Northwestern acceptance rate falls to 9 percent

[Katatonic]

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2017/04/01/campus/northwestern-acceptance-rate-falls-to-9-percent/


As expected - and if both the FB and BB teams keep elevating their accomplishments on the field/court (say, win the B1G West and advance to the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight), then could very well see both programs contribute to cutting the acceptance rate even further.

 

[Deeringfish]

That is a slightly deceptive statistic as on line application process has made it increasingly easier for students to apply to more and more universities over that time frame.

That being said just as no one had heard of Gonzaga ten years ago, they are well known now. WHY? BB success in the Big Dance. National exposure.

 

[Katatonic]

^ Yeah, but that has benefited pretty much every university (even UoC dropped having their own application with their notorious essay questions).

And the common application has been around for some time now - what has really helped curtail NU's admit rate is taking more students from Early Decision applicants (along the lines of what schools like Penn and Duke have long done).

Right now, in terms of admit rate, NU is top 10 among the universities.

Gonzaga is probably the best recent example of major college sports success having an impact on a university in other areas.

As Gonzaga University prepares to make its first Final Four appearance, university officials also are celebrating a host of off-the-court successes.


Enrollment has reached 7,500 students, nearly doubling over the past 20 years. More students want to attend Gonzaga. Undergraduate applications rose nearly 300 percent during that time, and applicants’ college test scores keep climbing.

University budgets are growing along with the school’s endowment, which topped $212 million. New buildings are under construction on campus.

Much of the growth is directly or indirectly tied to the success of the men’s basketball team, which first advanced to the Elite Eight in an improbable run in 1999 under former coach Dan Monson. It was the beginning of the Zags’ long-running success and branding.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/mar/29/enrollment-endowment-soar-with-gonzaga-hoops-succe/

But schools like Stanford and Duke have also done so and we saw a bump in applications after the Rose bowl season.

 

[charcat]

The interesting statistic will be the yield this year. The admittance decisions were made before the big basketball publicity, which could result in a higher percentage of acceptances than estimated. If you normally assume that 50% of those accepted will come, it kind of screws things up if that jumps to 60%. You make assumptions based on your historical yields, but these unusual events can mess with your plans and make you have to figure out more in campus housing...

 

[ubercat]

On top of so much bad news, even our acceptance rate's in a tailspin. Sad.

()

 

[Deeringfish]

On top of so much bad news, even our acceptance rate's in a tailspin. Sad.

()

Yeh hey Uber, I'm circulating a petition to repeal women's suffrage, because it is so hard on women, all that suffering. Wanna sign it?

 

[EvanstonCat]

!@#$ my kid is never gonna get in.

How much in alum donations does one have to make to give a kid an upper hand?

 

[GlideCat]

!@#$ my kid is never gonna get in.

How much in alum donations does one have to make to give a kid an upper hand?

How does the new "EvanstonCat Stadium" on the new landfill sound?

I am cocky because my youngest graduates next month and I sent in the LAST tuition check in January. For the record, he is graduating from Miss. State, not NU.

 

[stpaulcat]

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2017/04/01/campus/northwestern-acceptance-rate-falls-to-9-percent/


As expected - and if both the FB and BB teams keep elevating their accomplishments on the field/court (say, win the B1G West and advance to the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight), then could very well see both programs contribute to cutting the acceptance rate even further.

Which also means that most of us wouldn't be here to write about it.

 

[Frabjous]

^ Yeah, but that has benefited pretty much every university (even UoC dropped having their own application with their notorious essay questions).

And the common application has been around for some time now - what has really helped curtail NU's admit rate is taking more students from Early Decision applicants (along the lines of what schools like Penn and Duke have long done).

Right now, in terms of admit rate, NU is top 10 among the universities.

Gonzaga is probably the best recent example of major college sports success having an impact on a university in other areas.

As Gonzaga University prepares to make its first Final Four appearance, university officials also are celebrating a host of off-the-court successes.


