks of life, and navigate through different environments.
This background has taught me the value of empathy, understanding, and the significance of creating a sense of belonging for others, as it's something I often yearned for during my journey through foster care. My experiences have honed my ability to bridge gaps, mediate conflicts, and foster connections among individuals from diverse backgrounds.
My story serves as a reminder that diversity goes beyond cultural or ethnic differences, encompassing a wide range of life experiences that can enrich our collective learning and strengthen our sense of community.”

Northwestern Essay FAQs

Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Northwestern supplemental essays. If you’re looking for a complete Northwestern application guide, check out our college guides directory .

1. How Many Supplemental Essays Does Northwestern Require? 

Northwestern only requires one supplemental essay but encourages students to also write one or two optional essays.

2. How Many Essays Do You Need to Write for Northwestern College of Arts and Science? 

Only one program offered at the Weinberg College of Arts and Science requires more essays than the one above. If you apply to the Mathematical Models in Social Sciences program, you'll need to complete short answer questions explaining why you want to apply and more. 

3. How Important Are Essays for Northwestern? 

Essays are a crucial element of your Northwestern application. The admissions committee uses your essays to assess your fit. Whether it’s your personal or supplemental essay, Northwestern is looking for the “ fit factor :" academic growth and intellectual curiosity, involvement and community, and positive character traits. 

4. Will Northwestern Always Have the Same Supplemental Essay Prompt? 

No supplemental essay at any college is set in stone. Schools can change their supplemental essay prompts each cycle, but they usually revolve around the same themes. 

5. Is Northwestern’s Activity Chart Another Supplemental Essay? 

No, but it is another mandatory piece of your application. The activity chart is your opportunity to describe your extracurricular activities in detail and include their depth and scope. 

Final Thoughts

The Northwestern supplemental essay is a crucial part of your application that requires some school research and critical thought about your goals. Before you jump into your first draft, think deeply about the essay's purpose, craft an outline, and find connections between your activities and goals and Northwestern's mission. 

The Northwestern essay examples and analysis above can help guide your own writing as you show Northwestern why you’re an excellent candidate. Good luck with your essay writing! 

Access 190+ sample college essays here

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How to Write the Northwestern University Supplemental Essay 2017-2018

northwestern university essays that worked

Northwestern, a beacon of strong academics located in Evanston, Illinois, currently occupies the 12th spot in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities rankings .

With an acceptance rate of 10.6%, Northwestern offers competitive programs in almost every academic field. In particular, the Medill School of Journalism is consistently ranked as the best journalism school in the world, and the School of Communication is renowned for its stellar theater program.

The average SAT score of accepted applicants is 1510, with an average weighted GPA of 4.13 — meaning that most accepted applicants were close to the top of their class.

With this in mind, it is easy to see why Northwestern University is a selective school. This can be intimidating, especially when penning their essays for the first time. But we here at CollegeVine are here to help. Read on for helpful tips and tricks on tackling the Northwestern supplement.

Want to learn what Northwestern University will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take?  Here’s what every student considering Northwestern University needs to know.

Northwestern University Application Essay Prompt

‘why northwestern’ statement (completion strongly recommended), other parts of your application give us a sense for how you might contribute to northwestern. but we also want to consider how northwestern will contribute to your interests and goals. in 300 words or less, help us understand what aspects of northwestern appeal most to you, and how you’ll make use of specific resources and opportunities here..

Since Northwestern only has one 300-word supplemental essay, candidates with lots of information to convey may feel restricted by the lack of space. Thus, it is helpful to approach the prompt in two directions. First, discuss your interests and goals; second, explain how Northwestern will help you further these intellectual and personal endeavors.

A common trap many applicants fall into when writing is trying to cram their entire resume into this short essay. But listing off every single high school extracurricular is counterproductive and unnecessary; there is already a section for that in the Common Application. Instead, this essay is your time to piece together a cohesive picture of your character, drawing from the essence of your Common Application — the extracurriculars, the awards, the advanced classes, etc. — and explain why these ventures will best be realized at no other institution but Northwestern University.

If you are applying to the School of Journalism, you would be ill-advised to dedicate one paragraph to your love for speech and debate, one paragraph to your leadership of the school magazine, and one paragraph to your internship at the local newspaper over the summer, though you may love these three activities equally. Instead, choose a single interest to discuss.

An example:

You could write about your ability to influence with storytelling, and then explain how Northwestern’s unique journalism residency program for undergraduates’ junior and senior years will help you expand your audience. By focusing on one or two skills, your essay as a whole will present more depth, as opposed to the breadth evidenced by your Common Application.

northwestern university essays that worked

Moreover, adding “flavor” to the essays by elaborating on your personal connection with your chosen interests, and the unique contributions you have made to them are also critical to your candidacy. Remember that you do not have to win a Nobel Prize or cure cancer to engage your readers and make them feel that you will add to the excellence of the institution. Uniqueness is conveyed through personal anecdotes, narrated with a detailed voice.

If you are passionate about biomedical engineering, do not write, “I love the intersection between biology and engineering.” Everyone majoring in biomedical engineering also finds such overlap appealing. Instead, start the essay with an anecdote about how when you missed school because of a stomach flu, you spent the long hours in bed sketching designs of ingestible micro-machines that could disseminate antibiotics more efficiently than regular medicine, thinking of the pain it would spare you and millions of other people.

Not only is this specific anecdote a more appropriate way of conveying to the reader that biomedical engineering already permeates your life, it also implies that you are inventive and industrious with your time. This supplement is only 300 words, so using specific anecdotes like this with multiple layers of meaning is essential to saturating the space with as much content as possible.

Do not, however, treat this as a shorter Common Application essay . Ultimately, the emphasis is on your fit for Northwestern’s specific resources. You could begin by illustrating how you would bury your head in literature written by the likes of Kafka and Camus all weekend, then show up Monday morning before everyone else arrives at school for an advanced lab that aims to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, then transition to discussing how Northwestern’s Science in Human Culture Program is a perfect fit for you and your interdisciplinary mind.

Remember to talk about what you will actually do in the program; envision yourself there, already at Northwestern. What will your day look like? Which professors would you like to work with within the Science in Human Culture Program? What kind of scholarship or internship opportunities within the program will you take advantage of for your research proposal?

Again, specificity is key. Avoid making general statements such as: “Northwestern’s state-of-the-art theater program makes it the perfect school for me.” That answer is one that could be given by virtually anyone, even those who haven’t the slightest idea of what theater is. Generality connotes lack of interest, lack of research, and worst of all, lack of effort. So when writing this essay, ask yourself: What are the specific aspects of Northwestern University that sets it apart from all the other top 20 schools? What could I do at Northwestern that would be hard for me to do at other colleges?

Therefore, a strong essay by a prospective theater student could begin with discussion of how her passion for theater was ignited by an afternoon of people-watching in a small Parisian cafe, after which she developed a fascination with understanding humans that could only be satisfied by the versatility of the school’s theater program and the flexibility to double major across different schools. She can thus explain her intention to double major in theater and sociology. This essay works because the student demonstrates her personal interest in theater (Parisian cafe anecdote), elaborates on how she has contributed to the field (developed a fascination), and ties it to Northwestern’s specific resources ( versatility of theater program and double major), and then connects it all together with a concrete example of how Northwestern University would aide in her growth.

Be cautious of sounding overly presumptuous. Do not use phrases that imply that you have already been accepted. Instead, phrase things in terms of hypotheticals. For example, do not say: “When at Northwestern, I will be sure to use their biology labs to continue conducting research on stem cells in mice.” Instead, write: “As a Northwestern student, I would use the biology labs to continue conducting research on stem cells in mice, which I started during my junior year in high school…”

General Reminders

The Northwestern supplement may not allow a lot of words, but with a strategy in place, you can be sure that the essay you submit will make a substantial impact.

  • Open with a personal, detailed anecdote about your intended major/interest (approximately 25% of the essay).
  • Discuss your in-depth accomplishments in this field, without repeating what you have written in your Common Application (approximately 25% of the essay).
  • Explain how Northwestern’s resources will aid in your development in this particular field. Do not forget to sketch out what you hope to accomplish at the school (approximately 50% of the essay).

