Because Northwestern is a highly selective university, your writing will be an important part of your application, separating you from the other students with similarly high GPAs and SAT scores (a heads up that most applicants to schools like this are academically admissible). Take a little extra time to communicate why you’ve chosen Northwestern over other schools, what you plan to get out of your four years there, and (especially) how you’ll add to and engage with the campus community and Northwestern’s values.
Not sure how? We’ve got you. Read on for a step-by-step guide, tips, and examples.
For a clearer sense of what Northwestern is looking for in its students, you can get an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. And for insights into how the university envisions itself and its role, and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan.
What are the Northwestern supplemental essay prompts?
Prompt #1
We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background, your identity, or your school, community, and/or household settings have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise? (300 words max)
Prompt #2
NOTE: Northwestern is no longer requiring the Common App essay as part of the application. They write, "The supplemental questions below touch on areas we see as important for building Northwestern’s Class of 2029, but you should feel free to repurpose essays you've written for other applications (including the Common/Coalition Application personal essay, which we no longer require) if they tell the story you'd most like to share.
We encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two of the following questions. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question "
The following questions are optional, but we encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question:
- Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?
- Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?
- Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.
- Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?
- Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?
How to Write The Supplemental Essay Prompt for Northwestern
How to Write Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
Prompt 1 (Required): We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background, your identity, or your school, community, and/or household settings have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise? (300 words max)
Some schools want to know how, based on your experiences, you’d contribute to their campuses. The key here is to a) share some experiences you’ve already been a part of and what you’ve learned from them, then b) connect these experiences to particular opportunities available on their campus.
Help the admission officer reading your application visualize you at their school.
For a fuller “How will you contribute” guide + examples with analysis, check out that link, but here’s the short version.
Essentially, a way to think of this kind of prompt is that it’s a combo of “community/identity/background” and “why us” prompts: Use some of your response to show how you’ve become who you are, and then show how those experiences shape what you will bring to the college through linking to specific opportunities/groups/details. Connect your unique upbringing, in a very broad sense of the word, with what the school offers and how you will make a great team.
STEP 1: BRAINSTORM (ALL ABOUT YOU).
Do the “If You Really, Really Knew Me” Exercise. Yup, the same one mentioned above.
STEP 2: RESEARCH THE COLLEGE (LEARN ALL ABOUT THEM).
Make a copy of the “Why us” Essay Chart 2.0, research the school you’re writing your essay for, and fill in the first two columns. (This is the same chart mentioned above.)
Once you’ve done these exercises, you’ll have a better sense of:
YOU: A bunch of different talents/skills/identities/qualities that you’ll bring to a college campus, and
THEM: A variety of programs/courses/clubs/affinity groups that your college offers.
STEP 3: CONNECT YOU… TO THEM (I.E., THE COLLEGE YOU’RE APPLYING TO).
Make connections between what the school offers and what you’re interested in.
Here’s an example written for Fordham that nicely illustrates how to approach this type of essay:
Example:
I embody both a young Muslim woman passionate about civil liberty and a global citizen whose identity transcends her nationality. After witnessing migrant workers in the Middle East left at sunrise in desert mountains with only a broom and a single meal to last the day, I found my calling as an advocate.
At Fordham, I want to pursue these human rights questions in courses like Professor Durkin’s Development and Globalization, where I can delve into discussions about reproductive rights, genocide prevention, and prison reform. By joining the Humanitarian Student Union, I can work alongside my peers to directly engage with social justice issues. And as an Indian classical dance enthusiast, I look forward to joining Fordham Falak.
And some day, in addition to being a world voyager, I will become the first hijabi United
States Ambassador to the United Nations, a journey I embarked on at Fordham. (148 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Show them how you can be a teacher and a student. The prompt wants you to think about how you’ve become who you are and how who you are will contribute to the world views of other students. This writer positions herself as an advocate (leader) and also lets her readers know the specific environments in which she hopes to learn more (learner). She is clear, specific, and detailed.