Enrollment has reached 7,500 students, nearly doubling over the past 20 years. More students want to attend Gonzaga. Undergraduate applications rose nearly 300 percent during that time, and applicants’ college test scores keep climbing.

University budgets are growing along with the school’s endowment, which topped $212 million. New buildings are under construction on campus.

Much of the growth is directly or indirectly tied to the success of the men’s basketball team, which first advanced to the Elite Eight in an improbable run in 1999 under former coach Dan Monson. It was the beginning of the Zags’ long-running success and branding.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/mar/29/enrollment-endowment-soar-with-gonzaga-hoops-succe/

But schools like Stanford and Duke have also done so and we saw a bump in applications after the Rose bowl season.

Ha, when my kid applied to UChicago the essay question was, 'Why would anyone buy a 5 lb. jar of mustard?'

 

[stpaulcat]

Ha, when my kid applied to UChicago the essay question was, 'Why would anyone buy a 5 lb. jar of mustard?'

If true, this is why I have always liked Chicago.

 

[ubercat]

Because they have a Costco card?

 

[Smokejumper]

Ahhh, The things you can do with mustard.

 

[scru]

Ha, when my kid applied to UChicago the essay question was, 'Why would anyone buy a 5 lb. jar of mustard?'

Because bratwurst. Easiest essay ever. What else you got?

 

[D_C_B]

Why? Because they bought their last 5 lb jar of mustard 3 years ago and are running low, and with the money they saved they can get a 5 lb jar of ketchup for free...

 

[Frabjous]

But mustard or ketchup on a Chicago hot dog is a felony, no?

 

[thewildcat2011]

But mustard or ketchup on a Chicago hot dog is a felony, no?

Nah, only ketchup. Mustard is an integral part of a Chicago dog.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Ha, when my kid applied to UChicago the essay question was, 'Why would anyone buy a 5 lb. jar of mustard?'

Nah, only ketchup. Mustard is an integral part of a Chicago dog.

 

[Katatonic]

!@#$ my kid is never gonna get in.

How much in alum donations does one have to make to give a kid an upper hand?

Best thing would be for your kid to apply ED - about a 25% acceptance rate.

RD has about a 7% acceptance rate.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Best thing would be for your kid to apply ED - about a 25% acceptance rate.

RD has about a 7% acceptance rate.

And if I recall correctly, substantially over half of the class is already spoken for during the Early Decision period now where not that long ago it was closer to a quarter. The trend each year seems to be even further narrowing the gap. I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future there will only be several hundred slots yet to fill after early decision.

 

[pittcat90]

Best thing would be for your kid to apply ED - about a 25% acceptance rate.

RD has about a 7% acceptance rate.

I'm going to risk being grumpy because my daughter applied this year and it didn't work out.

RD actually came in slightly below the 7% as near as the numbers can tell. If you want any advantage from being a legacy, ED seems to be the only way to go. This all stems from the yield, which was mentioned earlier. ED is basically a guaranteed yield, and that number has become quite important in college rankings. The moral is that you need to apply ED.

By the way, I'm not really that grumpy; my daughter is going to go to Cornell, and I'm really proud of her. I'm just upset that I can't vicariously re-live my time at NU through her.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

I'm going to risk being grumpy because my daughter applied this year and it didn't work out.

RD actually came in slightly below the 7% as near as the numbers can tell. If you want any advantage from being a legacy, ED seems to be the only way to go. This all stems from the yield, which was mentioned earlier. ED is basically a guaranteed yield, and that number has become quite important in college rankings. The moral is that you need to apply ED.

By the way, I'm not really that grumpy; my daughter is going to go to Cornell, and I'm really proud of her. I'm just upset that I can't vicariously re-live my time at NU through her.

Congratulations to your daughter.

 

[Katatonic]

Congrats to your daughter pittcat!

As for ED and yield, NU is just doing now what schools like Penn and Duke have long done - getting a bigger chunk of their class from ED.

 

[ParisCat]

Probably not the right place to ask for input/advice, but since we're OT, here goes...