With these three things in mind, writing Northwestern University’s supplement will be a lot easier.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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5 Successful “Why Northwestern” Essay Intros

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Interested in sharing the same alma mater as Stephen Colbert and David Schwimmer? If Northwestern is one of your top choices, you should be able to succinctly explain why.

northwestern university essays that worked

Part of the Northwestern application includes a supplemental essay that asks you to elaborate on why you are applying to their school. Here’s their prompt:

We ask an intentionally open-ended question: why would you like to attend? When you answer, focus on your interests or experiences.

Here are 5 successful “Why Northwestern” essays to help you kickstart yours:

northwestern university essays that worked

Northwestern ‘18

Any school, but especially Northwestern, is difficult to summarize.  Balanced, spirited, laidback, ambitious; although true, each word generalizes the depth of the overall university experience.  Two descriptors stand out above the rest, however: flexible and magnetic. Keep reading . 

Annacblakley

Northwestern ‘20.

After researching potential college majors, I decided to pursue engineering with a focus on the more creative and human side. While I love math and science, creativity and human interaction are very important to me. When I attended the Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering information session, Dean Holtgreive talked about the Design Thinking and Communication class; it sounded exactly like the course of study I want to pursue. Read more .

northwestern university essays that worked

Northwestern ‘19

What appeals most to me about Northwestern is that it houses some of the world’s top scholars and innovators in Evanston who are accessible and willing to work with undergraduates on research projects. After my summer 2014 internship at The University of Akron’s Polymer Science department, the second best in the country, where I designed and implemented a procedure to test the effect of varying gecko toe pad surface chemistry on the effectiveness of the self-cleaning of its feet, I am seeking a school that is committed to undergraduate research. Continue reading .

       

There are many things I love about Northwestern, such as the academic flexibility, the chance to take more classes with the quarter system, the variety of clubs, and the proximity to Chicago.

That’s the answer I give to my friends and teachers. While those things are true, my real reason for choosing Northwestern is more than just academics, statistics, or Gator Bowl titles. It was the feeling I got that Friday afternoon in May when I first met Natalie, the student who would be hosting me for an overnight. Read more . 

northwestern university essays that worked

With the rapid increase of global communications and the cultural preeminence of social media, the social fabric of American society is constantly shifting, and with it, the role of media within our everyday lives. The Medill School of Journalism would allow me to not only gain insight on the dynamic functions of modern media, but also develop the crucial rhetorical skills required to thrive in the professional world. View full essay .

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Interested in reading these students full personal statements, and Why Northwestern supplements? Unlock all of them in one go with our Why Northwestern package ! 

northwestern university essays that worked

Our premium plans offer different level of profile access and data insights that can help you get into your dream school. Unlock any of our packages or search our undergraduate profile database to find specific profiles that can help you make an informed choice about where to apply! 

About The Author

Frances Wong

Frances was born in Hong Kong and received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. She loves super sad drama television, cooking, and reading. Her favorite person on Earth isn’t actually a member of the AdmitSee team - it’s her dog Cooper.

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northwestern university essays that worked

northwestern university essays that worked

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern university.

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  • Essay prompts

Want to see your chances of admission at Northwestern University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Northwestern University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Why this college short response.

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?

Select-A-Prompt Short Response

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?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

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For specific questions regarding your application, contact your program directly. See your specific  program webpage  for its contact information.

Answers to common questions can be found on our FAQs page.

All applicants are required to upload the following materials while completing the  online application:

Academic statement.

  • What are your academic interests, and why do you wish to pursue graduate studies in this specific program?
  • How has your academic and professional background prepared you for graduate study? (Please include any research, training, or educational experiences that align with the program you are applying to.)
  • How will our program help you achieve your intellectual and professional goals?
  • (For research-focused programs) Please make sure to address any scholarly questions you wish to explore in the program and name any specific faculty members in this program whose research interests align with your own.  

Personal Statement

All applicants to PhD and MFA programs are also required to submit a Personal Statement. Applicants to master’s programs (excluding MFA programs) are encouraged to do so, though this statement is not required for the submission of the application.

Write a statement that addresses the following prompt (500 words max):

  • The Graduate School values diverse backgrounds, approaches, and perspectives, understanding them as essential ingredients for true academic excellence. As a Northwestern graduate student, how could you contribute to an intellectual community that prioritizes equity, inclusion, belonging, and cultural humility? Your answer may draw upon past or present experiences, whether in academic work, extracurricular or community activities, or everyday life.

Additional Information

All applicants are encouraged to submit an Additional Information statement of 250 words or fewer to highlight information not yet discussed in other areas of the application. This statement can also be used to address any concerns you may have with your application. If, for example, you do not believe that your academic credentials demonstrate your true capabilities, please explain why. Also, describe any gaps in your academic career and work experience or any extenuating circumstances in your profile of which the admissions committee should be made aware.

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Mastering Northwestern University's 2023-2024 Supplemental Essays

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If you're looking to paint the perfect picture for Northwestern University, you'll need to convincingly demonstrate your passion, commitment, and fit to their academic community. This blog post will delve into Northwestern's supplemental essays for this admissions cycle, offering detailed advice, prompt-by-prompt analysis, and examples from successful past applications.

Northwestern’s Commitment: "Why Northwestern?" (300 words max)

This classic prompt seeks to understand why you're interested in Northwestern. Here's a succinct but convincing response from a former applicant:

"Northwestern’s balanced commitment to research and undergraduate education is what draws me in. As a prospective biology major, the Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Research program's dedication to improving biology education through research strikes me as a unique opportunity to contribute to my field, even as an undergraduate.

Additionally, the Integrated Science Program (ISP) at Northwestern aligns with my belief that today's scientific problems require interdisciplinary approaches. ISP's rigorous coursework and research opportunities would provide the interdisciplinary scientific foundation I seek.

Moreover, Northwestern's bustling arts scene complements my academic interests. I look forward to joining the Northwestern Bands to continue my passion for music and build lifelong friendships."

Community Engagement: "While other parts of the 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 what aspects of Northwestern appeal most to you, and how you'll make use of specific resources and opportunities here." (300 words max)

This prompt emphasizes your potential contribution to the Northwestern community. Here's an impressive response from a previous applicant:

"As an advocate for mental health awareness in my high school, I'm drawn to Northwestern’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). I am excited to join the CAPS Peer Network and facilitate conversations around mental health on campus.

Northwestern's "One Book One Northwestern" program also intrigues me. The communal reading and subsequent discussions would allow me to engage with diverse perspectives, something I'm passionate about. I would love to participate in these discussions and even help organize events for this program.

Moreover, I would love to contribute to the interdisciplinary dialogue at the Kaplan Humanities Institute. I can already see myself attending lectures, engaging in thought-provoking discussions, and furthering my understanding of the world."

Approaching Northwestern's supplemental essays, strive to highlight your interests, experiences, and how they connect with the resources and opportunities at Northwestern.

Remember, the admissions committee is eager to learn more about you . Let them do so through your essays.

Good luck and happy writing!

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"Think Purple: Aspiring journalist dreams of being..."

Northwestern University

"Why Northwestern" Statement:

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.

0 - 300 words

( Northwestern University )

Think Purple: Aspiring journalist dreams of being a Wildcat F​iled under ​A​dmissions​, ​Top Stories

After brochure browsing, website wandering, and campus canvassing what felt like hundreds of different schools, it took Daisy Conant exactly 32 seconds on the Northwestern University campus to realize she had found the one.

“Northwestern is undefinable in the best way, an addicting hub of intellectuality, creativity, and school spirit - something especially appealing to a football lover,” laughed Conant. “But what excites me most about NU is the opportunity to study at the Medill School of Journalism.”

A writer with hopes of becoming a foreign correspondent, Conant has always been drawn to people and their stories, especially those completely unfamiliar to herself and her experiences. Once learning she could start on day one at Medill acquiring investigative journalism experience writing an enterprise story and end on day 600 with a journalism residency and international experience already under her belt, she was hooked.

“Conducting groundbreaking research on the socioeconomic disparities in the CPS system for the Medill Justice Project, spending a semester abroad reporting on cultural crisis in Greece, interning at the Post - at Medill, my options are boundless,” remarked Conant. “I could explore the world of print news writing in-focuses for the Daily Northwestern, dabble in magazine editing laying out spreads for North by Northwestern, even try my hand at broadcast reporting for WNUR.”

