Not all of Northwestern’s accepted class of 2013 will sport Wildcat gear May 1 to celebrate sending in their deposits – some are still struggling with their decisions.
Ted Okechukwu sought advice on the Northwestern 2013 Facebook group and is currently deciding between NU and Duke University. He attended Wildcat Days to help make his decision, but the preview only made his decision harder, he said.
“I was hoping that there would be many things I would not like, therefore allowing me to comfortably choose another school,” the Texas resident said. “But the school far exceeded my expectations and I have no idea what to do.”
Out of 25,000 regular decision applications for the class of 2013, NU accepted 6,864 students for an ideal freshmen class size of about 2,025. While about 25 percent of the class has been filled by early decision students, the final class size will be determined after the May 1 post-marked deadline for acceptances.
NU is competing for students with Duke, Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California schools, according to the class of 2013’s Facebook thread, “I chose Northwestern over____.”
Last year, 32 percent of NU’s accepted class chose the university, compared to 42 percent at Duke and 47 percent at Georgetown.
The competing schools are of similar prestige, which makes the decision difficult, said Ania Bilski, a regular decision student from California. The decision has come down to the location, weather and the student bodies of NU; University of California, Los Angeles; and University of California, Berkeley, she said.
“All three schools have huge pros and cons that I can’t seem to outweigh,” she said. “Northwestern has the ideal blend of academic prestige and preparation and social life, but it is about 2,000 miles away from everything I’ve ever known.”
Financial issues were a consideration for some applicants. Julio Antonio De Guzman from the Philippines said financial aid was not an issue after he received a full tuition scholarship, but the economy was still a factor. De Guzman said he also considered each school’s academic grading and honors systems and ultimately chose Georgetown.
“Getting honors upon graduation was a must for me, especially now that the job market is more fiercely competitive than ever, and attending Northwestern could possibly affect my chance of achieving that goal,” he said.
New York resident Kelly Lester chose Berkeley after her initial enthusiasm for journalism dissipated, she said.
“As my senior year wore on and I began realizing other passions of mine, I became less and less interested with majoring in journalism,” she said. ” I wanted to go to a school that was very strong in political science and environmental studies.”
For students who already have accepted a place at NU, May 1 marks the end of a tedious application process and the start of preparations for next year. Newly accepted students can now begin looking into Weinberg freshman seminars and using Facebook to meet incoming classmates.
Amanda Bossard, a New Jersey resident, has begun researching classes and residence halls.
“Having made a final decision has left me feeling not only relieved but extremely anxious and excited to begin my college experience at Northwestern this coming fall,” she said.