My daughter was fortunate enough to be admitted to some fine schools, but is tremendously conflicted about her final three choices: NU, Georgetown, and Michigan. My sense is that her main concerns about NU are: (1) its proximity to home -- it's really close; and (2) the lack of a BBA program -- she thinks she's interested in going into the business world, and she has been pre-admitted into the undergraduate business schools at Georgetown and Michigan. I'd happily take any free advice on her behalf... especially from those with experience with any of those three schools at the undergrad level, and/or the value of a BBA degree from a top program vs. e.g. an Econ degree from NU.

 

[GlideCat]

Probably not the right place to ask for input/advice, but since we're OT, here goes...

My daughter was fortunate enough to be admitted to some fine schools, but is tremendously conflicted about her final three choices: NU, Georgetown, and Michigan. My sense is that her main concerns about NU are: (1) its proximity to home -- it's really close; and (2) the lack of a BBA program -- she thinks she's interested in going into the business world, and she has been pre-admitted into the undergraduate business schools at Georgetown and Michigan. I'd happily take any free advice on her behalf... especially from those with experience with any of those three schools at the undergrad level, and/or the value of a BBA degree from a top program vs. e.g. an Econ degree from NU.

Other than my own degree from NU, I have no experience with Georgetown or Michigan. My son, however, is graduating next month (Yay!) with a bachelor's in business. A business degree allows the student to go ahead and choose an area of focus. He had options like Business Management, International Business, Finance, Accounting, and Supply Chain Management. This is designed to have him (hopefully) marketable with a bachelor's degree. I am not sure if an econ degree would not require an MBA or some other master's degree to be marketable in the same way. Just an ignorant Dad's thoughts from having a son make what I thought were good decisions.

 

[ParisCat]

Thanks Glide!

 

[Alaskawildkat]

It might be worth checking directly with Kellogg. I vaguely recall something about some Kellogg program that included undergraduates in their final years . The context this came up in was with regard to a football recruit who was considering Northwestern while alternatively looking at other schools that offered undergraduate business programs. As I recall it was something similar to the 6 year med program that NU offered.

That said, I was told in the past that the typical Kellogg entrant not only has a BA, but also at least two years or more of real world business related work experience.

 

[FightNorthwestern]

Probably not the right place to ask for input/advice, but since we're OT, here goes...

My daughter was fortunate enough to be admitted to some fine schools, but is tremendously conflicted about her final three choices: NU, Georgetown, and Michigan. My sense is that her main concerns about NU are: (1) its proximity to home -- it's really close; and (2) the lack of a BBA program -- she thinks she's interested in going into the business world, and she has been pre-admitted into the undergraduate business schools at Georgetown and Michigan. I'd happily take any free advice on her behalf... especially from those with experience with any of those three schools at the undergrad level, and/or the value of a BBA degree from a top program vs. e.g. an Econ degree from NU.

I work in finance, and I feel that if either finance or accounting is the field she wants to pursue jobs in then BBA degrees from Michigan or Georgetown would be better served (if job prospects matter to you and her). Easier to land jobs out of the gate because you are basically preparing for the specific role throughout college and more alumni in the field as well. I graduated in 2008 FYI.

 

[Dadof2Cats]

Probably not the right place to ask for input/advice, but since we're OT, here goes...

My daughter was fortunate enough to be admitted to some fine schools, but is tremendously conflicted about her final three choices: NU, Georgetown, and Michigan. My sense is that her main concerns about NU are: (1) its proximity to home -- it's really close; and (2) the lack of a BBA program -- she thinks she's interested in going into the business world, and she has been pre-admitted into the undergraduate business schools at Georgetown and Michigan. I'd happily take any free advice on her behalf... especially from those with experience with any of those three schools at the undergrad level, and/or the value of a BBA degree from a top program vs. e.g. an Econ degree from NU.