A journalist at heart, Conant is fascinated with the intersections of other disciplines. As an NU student she would be free to engage her passions for international studies and business through outside concentrations in addition to investigative journalism, uncovering the adventures (and discovering the tenacious Wildcats) that lie between Evanston and the shores of Lake Michigan. “My story is just beginning,” said Conant. “And Northwestern is the perfect lede.”

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Northwestern Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

September 6, 2023

northwestern supplemental essays

With an acceptance rate of just 7% for the Class of 2027, Northwestern University is very much an “Ivy-equivalent” school. This is true both in terms of quality academics and selectivity. Last fall, incoming Wildcats almost universally placed within the top 10% of their respective high school class. They also boasted average SAT scores in the 1470 range. In 2023-24, even high schoolers bringing superior credentials to the table need to realize that the majority of the other 52,000+ other applicants can demonstrate comparable levels of achievement. Therefore, applicants need to look for other ways to separate themselves from the pack. And that brings us to the Northwestern supplemental essay prompts.

 (Want to learn more about How to Get Into Northwestern University? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Northwestern University: Admissions Data and Strategies   for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

In addition to one required essay prompt, Northwestern also gives applicants the opportunity to respond to at least one (and up to two) optional prompts. Essentially, every applicant has three opportunities to stand out in the eyes of admissions officers and showcase what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below you will find Northwestern’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with our advice on how to pen winning compositions.

2023-2024 Northwestern Supplemental Essays

Prompt #1 (required for all applicants).

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? (fewer than 300 words)

Northwestern is inviting you to share more about your background/identity/community through the lens of how that will impact your experience at the university. Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the following topics:

  • A perspective you hold
  • An experience/challenge you had
  • A community you belong to
  • Your cultural background
  • Your religious background
  • Your family background
  • Your sexual orientation or gender identity

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within your Common App personal statement and activities list. What important aspect(s) of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how you grew.

Northwestern Supplemental Essays (Continued)

You’ll then need to discuss how your background/identity/experiences have influenced your academic, social, or extracurricular college goals. As such, think about what you learned and how it relates to one of the previously mentioned areas. For example, perhaps growing up in Northern California has made you passionate about post-wildfire ecosystem restoration, which you hope to pursue further through Northwestern’s environmental science program. Or, perhaps your experience as a poll worker has made you interested in NU Votes , or the discrimination you watched your sibling face after revealing their gender identity has informed your desire to be part of organizations like the Rainbow Alliance .

To that end, be sure you address how you will take advantage of Northwestern’s immense resources both inside and/or outside of the classroom by citing specific academic programs , professors , research opportunities , special opportunities , study abroad programs , student-run organizations , etc.

Prompt #2 (Optional but recommended)

Most “optional” essays are not truly optional, and Northwestern’s new essay prompts are no different. Think of it this way: if you’re truly interested in attending Northwestern, you have two more incredibly valuable opportunities to further demonstrate that fit. Take advantage of them!

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?

Out of everything on this Earth, what makes you tick? What keeps you up at night? What issue could you talk about or debate for hours? If you could address one problem in the world, large or small, what would it be? What do you love to do? Do you have a treasured cultural tradition that you’d love to share with others? If you are answering at least one of these questions, you are on the right track with this essay.

  • 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?

Firstly, you’ll want to select a course centered around a topic about which you are an expert or hope to become an expert. The admissions reader is well aware that you are a teenager and not someone who has yet earned a Ph.D. Therefore, being a self-taught, informal expert is perfectly fine. You’ll then want to explain “why”—why will (or should) your passion be made relevant to a wider audience? And who would you want to work with along the way? These classmates and collaborators could be peers, mentors, or even guest speakers. Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:

  • Given the prompt’s wording, quality answers should involve the intersection of two or more disciplines.
  • Course creation essays can and should reveal your ability to connect and synthesize information.
  • Make sure that the topic of your course is not overly broad or already offered. The topic should not be akin to a 101 college course like Intro to Psychology…be creative!
  • Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.

Keep in mind that Northwestern has already seen the President’s Volunteer Service Award and the impressive number of hours you volunteered at multiple nonprofit organizations. They know that you have been an active member of your high school/local community. The admissions committee now desires to understand precisely how you will contribute to  their  community of 8,000+ undergraduate students. Highlighting the link between your past efforts and future aims is critical here. For example, if you dedicated many hours to increasing your high school’s mental health support services, it will be more impactful when you now express your commitment to joining Northwestern’s Active Minds organization.

The strongest Northwestern community essays will show evidence of meaningful school-specific research. This research process will actually give you a better idea of how you would sincerely like to become engaged at each prospective school on your list. Admissions officers will appreciate a Northwestern-centric answer far more than a generic (often recycled from app to app) response. Moreover, given the word count, you’ll be able to produce the strongest response if you focus on just one or two specific aspects of your identity and perspective.

  • 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?

If you choose to answer this question, know that you’ll need to think very deeply about your answer. Admissions officers are going to receive scores of responses about the number of opportunities available in Chicago, generalities about living in a suburb of a major city, and proximity to famous regional landmarks. As such, if Northwestern’s location feels particularly important to you, dig deep as to why . What location-specific experiences will you be able to have at Northwestern that you won’t be able to have anywhere else?

  • 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?

This prompt asks you to not only share a particular life experience but also describe why that experience will enable you to contribute to Northwestern in general. Essentially, it’s asking you to take your essay’s reflection one step further—you’ll need to share why the experience you’ve chosen has impacted you as well as why/how you believe it will allow you to positively impact the Northwestern community.

First, choose a key aspect of your experiences or background that reveals something deep and meaningful about you. (Although you could choose more than one, we’d advise against it, given that you only have 200 words in which to respond.) As you brainstorm, consider the following avenues:

  • Your role in your family.
  • Your role in your social group.
  • A challenge you’ve faced.
  • A formative experience or realization.
  • Core values and beliefs.
  • Important aspects of your upbringing.
  • Cultural, religious, community influence.

Second, you’ll need to describe both personal and future impact. Make sure that your answer reveals something about how you will live out Northwestern’s values or contribute to a specific academic/social community.

Finally, this prompt is quite similar to the required prompt about background and identity (see above), so if you choose this option, be sure you’re not repeating yourself in any way. If you’ve already said everything you need to say about your background in the required prompt, you’ll likely want to choose a different option.

How important are the Northwestern supplemental essays?

The essays (including the Common App essay) are viewed as “important” to the Northwestern applicant evaluation process. The other factors that are also considered “important” are: recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities. The only four factors viewed as being more important than the essays are GPA, test scores, class rank, and the rigor of one’s curriculum.

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Writing Supplements

What is new this year about northwestern’s essay requirements, why did you make these changes to your essay requirements.

The changes we’ve made to our essays are designed to help students focus their responses on areas we consider most important to our holistic review: how their personal experiences have shaped various ways they see themselves engaging at Northwestern, and how their vision for college aligns with the resources and community they’ll find here. You may notice we no longer ask our “Why Northwestern” question. This question has always helped us learn these things, but not effectively in every case given how broadly we’ve framed it in the past. So this year we shifted away from the rather generic, “Why our college?” to a set of more specific (and we think more dynamic!) questions—ones we hope can help applicants learn more about Northwestern in the process of helping us better understand who they are, where they come from, and what matters to them. We also made the personal essay optional so students can focus their time on our writing supplements and, where it makes sense to do so, repurpose writing they’ve done for other colleges—including copy/pasting sections of their personal essay—to answer our required questions.

What are the new writing supplement prompts?

You can see our new writing supplements here .

Can I copy/paste sections of my personal essay to answer Northwestern’s new short answer questions?

Yes! We know you are busy—please feel free to repurpose writing you’ve done for other colleges—including copy/pasting sections of your personal essay—to answer our required questions. (We will also understand if there is repeated language between an optional personal essay and your required writing supplements.)

How many of the optional questions should I answer?

You may answer 0–2 optional questions. We do encourage students to answer at least one—again, we designed these questions to help you put your best foot forward in this application in helping us imagine how you see yourself engaging, learning, and/or growing at Northwestern.

Will answering more optional questions give my application an advantage?