Let them know you work well with others. Remember all the times you heard you needed to learn how to work as part of a group? Well, here’s your chance to make those lessons count. Northwestern asks specifically about engaging with others, so don’t ignore this part of the prompt. In essence, readers want to learn the ways in which you’ll contribute to their school community, and this student addresses this question head-on (“I can work alongside my peers to directly engage with social justice issues”). This concise but impactful statement lets the college know she plans to use the strength that comes from collaboration to further her advocacy work. Who wouldn’t appreciate that in a prospective student?
Demonstrate impact. Many students might worry that they had an impact on only one person, or that the impact on their community wasn’t important enough. To that, we say: Give yourself more credit. If you can say you made an impact—big or small, one person or one nation—then you made an impact. Embrace it. And, by all means, write about it. This student begins to explore what she’ll do with her education—engage with social justice issues and be the first hijabi U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations—but we would’ve loved to have seen her also state the impact she’ll make on her issues of interest and in her communities.
And here’s another example essay, written for another school’s version of this prompt. Though note that ideally, you’d spend more of your word count on the “how will you contribute” elements.
Example:
A large aspect of my identity is my low-income family of eight. As one of the eldest siblings, I was expected to financially contribute as soon as I could work. The majority of my summers were spent shelving products, filing papers, and answering customers’ questions. I quickly discovered the difficulty in earning a paycheck and appreciated my parents more. My family has been my rock—ever since we faced homelessness. Homelessness allowed me to understand my family’s financial situation, but most importantly, it resulted in bonding emotionally. At that moment, family was the one thing I knew I could call home.
Over time, the comforting feeling of my family began to disappear. As my parents are devoted missionaries and pastors, I regularly hear their conservative perspectives of Christianity. Throughout my life, I’ve shared similar personal values with my family, denying my bisexuality up until last year. This identity realization impacted me emotionally and physically. I was afraid to come out to anyone, worried that my faith would be questioned and I’d be treated differently. I felt powerless and miserable; mental struggles sometimes limited my motivation. One day, I sought professional help and found solace with my school counselor. After spending endless nights contemplating coming out, I told my close friends. I found acceptance from some and learned who were my real friends, the support system that I’m grateful for. My true identity hasn’t changed. Rather, coming out allowed me to be more open-minded, inclusive, and taught me to value conversations where I can bring a fresh perspective.
Above all, I’ve learned that my experiences shape me into the multifaceted person I am today. They propel me to openly contribute to my Entry, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, and most importantly, the everyday interactions with my Williams peers and faculty members. (300 words)
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How to Write Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
While strictly speaking these prompts are optional, we (at CEG) would highly encourage you to write them, as they give you another chance to stand out from other applicants. And considering Northwestern isn’t requiring the personal statement any longer, you don’t have many other chances to do so.
We’ll cover more below, but notice that of Northwestern’s six prompts this year (the one required, above, and the five prompts to choose from below), three of them are versions of “how will you contribute?” To our minds, Northwestern is clearly hinting at how important that is to them—be sure to show through your application how you fit with the Northwestern community and how you’ll engage/what you bring to it.
“We encourage you to answer at least one and no more than two of the following questions. Please respond in fewer than 200 words per question:”
- Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?
- Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?
- Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.
- Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why?
- Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?
Option #1:
Painting “The Rock” is a tradition at Northwestern that invites all forms of expression—students promote campus events or extracurricular groups, support social or activist causes, show their Wildcat spirit (what we call “Purple Pride”), celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why? (200 words)
On the surface, this prompt seems pretty straightforward—you have a rock, it’s an important part of campus culture, what would you paint on it? But this prompt is so much more than that!
It gives you the opportunity to show core sides of yourself (your values, your priorities, your interests, your cultural background) while also inviting you to be creative and have fun. We love these kinds of prompts here! And even better, we have some tips to help you as you craft your response!