Both of my kids had similar choices and chose NU (and I am a Georgetown undergrad business alum). We don't live in the Chicago area so that was not a negative to them. While Georgetown McDonough and Michigan Ross are fine programs, the overall academic excellence (and reputation) at Northwestern exceed both of those schools. If your daughter is interested in the business world, she can pursue an Econ major through Weinberg or Industrial Engineering through McCormick. There are also two undergraduate certificate programs through Kellogg that offer graduate-level study in areas that are very appealing to a wide variety of industries (finance, consulting, tech, etc.) Northwestern does an incredible job bringing companies to campus to recruit undergraduates and the caliber of students is exceptional. In my experience in the business world, her degree from Northwestern would be worth more than either Georgetown or Michigan or frankly any other undergraduate business program.

 

[GlideCat]

Industrial Engineering through McCormick.

I did not think of this. An Industrial Engineering undergrad with Kellogg graduate level would be hard to beat. I knew folks back in the day that hooked IE up with an MBA. They did well. If she stopped at undergrad, then IE is pretty marketable but pretty focused on manufacturing and supply chain.

And I also just remembered... My brother has a bachelors and masters in economics and he strongly recommended that my son get the business degree with an accounting focus. He said that degree (which leads to a CPA) was a strong career. My son went with a focus in Finance because he thought accounting was painfully boring.

 

[pittcat90]

Probably not the right place to ask for input/advice, but since we're OT, here goes...

My daughter was fortunate enough to be admitted to some fine schools, but is tremendously conflicted about her final three choices: NU, Georgetown, and Michigan. My sense is that her main concerns about NU are: (1) its proximity to home -- it's really close; and (2) the lack of a BBA program -- she thinks she's interested in going into the business world, and she has been pre-admitted into the undergraduate business schools at Georgetown and Michigan. I'd happily take any free advice on her behalf... especially from those with experience with any of those three schools at the undergrad level, and/or the value of a BBA degree from a top program vs. e.g. an Econ degree from NU.

Congrats to your daughter.

One thing that I'd like to mention as a teacher is that many students go into college with a conviction about what they would like to study, but studies tell us that the average college student changes majors several times. With that in mind, I encourage students not to focus too much on a certain major program but to choose a good school where he or she feels comfortable and is confident that a strong education in available in a variety of areas. From my third person view, your daughter has excellent options; she really can't go wrong. It would be worth asking her, however, if she would be equally happy at all three schools if the business major were closed to her.

This is simply my input on a different way to approach the situation.

 

[ParisCat]

Thanks Pitt, Glide, Alaska, Fight, and Dad, for your thoughtful comments!

 

[phatcat]

If she hasn't visited, she should. I say this because I hope that Michigan is the typical arrogant assholes they usually are - I was actually accepted there years ago but omg. Then, my daughter, same thing.

Incidentally, I got the same treatment at U Chicago for grad business, although the Kellogg people were quite welcoming.

I think I have done ok in business with NU Econ

 

[ParisCat]

LOL re Michigan arrogance. Speaking of arrogance ... full confession (no Catholic pun intended) ... my daughter's top choice was Notre Dame, but she was waitlisted there. Yet another reason to hate the Domers.

 

[VBCat97]

Probably not the right place to ask for input/advice, but since we're OT, here goes...

My daughter was fortunate enough to be admitted to some fine schools, but is tremendously conflicted about her final three choices: NU, Georgetown, and Michigan. My sense is that her main concerns about NU are: (1) its proximity to home -- it's really close; and (2) the lack of a BBA program -- she thinks she's interested in going into the business world, and she has been pre-admitted into the undergraduate business schools at Georgetown and Michigan. I'd happily take any free advice on her behalf... especially from those with experience with any of those three schools at the undergrad level, and/or the value of a BBA degree from a top program vs. e.g. an Econ degree from NU.

