At the sight of purple confetti and a “Congratulations!” on her computer screen, incoming Weinberg freshman Ameera Hamadeh joined the pool of Northwestern’s regular decision admitted students last week. Though she could hardly believe it at the time, Hamadeh said she already feels at home.
“My parents always told me, when it came to college, ‘You’ll know when you know,’” Hamadeh said. “As soon as I got in, I felt like I knew exactly where I needed to be.”
Over 50,000 students applied to NU in the 2023-24 admissions cycle, which saw an increased acceptance rate of 7.5%. About half of admits were accepted during the regular decision cycle.
Following the Supreme Court ruling against using race as a factor in college admissions in June, this year’s application introduced a new personal statement essay and optional supplemental essay prompts for applicants to discuss their identity, background and interests.
Many admits said a stand-out feature of NU was the quarter system and, with it, the ability to explore many interests with classes.
An Illinois native, Hamadeh said she likes the flexibility of the quarter system since it allows her to take classes outside her major while balancing her graduation requirements.
“I knew that in college, I didn’t want to burn myself out in one category,” Hamadeh said.
When she arrives in fall, Hamadeh hopes to pursue a degree in legal studies and join the Academy of Music and Arts for Special Education, an organization that provides music and art education to individuals with special needs.
Despite the typical dread that comes with writing numerous essays when applying to colleges, Hamadeh said she felt comfortable with NU’s additional supplemental essays.
“With Northwestern, it was a different case because there’s just so much I wanted to say,” Hamadeh said.
With Evanston being close to home, Hamadeh said she’s glad to have a background in the area and will feel more comfortable to explore more on her own.
Incoming Weinberg freshman Sol Rivera said she’s excited to try out for the sailing team and get involved with Hillel. While she hopes to study English next fall, she likes that NU encourages interdisciplinary studies.
“The two supplementary essays were able to give the school a little bit more detail into what I was doing, my interests and what my passions were — and also my background too, especially because affirmative action was taken away, which is something that really affected me,” Rivera said.
Some students traveling far from home said they are excited to assimilate into NU and Chicago life. Many said they like the proximity and accessibility of Evanston to Chicago.
From Fayetteville, Georgia, incoming Bienen freshman Garrison Rider said NU’s location was ideal for him.
“I live in the South, so I enjoy my rural, tight-knit communities,” Rider said. “Northwestern being right in Evanston, where it is a smaller college town right outside of a big city like Chicago, was absolutely perfect for me.”
Rider said he hopes to establish a winter guard group and have the freedom to pursue endeavors he’s passionate about.
Incoming Medill freshman Trois Ono said when she opened her application decision at 6 a.m., she thought she was “still dreaming.”
Having gone to the same school in Yokohama, Japan, for over 10 years, Ono said she’s ready for a change in scenery. As an international student, she said she’s anxious about a change in routine but is excited to gain insight into American culture. She hopes to join Northwestern Flipside in the fall for its comedic quality.
“I think it is really scary, though,” Ono said. “I’m suddenly having to move to Chicago and live independently without my parents and without any close friends, but I think I kind of need that experience. It’s just part of life.”
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