No, responding to more optional questions will not carry any extra “weight” in the process. We’ll give equal consideration to students who answer 0, 1, or two optional questions.

Why are your short answers optional for students applying through QuestBridge?

The QuestBridge application contains more required writing samples than the Common Application or Coalition with Scoir application, offering candidates many opportunities to reflect on personal context, experiences, perspectives, background, identity, and their vision for college.

If I choose to submit my personal essay, will you still see it?

Yes! While we no longer require the personal essay with your Common Application or Coalition Application with Scoir, should you choose to submit one we will still be able to review it, just as we can any optional or supplemental application materials. 

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Northwestern University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 2

You Have: 

Northwestern University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanation

The Requirements: 1 required essay of 300 words or fewer; 2 optional essays of 200 words or fewer

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Community , Diversity , Oddball

We have designed these writing supplements to help us understand your experiences throughout high school and imagine what kind of Northwestern student you may become. 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/Coalition Application personal essay, which we no longer require) if they tell the story you’d most like to share.

We also know there may be information or qualities not covered in our supplemental questions that you see as important to your application. to that end, we welcome—but by no means expect—your submission of a personal essay or additional information in the common application., the following question is required for all common application and coalition with scoir applicants (optional for questbridge applicants). please respond in 300 words or fewer:, 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.

This is a kind of Why-Community Essay hybrid because admissions wants to (A) know what has shaped you, (B) learn about how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, and C) hear about the specific ways in which you will get involved (which requires demonstrating fit). This is a lot to accomplish in 300 words, but fear not, you got this! Start by isolating a specific story or anecdote that will offer admissions insight into how you have become the person you are today (remember, you don’t have to cover every aspect of your intricate, complicated, interesting self). Then connect that experience, community, or identity to the vision you have for yourself at Northwestern. If your experience is academic, maybe you want to write about the classes you would take or the research you would like to do. If your community is cultural, perhaps you want to write about the clubs you would join. In the end, you need to describe how you plan to engage in the Northwestern community in a way that draws on your past, so show admissions that you have done your research and you’re ready to dive headfirst into the Northwestern community!

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.

This prompt choice is glorious in its infinite potential. You can choose to elaborate on any of your passions here. Do you want to send a message to your fellow students about the environment? Maybe you want to rally students to join you at a demonstration of some kind. What is important to you? Essays responding to this prompt tend to lean in the direction of activism and community engagement, but don’t feel limited to these angles—anything you want to share with other Northwestern students (and, in this case, admissions) is fair game, as long as you feel strongly about it. And don’t forget to include the recognizable and effective acronym or short phrase you’d paint!

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?

This prompt will likely stand out to you innovators, since it’s asking about something you would make from scratch. Use this opportunity to share your imagination with admissions.  Maybe you’ve been making TikToks reviewing your favorite YA novels for some time now. Would you teach a class on the politics of the modern heroine in YA fiction? Perhaps you have an idea for a new healthtech business. Would you create a start-up? And don’t forget to address the second part of the question: who would you want to collaborate with? The person you choose could be your best friend, a community, or an industry leader you admire. There is no right or wrong answer here, so write about something you daydream about and show them that you know how to think big.

Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.

If your answer to Northwestern’s required essay focused on specific organizations, clubs, and student groups you hope to get involved with on campus, it may be best to skip this prompt so as to avoid repeating yourself. If not, this is the perfect place to provide Northwestern with more examples of how you will get involved in their community. Maybe you focused your required essay on the academic community you hope to join as you take your research to the next level and you’d like to write about your vision for finding belonging in queer spaces on campus or making connections with other members of the AAPI community. Just keep in mind that your response should focus on the future while drawing on your past experiences.

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?

This prompt is for all you applicants who are chomping at the bit to study in Evanston, Illinois. The nice thing about being able to focus on geography with this prompt is that you don’t have to have a fully fleshed out plan for your major; instead, you can focus on the experiential and cultural elements that will feed into your education. Why is living in Evanston appealing to you? Your answer should be personal to you and, if possible, unique. Explain what your desire to move from your hometown to Northwestern’s campus says about you. Whether you’re hoping to stay close to your family in Chicago or you’re eager to venture out beyond your one-stoplight town, this is the place to share your excitement.

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?

Admissions wants to know how you will contribute to the diversity of perspectives at Northwestern. What has shaped you as a person and how has that made your perspective unique? What lessons have you learned and applied? Is there anything you can teach your classmates or peers about your hometown, culture, religion, identity, race, or ethnicity that they might not already know? Northwestern wants to know how your personal perspectives, beliefs, and/or lived experiences will affect the conversations you have and the ways in which you engage with the Wildcat community, so tell them a story that helps them to imagine the kind of student you’ll be on campus next fall.

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Are We in a Productivity Boom? For Clues, Look to 1994.

Thirty years ago, the U.S. entered an era of productivity gains that enabled healthy growth. Experts are asking if it could happen again.

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An illustration showing various colorful triangles with things including an airplane, a medicine bottle, a computer, a car and a telephone sitting atop the triangles.

By Jeanna Smialek

The last time the American economy was posting surprising economic growth numbers amid rapid wage gains and moderating inflation, Ace of Base and All-4-One topped the Billboard charts and denim overalls were in vogue.

Thirty years ago, officials at the Federal Reserve were hotly debating whether the economy could continue to chug along so vigorously without spurring a pickup in inflation. And back in 1994, it turned out that it could, thanks to one key ingredient: productivity.

Now, official productivity data are showing a big pickup for the first time in years. The data have been volatile since the start of the pandemic, but with the dawn of new technologies like artificial intelligence and the embrace of hybrid work setups, some economists are asking whether the recent gains might be real — and whether they can turn into a lasting boom.

If the answer is yes, it would have huge implications for the U.S. economy. Improved productivity would mean that firms could create more product per worker. And a steady pickup in productivity could allow the economy to take off in a healthy way. More productive companies are able to pay better wages without having to raise prices or sacrifice profits.

Several of the trends in place today have parallels with what was happening in 1994 — but the differences explain why many economists are not ready to declare a turning point just yet.

The Computer Age vs. the Zoom Age

By the end of the 1980s, computers had been around for decades but had not yet generated big gains to productivity — what has come to be known as the productivity paradox. The economist Robert Solow famously said in 1987, “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.”

That changed by the middle of the 1990s, as semiconductor manufacturing improved and computers became cheaper. Businesses began to learn how to invest in information technology, and it helped productivity to boom.

For years, economists and analysts have questioned whether we might be experiencing a new productivity paradox: Despite our sudden access to cloud computing, rapid internet connections and mobile phones, productivity gains were tepid in the late-2000s and throughout the 2010s.

Since 2020, companies have learned how to leverage existing digital tools in new ways as employees shifted toward remote work. Will that cause lasting efficiency improvements in some sectors?

So far, whether remote work is good or bad for productivity remains hotly debated, as a recent paper by Nicholas Bloom at Stanford and other researchers explained. Early research has suggested that employees may be less efficient when they are totally remote, and that hybrid work leads to small, if any, productivity gains.

But workers who are saving commuting and grooming time often feel more productive — even if that saved time isn’t captured in official productivity data.

“The studies probably understate the effect,” Mr. Bloom said, explaining that employees who are happier thanks to job flexibility may be less likely to quit — helping companies to avoid unproductive retraining. Remote work could also allow companies to move more “tedious” jobs abroad, he thinks, shuffling Americans toward more dynamic work.

“The aggregate story is potentially pretty powerful,” he said in an interview, predicting that remote work is midway through unleashing a decade-long productivity boom. “We’re in a brave new world: It’s going to take years.”

The Internet vs. Artificial Intelligence

In the 1990s, the World Wide Web was coming into widespread use. Companies initially fretted that it might sidetrack their workers. (“Oh, what a tangled web, this Internet,” a 1995 article in The New York Times sighed about online distractions.) But the tools ultimately streamlined many types of work.

One retrospective on the 1990s boom found that a combination of efficient computer manufacturing and increased information technology use accounted for about two-thirds of the era’s productivity pickup.

Today’s shiny-new-technology equivalent is artificial intelligence. While many economists said it was probably too early to see the benefits of A.I. showing through in full force, some proponents think it could prove transformative by automating mental tasks including proposal writing and emails.

