Hi everyone! As an ACT-taker, I'm curious to know the average ACT score of admitted students at Northwestern University. Can you clue me in?
Hello! Northwestern University typically admits students with highly competitive ACT scores. According to data from the university, the middle 50% ACT score range for admitted students is between 33 and 35. This statistic means that 25% of students score below a 33, another 25% score above a 35, and the remaining 50% score within this range.
Please keep in mind, though, that the admissions process at Northwestern is holistic, and there isn't a strict cutoff for ACT scores. At such a selective school, even a perfect 36 won't get you in on its own, while on the flip side, you can compensate for a slightly lower score by having excellent grades, taking challenging courses, writing strong essays, engaging in meaningful extracurricular activities, and submitting strong letters of recommendation.
To summarize, while having an ACT score within or above this range is advantageous, there are other crucial factors that contribute to the overall strength of your application at Northwestern.
If you're looking for tips on how to strengthen your application as a whole, you can check out this blog post from CollegeVine, which breaks down how to tackle their school-specific supplemental essays: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-northwestern-university-essays/. After all, many applicants to Northwestern have excellent academic credentials, so it's often more subjective elements, like the personal qualities demonstrated in the essays, that admissions officers rely on when making their final decisions.
Finally, it is worth noting that Northwestern is officially test-optional, so technically you do not need to submit an ACT score. However, given the level of competition at this institution, you're still smart to be thoughtful about setting a target score for yourself, as, at top-tier schools, you generally want to convey your strengths in as many ways as possible, which means submitting a test score is often still a good idea. For detailed guidance on how to navigate test-optional policies, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional
Good luck with your college application process!
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