Show Northwestern you’ve done your homework. While you might not have the chance to get to Illinois to check out The Rock in person, you can still show your application readers that you KNOW Northwestern and its culture and values. Check out their website to learn about the clubs, groups, and organizations on campus and find the ones that align with your values and interests. If a part of campus life really appeals to, you can then include or focus on these details in your response. You can also check out this link about “Why Us?” supplemental essays since that can be a component of this essay.
Make sure to answer the “and why” part of this prompt. Those two short words at the end of this essay question are incredibly important because they give you the chance to show your reader you can be reflective. The “what” is the thing you would actually paint—but it’s generally way less important than the “why,” which is your opportunity to explain that this thing has meaning. Would you paint a tiger? Awesome! Tell them that and then explain that you’ve spent the last three years working in support of animal conservation. Are you a dedicated member of your local Bingo club and want to paint a Bingo card? Well first of all, that would be amazing. But mostly focus on why: maybe you play Bingo with your grandparents every week and you find that connection and what you’ve learned from it important. Let your readers know your “why”!
Take some risks. What an opportunity to be creative and quirky and thoughtful here! While your response to this prompt might be very literal (maybe your family watches every Northwestern football game together and you want to paint a football), this is also where those metaphors and symbols you’ve learned about in English can come in. Perhaps your spirit animal is a tortoise because, like you, they’re calm and deliberate. Paint that tortoise! Or maybe you spend all of your extra time tutoring kids in reading skills. Instead of painting a book, maybe you could paint a lightbulb or gears to illustrate the moment when something clicks for your young charges. You don’t have to be literal to make your point
Remember that this isn’t your resume. You get only 200 words to answer this question, so you need to be focused and detailed. Instead of re-listing the information that will already be on your Activities List, think about choosing one idea for what you would paint and use your word count to both briefly describe the image and explain why it’s important to you. If you try to address too many ideas, you won’t get to develop any of them to the degree you need to. And what you can really focus on here is your values as opposed to your list of accomplishments (here's a quick values exercise that can help you identify these for yourself).
Here’s an example that illustrates how you can approach this prompt.
Example:
If I could paint The Rock, it would outwardly appear a “smouldering, unclean yellow” with horizontal stripes for bars wrapping around the circumference in a tight, perfect bow. Upon further inspection during the night, however, you might see a silhouette of a woman bent over, fingers gripping and shaking the bands.
Just as the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” represents the idea that women are either forced into social conformity or are ostracized and deemed mad if they attempt to rebel, my painting would emphasize that the essence of this story holds true to today. As president of MeToo Club, I understand that many remain uncomfortable confronting their sexual assault under the legal system and in the midst of brooding shame. I am eager to spread awareness on how abortion regulations, unequal pay, and a lack of representation in STEM and senior corporate positions remain hurdles for women.
Painting this picture would not only align with values of social justice and feminism I embrace closely, but also reflect the goals of Northwestern’s SHAPE, Student Counselors for Social Justice, and College Feminists student organizations, which I hope to join in my undergraduate years and continue to advocate with.
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Tips + Analysis:
Share the unexpected. To some students, it might feel somewhat risky to communicate a passion for social justice and feminism. But when you’re talking about something you’re truly engaged in and have been actively researching (as evidenced by this student’s understanding of “how abortion regulations, unequal pay, and a lack of representation in STEM and senior corporate positions remain hurdles for women”), it’s not risky at all.
Show off your nerdy side. This student’s reference to the 1892 publication of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is just enough to let us know that she’s really educated on feminism. Finding ways to subtly boast about your knowledge and expertise in a response is never a bad thing—and in this case, it gives us perspective on just how deeply she’s pursued her interests.
Name campus resources. A nice way to close your essay is by naming some Northwestern-specific resources that complement your painting. This student connects hers with “Northwestern’s SHAPE, Student Counselors for Social Justice, and College Feminists student organizations”—showing she’s done her research on how she’ll continue her interests on campus. We encourage you to use your internet research superpowers, too, to dig deep into Northwestern’s website to find ways the school will complement your interests.