“There’s a lot more to come as more people adopt these things,” said Erik Brynjolfsson, an economist at Stanford who is optimistic that we may be on the cusp of a productivity takeoff as white collar-workers have their day-to-day abilities augmented by the new tools. He has been running experiments and finding that A.I. does help workers, and has co-founded a company that coaches firms on how to best employ the technology.

But Robert Gordon, a leading productivity-focused economist at Northwestern University, is skeptical. He said that unlike with the computer and early internet age, A.I.’s biggest impacts may be in office work — whereas computer manufacturing also became more efficient in the 1990s, allowing for gains across several sectors.

“I don’t see the universality of A.I. sweeping through the economy with that multi-industry impact,” Mr. Gordon said.

Walmart vs. Internet Shopping

Another driver of the 1990s productivity boom? Companies were making big logistical improvements. Walmart grew rapidly during the decade, bringing with it strong supply chain management that allowed it to efficiently stock shelves with cheap products from around the world. Distribution, notably in pharmaceuticals , also improved.

One possible challenge is that such gains are hard to win twice: Now that firms have become more efficient, it may be difficult for them to improve drastically. Online shopping continued to revolutionize retail in the 2010s, for instance, but both industry and overall productivity gains were modest.

That underlines an important point about productivity growth. It’s easy to pick low-hanging fruit, like optimizing supply chains using software. Once that has been done, it can become harder to make gains. The economy ends up with higher productivity levels, but not necessarily sustained high productivity growth.

Entrepreneurship Booms

What can lead to lasting productivity gains is a burst of innovation that feeds on itself — and that makes the recent uptick in business formation a hopeful sign. New businesses are often more inventive.

Back in 1994, lots of businesses were formed as people tried to capitalize on breakthroughs in information technology. Today, business applications have been surging again , probably the result of people deciding to strike out on their own after losing or quitting jobs amid the pandemic.

The new business bump could simply reflect that people were reshuffling to at-home work, recent research by the Fed economist Ryan Decker and the University of Maryland’s John Haltiwanger has suggested. But many of the new firms are in potentially productivity-spurring fields including online retailing, software publishing, computer-systems design, and research-and-development services.

Two Inflation Comedowns

The 1990s and the 2020s have another possible productivity booster in common: slipping pricing power.

Inflation had been cooling for years by the mid-1990s, and Fed officials noted at their meetings that companies were losing their ability to continue to raise prices without losing customers. To keep profits from collapsing, firms had to figure out how to be more efficient.

“Of necessity we will tend to get an increase in productivity because it is being forced on the system,” Alan Greenspan, then the Fed chair, theorized during one Fed meeting .

Inflation is also coming down today. And the job market was strong back then and is now — meaning companies have had to pay up to attract workers. When wages are rising faster than prices, firms must stretch their workers further if they hope to maintain their profits.

Alan Greenspan vs. Jerome H. Powell

By 1996, Mr. Greenspan was becoming convinced that productivity was on the rise — so he persuaded his colleagues that they did not need to try to slow down the economy so much. With productivity improving, strong growth was less likely to cause inflation.

Jerome H. Powell, the current Fed chair, has praised Mr. Greenspan’s “fortitude” and foresight in navigating that period.

It may be a lesson he can draw on in the months ahead. Growth remains stronger than Fed officials had expected, and policymakers will need to decide whether to react by keeping interest rates higher for longer.

For now, Mr. Powell is unconvinced that America is in a new productivity boom. “My guess is that we may shake out and be back where we were,” he said during a Jan. 31 news conference.

But, he acknowledged, “I don’t know.”

In the 1990s, it took until 1999 for economists to really believe that productivity had taken off, noted John Fernald, an economist at INSEAD Business School. So while hope is now glimmering, confidence could be years away.

Jeanna Smialek covers the Federal Reserve and the economy for The Times from Washington. More about Jeanna Smialek

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Stringing along: Bienen’s student composers concert showcases students’ musical journeys

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Some Northwestern students aren’t just writing essays or lab reports for class — instead, they’re creating original musical scores. 

Four such students showcased their original work at Bienen School of Music’s Student Composers Concert Tuesday night at the Regenstein Hall of Music.

The Daily interviewed each student composer about their creative process and their musical journey. Here’s what they had to say.

  • Elisa Johnson

Tuesday night was the first time Bienen and Weinberg freshman Elisa Johnson had performed her music in front of an audience. Johnson said performing “ImPerfection,” her solo piano piece, allowed her to create nuances as she goes.

“It’s different when someone else is playing your piece because you have to tell them everything you want, and sometimes it doesn’t always match what you have in mind, but it’s a lot easier when you play yourself,” Johnson said.

“ImPerfection” is meant to contrast between what artists think of as perfect and what people think is imperfect, she said.

Johnson was inspired to create the piece based on her experience as an artist. She said her attitude toward perfection in composition has changed since she first started composing in sixth grade.

“Really early on, you learn, ‘mistakes are the enemy’ and ‘we want to be absolutely perfect,’” Johnson said, “But I was thinking about how a lot of music these days can sound really overproduced and almost like too perfect to the point where you kind of lose the humanity in it.”

  • Jianing Yang

Bienen and Weinberg sophomore Jianing Yang created electronic effects to pair with the piano, violin and cello parts of her piece “My Shadow Over Crimson Red.” 

Yang said the idea for her piece came to her back in December after she noticed how she uses a lot of visual and literary elements when writing music. 

“Writing music is a different process for everyone, but for me, I usually start with what I want a piece to be about, because I need context for the meaning in a way that decides which instrumentation should go into it,” she said. 

Yang said her piece’s electronic and rock elements, paired with poetic lyrics, explore and challenge stereotypes surrounding femininity. 

Divided into three parts, her piece transitions through a dynamic exploration of movement, culminating in a powerful commentary on emotions and societal expectations of women, particularly the dynamic between sisters.

“I didn’t try to make the thesis intentionally feminine,” she said. “Initially, I was trying to tell it from a female perspective, but it ended up being pretty feminine. In the last part, I wanted to question all the connotations given to women such as women being overly emotional, having so much love, and being sensitive as both a manifesto to oppose the stereotype.”

  • Khalid Siraj

McCormick junior Khalid Siraj said composing his piece “Waltz of Stained Glass” has taught him how to move forward in his creative process.

Siraj said he struggles with rushing and keeping a consistent tempo when performing. 

Last quarter, Siraj decided to revisit a difficult piece, Waltz Op.69, No. 2 in B minor, and in the process, began improvising over its chords, he said. After tweaking them slightly, a distinct melody emerged that he liked. 

Over the next two days, Siraj had come up with six or seven additional melodies that also resonated with him.

He said the most difficult part was building the story and linking the melodies together.

“The day when I strung it all together, in a huge chapel filled with color, I sat at the grand piano and played for five hours straight and went through it over and over again,” he said. 

  • Matthew Mailman

In his composition, “in the Sky, the Sun dances the figure 8,” Bienen and Weinberg freshman Matthew Mailman drew upon the intricacies of the sun’s path through space.

He said composing the piece helped him realize the fluidity of the composition process.

“This is a piece to bring attention to a very small feature of nature,” he said. 

Mailman began writing music at the end of his freshman year of high school when he found himself with more free time on his hands during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He was originally a trumpet player, but after the pandemic took away the ability to play with others, he tried his hand at writing music and found it more enjoyable.

“My favorite part of composing isn’t composing, but working with the musicians,” Mailman said. “Putting that music in front of people and having them read it, make it music, and give it motion — it’s such a unique experience, which I don’t think you get anywhere else.”

Email: [email protected]

X: @HabashySam

Related Stories:

— Meet the Bienen alums, faculty nominated in the 2024 Grammy Awards

— Bienen seeks to expand classical repertoire, include composers of color

— Jonathan Bailey Holland named Bienen School of Music Dean

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  • Student Composers Concert

Alex Edelman is a stand-up comedian from New York City.

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Northwestern University Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

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Not sure how to approach the Northwestern essay prompt? With tips from a Harvard graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 will show you how to write an engaging Northwestern University supplement essay that will maximize your admissions odds. If you need help crafting your Northwestern supplemental essays, create your free  account  or schedule a no-cost advising consultation by calling (844) 836-8250.

