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Speaker 1 00:00:14 I had a basketball game and my parents were like, you cannot open the email until like we're home with you. And so after school, like I was a nervous wreck day and after school, like I went home and I put my phone down and I was like, I just like kept it at my house. Cause I was like, I cannot know that the email came to me.
Speaker 2 00:00:31 So I got my wisdom teeth out that day, um, that morning. And it was the day that Northwestern and new Chicago came out. And so I was like looping.
Speaker 3 00:00:43 So, um, I mean I was really, really excited and um, my mom and I kind of just like hugged and cried because it was just like such an emotional day.
Speaker 4 00:00:55 High schoolers across the country are in the process of deciding which college they want to go to today. April 20 marks an 11 day countdown to the final moment where most tuition deposits need to be made and finalized May 1st for regular decision applicants the month and a half deciding time proves crucial, but some admits are not burdened with this decision.
Speaker 1 00:01:22 So I started, <affirmative> doing my essay like right when school started,
Speaker 4 00:01:28 Leah Kowski is an early decision applicant from Louisville, Nebraska. She submitted a binding application by November 1st of last year, ensuring that upon acceptance, she was tied to attending Northwestern. If rejected, early decision students can choose to modify and forward their applications to the regular decision pool.
Speaker 1 00:01:49 Um, early decision applications were due. I think it was due beginning of October, beginning of October, I was gonna go visit Northwestern one more time to make sure that's what I wanted. Cuz I was like, I think I wanna do that cuz it gives me another chance. Um, cause if I don't get in early decision, I can still do regular decision fix my application, whatever
Speaker 4 00:02:13 Early decision applications are typically due months in advance of regular decision ones Kowski and mission decision was released just short of the new year.
Speaker 2 00:02:35 So my name's Julia Zimerman. I use she her pronouns and I'm from Mont New York, which is in Westchester county
Speaker 4 00:02:44 Zimmerman decided to apply early decision to Northwestern after being nudged in its direction, by her parents who thought the school would fit her due to her multitude of interests.
Speaker 2 00:02:54 And in October I finally, um, uh, made it to Chicago and I fell in love with it and I made a quick switch to my applications and uh, yeah, submitted my ed the offerings at the school. Um, I'm very into theater, but I'm, uh, I can performing arts at my school and there's obviously an amazing performing arts area at Northwestern. And I think even though I'm not majoring in that, like being able to see my friends in shows and stuff like that was super appealing to me. And also obviously there's premed there and to, um, resources and internships in Chicago,
Speaker 4 00:03:32 Other students were less aware of Northwestern from the get go due to their hometowns location. Kowski comes from a town of just over 1000 people in a graduating class of around 45 because of this Northwestern and its peer institutions aren't even on the radar for most students at Kowski high school,
Speaker 1 00:03:54 I'm from an area where going to college means going to UNL or UN L, which is just like Lincoln or Omaha, big state schools. That's what you do either go there or go to like a smaller community college around the state. And like that's what everyone does Have a, one of my cousins actually went to WashU in St. Louis. And she was kind of the one who started me on this college process of like, you can do this, like you need to look into this. You shouldn't just go to Lincoln.
Speaker 4 00:04:36 Northwestern's acceptance rate hung around 7%, this and last year with over 95% of the class of 20, 25 residing in the top 10% of their high schools, graduating classes, just over 47,000 students applied to Northwestern last year, just above 2000, got in four Vancouver resident, Kevin song, the days leading up to decision day gradually became more stressful.
Speaker 3 00:05:07 Like the moment I submitted my application all the way until like decision date, I was just like on constant kind of, you know, underlying stress and the stress became more and more apparent. Um, you know, like a two to three days before the decision day. And I was just like, wait, like my, my friends, um, and my classmates, their decisions are constantly coming out. People are getting accepted, rejected, you know, and everything in between
Speaker 4 00:05:32 Song is an international student while Northwestern's environment host students from a wide variety of states and countries song said leaving home B mixed emotions.
Speaker 3 00:05:44 It's kind of like, it's kind of sad because, um, I've been living with my parent for, you know, for like 10 years. Um, and we're just like basically together every day. So it's really hard for me to kind of imagine myself being away from my family and living, you know, by myself in a whole different city, in a whole different country. Um, but I think I'm a person who likes to explore. So I'm up for the challenge
Speaker 0 00:06:15 We see
Speaker 4 00:06:19 From Evanston or whichever city you're in. This is Iris Swarthout, w N U R news.