Northwestern Optional Prompt #2
Northwestern fosters a distinctively interdisciplinary culture. We believe discovery and innovation thrive at the intersection of diverse ideas, perspectives, and academic interests. Within this setting, if you could dream up an undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort (a start-up, a design prototype, a performance, etc.), what would it be? Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators? (200 words)
This can be a fun prompt with which to show both your intellect and your creativity.
The examples below focus on the course option in the prompt, but the guidance and analysis would also apply to the research project or “creative effort” options above.
Here are a couple general tips to remember as you’re writing your essay:
Explain how the topic would contribute to the intellectual community. Take some time (though with just 200 words, not a ton) to elaborate not just on what you’d teach but why. That “why” should help convey the significance of your topic, and why it could make an impact on your fellow students.
Maybe share required readings. Give the reader a sense of your mad research skills. Look up your topic on Amazon (or better yet, on scholar.google.com or the college’s catalog) to find books or articles that pique your interest on the subject. Explore unique ways of linking multiple interests. Remember that classes can be interdisciplinary (and this prompt directly mentions that), so don’t limit yourself. The key here is not to merely list out a bunch of titles students would read—pick a few of your favorites and expound on what you hope/expect your classmates to get from reading these books or articles.
If you name sample lectures, do so in a dynamic way. Again, imagine lectures you’d like to hear. Try to find those uncommon connections. Use the sample lectures as a way to demonstrate the breadth and depth of your knowledge about your topic of choice—and again, expound on the “why” and “what for.”
Here’s a great example from an essay, written for a similar Boston College prompt, that does a nice job of imagining a dynamic course.
Example:
Humans: The Apex Predators of Earth
Why are humans dominant? Why do we have the power to decide the fate of our universe? Do we actually have as much power as we think we do? What is man's place within nature?
In my class, my students would explore the roles of humans in society. I first began to question human dominance on a service trip to Tanzania, when I experienced the Maasai tribe’s ceremonial goat slaughter. As the goat seized its last breath, I struggled to understand the precarious line between life vs. death. Prior to this experience I hadn’t contemplated our privilege as humans; I was blind towards human dominance. The goat's fate helped enlighten me to human beings’ unlicensed power.
Why is it that we can decide the slaughtering of a goat is the circle of life, but the consumption of a dog is a sin? While I have yet to understand how and why we deserve to be the apex predator of our environment—and most likely will never know—I still enjoy raising these questions and stating my opinion. This event helped make me aware of where I focus my privilege. Through sustainability workshops, environmental science classes, and working in gardens I have begun to concentrate more on understanding how to benefit our environment, instead of destroying it with our power.
We’re destroying our environment, which is necessary for us to live. It’s like we’re eliminating the essentials to our existence, making it harder for ourselves to continue to grow. In nature, when there is an overpopulation of predators, there’s quickly a lack of prey. What impact will we have in the future? Will we continue to allow this trend to occur, or will we make a change?
In my open-ended and philosophical class we will assess a few major topics. First, what has led to the dominance of humans? Why have we been given sole responsibility for deep cognitive theories? Second, I would extend the narrative of Apex predatory from its reference towards animals to the environment itself. Why are we here? Are we on Earth to save the planet and solve the puzzle that is our environment, or will we destroy our pure home?
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Tips + Analysis
Give the course an interesting name. Notice how this student uses the title at the top of his essay, incorporating it into the paragraph-form essay, while quickly communicating what the course will be about. Look at your title as an early chance to make an impression on not only admission officers, but also the (imagined) people searching for a class to take. The colon is a great tool here. First, it allows you to create a longer title. Second, it divides the title into academic and non-academic halves. Don’t want to title the essay this way? No worries. Using paragraph form gives you a couple other options: a) opening your intro paragraph with the title, as an attention-grabber, then explaining the purpose of the class and what you hope your classmates to get out of it, or b) starting out by explaining the topic, then adding something like, “I’d call the class X.”