Northwestern  Supplemental Essays — Quick Facts:

  • Northwestern has an acceptance rate of 9%— U.S. News  ranks Northwestern as a  most selective  school.
  • We recommend answering the Northwestern essay prompt thoughtfully and thoroughly in order to increase your chances of admission.

Does Northwestern have supplemental essays?

Yes! In addition to the personal statement that you’ll write for the  Common App  or  Coalition App , all applicants must respond to  one Northwestern essay prompt . We will discuss this Northwestern supplement essay in detail later in this guide.

Note that students who apply to additional programs within Northwestern—such as Northwestern’s  Integrated Science Program  or  Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences —may be asked to write additional Northwestern supplemental essays. For more information on these programs and their requirements, visit the Northwestern  website . This guide, however, will focus on the primary Northwestern essay prompt required for all applicants.

What are the Northwestern supplemental essays?

The Northwestern essay prompt can be boiled down to one classic question—why Northwestern?

You’ve likely encountered similar prompts during your college process. However, while the Northwestern essay prompt might seem straightforward, that doesn’t make it any less important. Rather, this “Why Northwestern” essay can make or break your application. After all, admissions officers want to admit students who will attend their institutions. Strong Northwestern supplemental essays will demonstrate a genuine engagement with Northwestern and its offerings.

We’ll discuss the full Northwestern essay prompt in more detail later in this guide. Still, as you brainstorm for your Northwestern supplement essay, think about why you want to attend Northwestern. Your Northwestern University supplement essay should cite specific reasons why Northwestern is right for you. Once again, the best responses to the “Why Northwestern” essay will show that students have done their research.

Visit the Northwestern website, take a campus tour, or speak to current students about their experiences. Think about classes you’d like to take, professors who interest you, clubs you would like to join, and more. Strong Northwestern supplemental essays will reveal a deep engagement with the university and its offerings.

Is the Northwestern supplemental essay required?

Yes—all applicants must complete the Northwestern supplement essay to be considered for admission.

However, don’t let the “Why Northwestern” essay scare you. Instead, view the required Northwestern University supplement essay as a chance to introduce yourself to the admissions team. Your readers already know your grades and test scores. A great response to the Northwestern essay prompt can boost your candidate profile and help you stand out in the admissions process.

Remember, the Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 are your opportunity to show demonstrated interest (DI). DI is used by universities like Northwestern to determine how interested a student is in attending their school. Last year, there were over  39,000  applicants to Northwestern. Demonstrated interest, communicated through Northwestern supplemental essays can make the difference between two statistically similar students. The individual who has clearly demonstrated their enthusiasm about Northwestern in their “Why Northwestern” essay, beyond the obvious reasons for attending (prestige, reputation, etc.), is more likely to be admitted. As you approach the “Why Northwestern” essay, think about the fact that 13.7% of colleges said that DI was considerably important in freshman admissions, and another 25.5% said it was  moderately important . Students with authentic, personal, and engaging Northwestern supplemental essays have a higher chance of admission!

How do I write the Northwestern supplemental essay?

So far, we’ve talked about the importance of research, engagement, and authenticity in the Northwestern University supplemental essay.

Completing the additional Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 for the science and social programs? Don’t worry—you can use the breakdown below for the “Why Northwestern” essay to help you craft engaging responses to those Northwestern supplemental essays as well. The science and social programs also ask for demonstrated interest in their prompts—specific reasons that draw you to that program and Northwestern University. The direction that we provide will help you articulate that clearly in all of your Northwestern supplemental essays 2021.

How to Write Northwestern Supplemental Essays — Question 1 (Required)

Now that we’ve discussed some elements of strong Northwestern supplemental essays, let’s break down the Northwestern essay prompt:

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. (300-word maximum)

As we’ve discussed, this is a classic “Why Northwestern” essay. However, before we describe strategies for writing your Northwestern supplement essay, let’s focus on the language this Northwestern prompt uses.

Defining the Prompt:

This Northwestern essay prompt centers around engagement. Namely, it asks “how you see yourself engaging with the larger Northwestern community” as well as “how you might engage specific resources, opportunities, and/or communities” at Northwestern. In evaluating the Northwestern supplemental essays 2021, the admissions team wants to identify students who will actively enrich the academic, artistic, cultural, and social communities at Northwestern. Your Northwestern University supplement essay allows you to show what impact you’d make on Northwestern’s campus.

As you brainstorm for your “Why Northwestern” essay, keep this idea of active engagement in mind. Northwestern doesn’t want to admit students who will passively experience campus life without offering their own contributions. Instead, they want students who will be active participants in the spaces they occupy.

Next, notice that the Northwestern supplemental essay asks for “specific resources, opportunities, and/or communities” that interest you. These Northwestern essay prompt categories are intentionally broad and could include clubs, classes, programs, libraries, and many other facets of Northwestern. No part of campus life is off-limits for your Northwestern University supplement essay!

Brainstorming:

We’ve unpacked the Northwestern supplemental essay—now, let’s start brainstorming.

Begin brainstorming for your “Why Northwestern” essay by researching the school. Think about what first attracted you to Northwestern. Was it the region? The campus? The programs? Any of these things could form the basis of your Northwestern University supplement essay.

Make a list of everything about Northwestern that interests you. Feel free to include broader topics—you likely won’t use these broader answers in your Northwestern supplement essay, but they can help you find specific topics that excite you. For instance, if you’re interested in exploring Chicago, write that down. Then, look into specific  clubs  at Northwestern that work within the community. For example, which of the two sentences, better reflects demonstrated interest in a Northwestern supplement essay?

Ex. 1. Since visiting at the age of five, I’ve always wanted to attend school in Chicago.

Ex. 2. I would love to join Northwestern’s Botany and Bees organization. Their work with the Evanston Environmental Association and other organizations in and around Chicago is one of the reasons that I decided to pursue a degree in environmental studies at Northwestern.

The second sentence is obviously a better answer to a “Why Northwestern” essay than the first. An admissions officer reading Northwestern supplemental essays would breeze right through the first applicant’s essay—there are many schools in Chicago—an applicant only looking to attend a school in the area could apply to any other college. The second sentence, however, is quite specific to Northwestern, you wouldn’t be able to miss the applicant’s interest.

Defining “community”:

Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 will answer the question of “how you see yourself engaging with the larger Northwestern community.” Notice how the Northwestern supplement essay emphasizes  community . Unlike some “Why school” essays, the “Why Northwestern” essay explicitly asks you not to think about yourself in isolation. Instead, successful Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 will emphasize how, in specific terms, you hope to relate to the communities—academic, social, extracurricular, or otherwise—that make up Northwestern University.

As you brainstorm your Northwestern supplement essay topics, remember that there are no wrong answers. While you’ll eventually want to reference specific professors, clubs, courses, and opportunities in your Northwestern University supplemental essay, use this brainstorming session to be honest with yourself. Strong Northwestern supplemental essays will come from authentic self-reflection.

Freewriting and reflection exercises

Once you’ve made this list, it’s time to get specific. Begin with a structured free-writing session. What that looks like: identify three of the resources, opportunities, and communities that most appealed to you from your research of Northwestern. Set a timer and write on each subject for 10 minutes, spending a total of 30 minutes writing. Were there any topics you wrote about easily? Any topics that you struggled to write about? Make note of these until you identify your strongest topics.

For more information on reflection exercises and choosing a topic for your supplemental essays, you can read our  blog article .

Let’s look at another example. Say you were interested in studying sustainable energy and were particularly interested in Northwestern’s programs. This already gives you plenty to discuss in your Northwestern supplement essay. However, you could make your Northwestern essay prompt even stronger by including more specific details. You might use your “Why Northwestern” essay to talk about your interest in the Argonne-Northwestern Solar Research Center or your desire to assist certain key professors in their research. Strong Northwestern supplemental essays will show the admissions team that you’ve considered Northwestern’s offerings and that you care about making an impact on their community.

Additionally, the interest you write about should line up with the rest of your application. For instance, if you’ve written your personal statement on poetry and have spent little time engaging with STEM fields academically, it may not be wise to describe an interest in computer science—unless, of course, you can complement that interest with related classes and extracurriculars! Your Northwestern supplement essay should enrich your candidate profile, not muddle it.