I've got an Econ degree from NU and an MBA from Michigan, have worked in investment banking for almost 15 years with a few different firms (bulge bracket in Manhattan and middle market in Chicago), and have recruited undergrads as well as MBAs over a number of years, so I'll offer a few thoughts:

The business world can mean a bunch of different things (investment banking, corporate finance functions in industry, etc.). I didn't know I wanted to do investment banking (and didn't know a damn thing about it) until a year after I graduated from NU. The NU degree definitely helped me get in the door and has served me well throughout my career, mostly because it is a well-respected and a nationally-recognized institution and people will assume you are bright, hard-working and know your shit. Also, NU on the resume will never hurt (especially if she decides to go into consulting, marketing, operations, etc.).

However, I will also say that the Michigan BBA program is a top 5 undergraduate program in the country. All of the Wall Street firms recruit Michigan BBAs (which isn't true for NU) for investment banking heavily and there are a ton of alums out there. I've worked with a lot of Michigan BBAs and they are probably a step ahead of the NU kids (in terms of being prepared for an investment banking career). However, if you're talking general corporate finance jobs, then I don't think there is a noticeable difference.

From an employer and recruiter perspective, I think a Michigan BBA has more gravitas than a Georgetown one. From my experience, I haven't seen a lot of Georgetown kids do as well as some of the other kids, and the ones that do will settle in the East Coast. Michigan kids end up all over the country (if she thinks she wants to settle down in the Midwest, NU and Michigan will be much better choices.)

Full disclosure: I bleed purple so I'm going to be a little biased toward NU, but if it were my daughter I'd go NU>Michigan>Georgetown. If she chooses NU, tell her to go to Ross for business school and if she chooses Michigan, tell her to go to Kellogg for business school. Stay away from DC.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Stay away from DC.

Of course with that swamp now being drained .....

 

[thewildcat2011]

I've worked with a lot of Michigan BBAs and they are probably a step ahead of the NU kids (in terms of being prepared for an investment banking career).

They have a class on PowerPoint?

 

[EvanstonCat]

Probably not the right place to ask for input/advice, but since we're OT, here goes...

My daughter was fortunate enough to be admitted to some fine schools, but is tremendously conflicted about her final three choices: NU, Georgetown, and Michigan. My sense is that her main concerns about NU are: (1) its proximity to home -- it's really close; and (2) the lack of a BBA program -- she thinks she's interested in going into the business world, and she has been pre-admitted into the undergraduate business schools at Georgetown and Michigan. I'd happily take any free advice on her behalf... especially from those with experience with any of those three schools at the undergrad level, and/or the value of a BBA degree from a top program vs. e.g. an Econ degree from NU.

What does she want to do with a BBA degree? Frankly, I would get a technical degree, like in engineering (I regret not majoring in EE). iBanks and Consulting firms probably prefer them than BBA and Econ majors, because they are going to be the best quant jocks. Then go get your MBA.

I've been in business, largely in technology (I've been with a bulge bracket bank, though only for a summer, MBB consulting, top tier tech firms, venture capital). I don't know of anyone who got their BBA. What the people who get their BBAs end up doing, I don't know. The only business degree anyone cares about in business is an MBA.

One thing for sure - if you're going to do tech, I highly recommend getting a EE or CS degree.

 

[hdhntr1]

But mustard or ketchup on a Chicago hot dog is a felony, no?

Ketchup is but mustard is a mainstay

 

[GlideCat]

What does she want to do with a BBA degree? Frankly, I would get a technical degree, like in engineering (I regret not majoring in EE). iBanks and Consulting firms probably prefer them than BBA and Econ majors, because they are going to be the best quant jocks. Then go get your MBA.

I've been in business, largely in technology (I've been with a bulge bracket bank, though only for a summer, MBB consulting, top tier tech firms, venture capital). I don't know of anyone who got their BBA. What the people who get their BBAs end up doing, I don't know. The only business degree anyone cares about in business is an MBA.

One thing for sure - if you're going to do tech, I highly recommend getting a EE or CS degree.

EE is going to be safe if she likes that. Good money. Stable. CS has high entry level salaries but low ceiling. If she has a strong outgoing personality, then she will succeed in whatever she chooses and the sky is the limit with a business degree.