For high school seniors across the country, May 1 is a momentous day, marking the deadline to accept offers of college admission — a decision that will shape their next few years and the rest of their lives.
With the Class of 2029 as good as set, new Wildcats took to Instagram to post about their commitment and meet fellow incoming students. They expressed thoughts, hopes and dreams about coming to Northwestern.
Incoming Weinberg freshman Josslyn Grover applied Early Decision and was accepted in December 2024. At first, she said, she struggled with deciding whether to apply to NU early, but a midnight epiphany made up her mind.
“One night, I just woke up in the middle of the night, and it felt really right,” Grover said. “There was just something that clicked, and I felt like it was the right place.”
Grover, who is from the Bay Area in California, said she is currently planning on majoring in English but is also interested in exploring the School of Communication’s offerings and the Creative Writing program.
She said NU hit the sweet spot for her in a number of ways: the size of the student body, the level of sports enthusiasm and its location close to a big city but not in the middle of it. She also noted that NU’s “creativity” was attractive.
“When I visited, there were just so many posters for different shows, original shows, shows that I’ve seen and loved,” she said. “That was really exciting. I think people just seem very eager to create things and I look forward to seeing more of that energy.”
Lucy Hamann, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was admitted in the Regular Decision cohort. She hopes to study political science and is also considering physics.
Hamann, who is of Native American heritage, said that her high school lacked diversity, so she’s looking forward to meeting other members of the Indigenous community at NU.
“I’m just really excited to meet other people who are involved in any kind of Native American programs or clubs or like activism programs,” she said.
Philharmonia, NU’s non-major orchestra, was also a major draw for Hamann, as she plays the viola.
Also hoping to get involved in non-major music is Maia Abed of Colleyville, Texas. The incoming Weinberg freshman plays flute and piccolo, and plans to major in chemistry and possibly political science.
She’s looking forward to the independence of college life and the resources NU has to offer, including exercise classes like yoga and pilates.
“I’m really excited about meeting people with the same interests as me,” Abed said.
She added that she is hoping to join student organizations like NU Model United Nations. She also hopes to work in a chemistry lab, noting the interdisciplinary nature of research at NU.
Darren Kellis, who is from Alpharetta, Georgia, plans to major in political science and is considering a journalism double major, he said.
NU had long been one of his top choices, and he toured campus twice before Decision Day.
“I remember when I was walking around, we stopped and we talked to some students … We talked to them for 10 minutes and they were just telling us how awesome everything is,” Kellis recalled. “I’m just really excited about everything.”
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