Hopefully, after a thorough brainstorming session, you’ve found solid topics for your Northwestern supplement essay. These resources, opportunities, and communities should relate specifically to the Northwestern essay prompt—if you can swap out Northwestern for any other school and the essay works, then you’ll need to go back to the drawing board.

Congratulations—you’ve begun crafting your Northwestern supplement essay! Now, it’s time to start writing.

Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 have a limit of 300 words. This isn’t a lot, so you’ll want to use each word wisely to maximize your essay’s impact. As you start to draft your Northwestern supplement essay, however, try not to get hung up on the word count. Save your stress for revisions—for now, focus on getting words on the page.

You might choose to open your essay with an anecdote. To return to the renewable energy example, you could write about your experience working with an environmental advocacy group. You could then connect that work to your desire to make a change using Northwestern’s resources. This can be an effective way to show your reader where your interests originate and how they’ve made you who you are. You can also discuss how Northwestern’s resources inform your educational and career goals.

Additionally, don’t lose sight of the Northwestern essay prompt’s emphasis on community. As you write, think about how your interests relate to your future professors and peers. Will joining a specific club help you find like-minded people? Do you hope to meet your future research partner in one of Northwestern’s labs? The best Northwestern supplemental essays will reveal a dedication to community as well as an engaging set of individual interests.

Once you’ve written your Northwestern supplement essay, you can start thinking about the word count. Look at each word and ask yourself whether it belongs. While cutting phrases, sentences, and even whole paragraphs might feel discouraging, careful editing will make your writing stronger!

Finally, the best Northwestern supplemental essays will tell a story. In reading your “Why Northwestern” essay, the admissions team should be able to determine what interests you, where these interests come from, and how these interests will inform your place in the Northwestern community.

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Draft Key Questions:

  • Does your Northwestern supplement essay draft mention specific resources, organizations, and/or opportunities you hope to pursue at Northwestern?
  • Do you emphasize the role community plays in your hopeful future at Northwestern?
  • Does your draft authentically reflect your interests?
  • Do you show you’ve done your research on Northwestern University and its offerings?
  • Does your draft complement the rest of your application?

Is the Northwestern supplemental essay important?

Yes! The Northwestern supplemental essays 2021, like previous years’ essays, have a major impact on admissions.

As a  highly selective  university, Northwestern receives thousands of applications from qualified candidates each year. In fact, their  admissions rate  is falling steadily. What does this mean? More students are applying, but the university’s open seats aren’t increasing. Candidates often have similar grades, test scores, and even extracurricular achievements. This can make it hard for any student to stand out. Don’t let this discourage you from applying. Use every available tool at your disposal, including the “Why Northwestern” essay to make a case for why you should be admitted.

Your Northwestern University supplement essay lets you show the admissions committee what makes you special. Essentially, your Northwestern supplement essay is an introduction and case for admission. Your readers don’t take this lightly, and neither should you!

Remember, the strongest Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 will allow the admissions team to visualize a particular student on Northwestern’s campus. Your Northwestern supplement essay has a lot of power—use it wisely.

Northwestern Supplemental Essays: Final Thoughts

The Northwestern University supplement essay prompt might seem intimidating. However, don’t let this discourage you! As long as you approach your Northwestern supplement essay with consideration and planning, you can write an essay sure to stand out.

In the research phase of answering the Northwestern supplemental essay, make sure to check out our free webinar on Northwestern University. In this 60-minute panel with a Q&A session, two Northwestern alumni discuss their experiences applying to and attending the university.

A well-crafted Northwestern University supplement essay can make a huge difference to the admissions team. Use this guide to help you craft an engaging Northwestern essay that will boost your chances of admission. Finally, don’t forget to revise, edit, and proofread your final Northwestern supplement essay. You might also ask a parent, counselor, advisor, or other trusted adult for a second pair of eyes.

To see examples of essays written by our advisors who were admitted to Northwestern, check out last year’s blog article.

northwestern university supplemental essays

We hope this guide helped you gain a stronger understanding of the Northwestern supplemental essays 2021. Good luck!

northwestern university essays that worked

This Northwestern supplemental essays guide was written by Abbie Sage, Harvard ’21. For more CollegeAdvisor.com resources on Northwestern, click  here . Want help crafting your Northwestern supplement essay? Visit app.collegeadvisor.com to create your free  account  or  schedule a no-cost advising consultation  by calling (844) 836-8250.

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Northwestern named top Fulbright producing institution for the 20th year

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  • Student Awards

Northwestern has been named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution by the U.S. Department of State for the 20th consecutive year. Thirty Northwestern students and alumni received Fulbright awards for the 2023-2024 academic year, allowing them to teach, study and research everywhere from Taiwan to Colombia.

“Northwestern’s continued status as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution is a testament to the past two decades of outstanding academic work. It also reinforces the consistent ability of our students and alumni to make exceptional and lasting impacts around the world,” President Michael Schill said.

Established in 1946, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program allows graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals to pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English abroad in one of more than 140 partner countries. Northwestern has made the list of top Fulbright producers since the list’s inception in 2005. In that period, more than 400 Northwestern students and alumni have received Fulbrights.

This year, Northwestern is tied for fourth among top Fulbright student-producing doctoral institutions.

“The Fulbright Student Program offers the perfect opportunity to showcase Wildcat excellence,” said Elizabeth Lewis Pardoe, director of the Office of Fellowships , which administers the Fulbright Student competition for the University.

Graduating seniors, alumni and graduate students with U.S. passports are eligible to apply for awards that last an academic year. The campus application deadline is early September.

“Northwestern’s interdisciplinary ecosystem of humanists, scientists, performers and professionals cultivates Fulbrighters ready to contribute their varied talents from Iceland to Indonesia and Senegal to Slovenia,” Pardoe said. “Our outstanding Fulbright Program Advisors,  Stephen Hill and Amy Kehoe , assemble faculty and staff partners from across Northwestern to support our applicants in a multi-stage process that demands months of planning to deploy skills acquired over years of study around the world.”

Northwestern Now caught up with three Fulbrighters currently abroad to learn more about their experiences.

Ella Bartt

Teaching English in Mexico and Vietnam

Since late August, Ella Bartt, ’23, has been teaching English at a high school in Tlaquepaque, part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area in the Mexican state of Jalisco. There, she uses the knowledge she gained as a Spanish major at Northwestern to help students build language skills and learn about American culture through classes, tutoring and a conversation club.

Going to Mexico had long been a goal for Bartt, who has family history in the country and spent extensive time researching Mexican art movements from the early 20th century during her undergraduate career. She has continued to embrace her interest in Mexican art through a ceramics class at a local cultural center.

Bartt also enjoys going out to eat at local restaurants and traveling, taking advantage of the opportunity to visit places like Chichén Itzá and beaches in Oaxaca. 

She said she’s been struck by the hospitality she’s experienced, from the people she’s met at the high school and cultural center to waitresses at her favorite taquerias. “There is a real sense of community and people caring for each other and even people at the corner store who are like, ‘Oh, hey, we haven't seen you in a while,’” Bartt said.

Thousands of miles away, Sophi Pennex, ’23, is spending her Fulbright at a high school in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Pennex tells her students to think of her as their “English cheerleader” and focuses on creating a low-stress environment where they can practice their English. She also tries to incorporate fun interactive activities like role-playing a post-game interview or playing a version of the popular game Wordle that she created for the classroom.

Her role has renewed the passion for education that she inherited from her father, a longtime elementary school principal. Building relationships with her students and watching their confidence blossom has been a highlight of the program for Pennex.

“I'm able to be, for some of my students, the person I needed in high school,” she said.

In her free time, Pennex has picked up badminton, which is extremely popular in the country. She admits that when she arrived, she was “awful” at the sport. Now, she plays three times a week with teachers from her school and other members of the community. One of the school’s PE teachers has become her badminton trainer. These relationships have given Pennex a chance to work on her Vietnamese but also shown her how relationships can supersede language barriers.

“[My Fulbright] has changed my perspective on relationships and shown me that you can have connections and have these really lovely experiences in ways that you never thought would be possible without a common language,” she said.

Sophi Pennex

Researching climate and community in Ecuador

Robinson Markus, ’19, is investigating the intersection of housing, climate change and inequality in Quito, the Andean capital city of Ecuador. It’s Markus’ second research trip to the country — they first traveled there for their political science honors thesis during their undergraduate career at Northwestern. Now, he’s examining a government program offering a relocation subsidy to residents of neighborhoods deemed susceptible to climate-related risks like landslides and urban flooding. In partnership with FLACSO Ecuador and the Instituto de Investigaciones de la Ciudad (Quito Metropolitan Research Institute), Markus is hoping to find out what motivates residents to move or stay and how the choice affects residents’ climate vulnerability.

It's an important subject not just for Ecuadorians, but for people all over the world.

“Whether it's rising sea levels or wildfires or urban flooding, different cities are going to be increasingly facing climate risks, so we’ll need to figure out how to respond to those risks,” Markus said. “I'm particularly interested in the different perspectives that marginalized residents who are most directly susceptible to environmental risks may have.”

Outside their research, Markus has enjoyed getting to know their peer cohort, rock climbing and picking up local slang. The most rewarding part of his experience thus far has been interacting with Ecuadorians, whether through his research or local climbing gym.

“I'm a real believer that being outside of the country and being in different parts of the world changes your perspective and opens you up to different ways of thinking, not just as a researcher, but as a human,” they said.

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  • University Statements

LEADERSHIP NOTES

President’s advisory committee on free expression and institutional speech.

Dear members of the Northwestern community,

Northwestern has a long history as a haven for intellectual exchange and academic freedom. When I first arrived on campus in 2022, I highlighted the importance of engagement across difference, how a diversity of views can spark new discovery, and how freedom of expression is the very foundation of our University.

At my inauguration, I spoke to these values and hosted a vigorous panel on the values of free expression in an increasingly diverse community.

In the months since, worldwide events have sometimes strained our abilities to respectfully debate issues that we hold dear – but also have again laid bare why the concepts of academic freedom and freedom of expression are so important not just to the mission of our great University, but to solving the world’s problems.

Today, I am appointing a committee of distinguished senior faculty to propose to me a statement on free expression that reflects Northwestern’s values. I view the work of the President’s Advisory Committee on Free Expression and Institutional Speech as vital for our community.

The panel consists of some of Northwestern’s preeminent scholars from across disciplines, scholars who will examine the issue from different perspectives and, hopefully, with different viewpoints – the type of intellectual debate that lies at the very core of academic freedom.

I have asked the Advisory Committee to examine what are the boundaries, if any, for free expression and academic freedom in teaching, research and public discourse.

I have also asked Committee members to evaluate under what circumstances, if any, should the University, its officers, academic departments or administrative units make statements on behalf of their constituents about political, social or international matters.

Finally, I have tasked the Committee with considering how our University community might embrace their recommendations as part of our culture.

Chaired by Professor Erin Delaney of the Pritzker School of Law, the Committee consists of: 

  • Henry Bienen, President Emeritus
  • Eli Finkel, Professor of Social Psychology
  • Vicky Kalogera, Daniel L. Linzer Distinguished University Professor and Director of CIERA
  • Toni-Marie Montgomery, Professor and former Dean, Bienen School of Music
  • Gary Saul Morson, Lawrence B. Dumas Professor of the Arts and Humanities
  • Milan Mrksich, Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Peter Slevin, Professor of Journalism
  • Natasha Trethewey, Board of Trustees Professor of English
  • Christopher Udry, Robert E. and Emily King Professor in Economics
  • Mary Zimmerman, Professor and Jaharis Family Foundation Chair in Performance Studies

I would like to thank Professor Delaney and each member of this committee for taking on this challenging, fascinating and incredibly important charge. The Committee will consult widely among various University constituents as it considers these matters. In addition, the Committee will examine the University’s charter, policies and history.

As they conduct their work, they will report their findings and their recommendations to me as we chart a path forward for Northwestern.

Nazis marched in Nashville. Blame a growing collective ignorance that we must reverse.

American history is not all bright spots, and in order to overcome the bad, such as nazis marching in nashville in 2024, we need to understand how not to repeat the evils of history..

northwestern university essays that worked

Oscar-nominated movie “ The Zone of Interest ” is a horror movie and a public accusation.

This is a different type of Holocaust movie where the audience never sees the torture or death of the victims.

Instead, viewers watch scenes of a Nazi family enjoying nature and parties while they ignore the screams of gas chamber victims across the wall in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland .

We the audience are also made to feel complicit. That is the sense I received when I saw the film a few weeks ago at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville.

In some ways, it makes the drama more horrific to witness this great level of indifference.

On Saturday, Nazis marched through downtown Nashville , went to Public Square Park and stood at the Tennessee Capitol waving flags with the swastika logo, causing a barrage of condemnation from politicians and community leaders from both left and right.

That condemnation is important, but simply telling Nazis to "go away" is not enough. There needs to be a collective understanding about what Nazi-ism is all about and why it is bad for America.

Antisemitism on the rise: Ugly rise in antisemitism after Hamas attack on Israel has deep roots in American history

Holocaust education is severely lacking

One of the biggest lessons from “ The Zone of Interest ” is how apathy and ignorance can lead to the erasure of a human being’s culture, identity and right to exist.

The calls for citizens to “never forget” and to “never again” allow this atrocity to happen requires that citizens confront an awful history.

This political philosophy resulted in genocide and the subjugation of people whom Nazis considered ethnically and racially inferior. The United States and its allies fought a bloody war to destroy this threat.

Yet here we are in 2024 and Nazis proudly paraded through Tennessee’s state capital – nearly 80 years after the end of World War II.

Do these people know what they are doing and what Nazi symbols really mean? If they do, that is clearly antithetical to our stated values of peaceful protest and treating citizens as equals.

In 2020, a 50-state survey by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found the alarming statistic that 63% of millennials and Generation Z did not know that 6 million Jewish people were murdered during the Holocaust.

I have written in the past about the need to increase Holocaust education in Tennessee. But the state is going backward in our approach by seeking to avoid exposing school children to ideas that might make them feel uncomfortable.

Julianna Margulies: My non-Jewish friends, your silence on antisemitism is loud

In 2022, the McMinn County School Board received global condemnation for removing the Pulitzer Prize-winning Holocaust graphic novel “Maus” from the eighth grade curriculum. Recent laws in Tennessee banning so-called divisive concepts have had a chilling effect of purging books from school libraries and changing the ways teachers instruct their students to avoid some lessons altogether.

The primary victims of the Holocaust were Jewish. However, there were others such as people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ people who also deserve dignity and respect. On the latter, the Tennessee General Assembly has created a legal environment that is increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ people.

The First Amendment protects even vile speech

The Constitution protects the rights of Nazis. The marchers in Nashville were not arrested for their protest because of the First Amendment, which ensures Americans may speak and assemble freely.

In the late 1970s, members of the Nazi Party wanted to hold a march in Skokie, Illinois , and received pushback from this Chicago suburb, which was home to many Jewish resident and Holocaust survivors.

According to a 2020 essay by David Goldberger , who led a team of ACLU and Illinois lawyers representing the Nazi Party, that case tested the organization’s commitment to the First Amendment.

The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and eventually the Nazis were able to hold their protest while critics held their own counterprotest.

Thirty years ago, I studied this incident in a freshman course called “Philosophy of Freedom” at Northwestern University in nearby Evanston, Illinois, and the details still give me chills.

In 2009, Skokie opened the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center – years of work that was spurred by the Nazi march. It was a fact that I was reminded of by celebrated Nashville journalist Demetria Kalodimos , who replied to my post Sunday on X, formerly Twitter.

Tennessee leaders, from Gov. Bill Lee to Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell , have been posting their condemnation of the Nazi march on X.

That’s a fine first step but must not be the last.

Pass resolutions locally and in the legislature expressing disavowal of the Nazis, and then there needs to be a renewed, collective commitment to civics education that offers more and not fewer books and access to knowledge. This means reversing course on some of the recent legislation in the name of defeating so-called wokeness.

Our history is not all bright spots, and in order to overcome the bad, we need to understand how not to repeat the evils of history. That comes by being better, not less, informed.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean, where this column first published . He hosts the  Tennessee Voices videocast  and curates the  Tennessee Voices  and  Latino Tennessee Voices  newsletters. Email him at  [email protected]  or follow him on X:  @davidplazas

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