Show you know your stuff. Northwestern is using this prompt to probe more deeply into how you think and what matters to you. So make sure to choose a topic you not only know well, but you love talking about. Then use your 200 words to strut your stuff. This student has clearly thought a lot about that goat slaughter and what it says about our role in the world as humans. But he doesn’t stop at what he already knows; he wonders aloud at thoughts and questions the class will explore together. Speaking of which ...
Ask smart questions. Asking probing, insightful questions while explaining your topic, and why it’s essential to share, can give the reader a sense of the deeper ideas the class will tackle as a unit. More importantly, it shows your capacity to pose—and seek answers to—higher-level questions in college and beyond. This is a chance for readers to see your mind at work. Think of these questions as tiny windows into your academic soul.
Note: This next example, written for Reed, was written more like a course description you’d find in a syllabus. That can be a nice approach potentially, but notice that it would probably limit addressing some of the specific phrasing of the Northwestern prompt, like “Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?”
Example:
Great American Leaders: A Historical, Sociological, and Political Perspective On How to Get Things Done
Course Description: Throughout history, many American leaders have been good, but what has made the most famous ones great? In this course, we will explore and apply the techniques of effective and highly regarded American leaders who have forever left their mark on our nation’s society. From President Lyndon Johnson’s use of “the lean” for physical intimidation to pass landmark legislation, to Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of the Old Testament to bring together Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish leaders during the Civil Rights Movement, to Eleanor Roosevelt’s ability to command respect and influence at a time when women’s voices were rarely heard, we will analyze the tactics that have led to lasting change. As we study the strategies pioneered by these great leaders, we will simultaneously work to find ways to apply them in the present day.
Sample lectures:
Connections During the Civil Rights Movement: A Sociological Look at the Unity of Leaders, Cultures, and Religions in Common Cause
Required readings: A Letter from a Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I Speak to You as an American Jew” - Dr. Joachim Prinz, March on Washington
The 100 Days: FDR’s Spectacular Entry into the Office of the Presidency, and his Leadership of a Congress of Action
Required readings: The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope - Jonathan Alter
Roosevelt’s First Fireside Chat- March 12, 1933
Seneca Falls: The Leaders of the Women’s Suffrage Movement and their Convention that Changed Women’s Rights Forever
Required readings: Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement - Sally G. McMillen
Elizabeth Cady Stadam: Seneca Falls Keynote Address
At a time of ineffectiveness and gridlock, it is imperative that we study what makes a great leader and attempt to find applications of their work in the modern day, for our country and our world. (318 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Mix colloquial and academic language. This author does a great job of explaining the intellectual content of the course in a way that actually makes you want to engage with the curriculum. He does that by combining expert-sounding language with the informal enthusiasm of someone who genuinely seems interested in the course he’s proposing. The title is a great example of this. It tells us that we get to explore great American leaders from multiple academic perspectives, but for the purpose of learning “how to get things done.” That’s a super cool way of grounding the course in a practical and understandable skill. Plus, it reads like the title of a book you might see at an airport bookstore, which is a good thing.
Make the description specific. What makes an essay stand out are the details. The less specific you are, the less the reader gets to learn about you as a unique human being with individual interests and ideas. This author doesn’t waste the opportunity Reed gives him to flaunt his historical knowledge and love of his chosen topic. And he doesn’t just tell us the overarching themes and questions for the course; he illustrates those themes and questions with details about Lyndon Johnson, MLK, and Eleanor Roosevelt. The particularity of these facts shows that the author has done his research. His attention to detail shows care.
Choose the readings intentionally. The author clearly connects his required readings to the initial description of the course. The readings he chooses are from a variety of sources and make sense within the context he has provided. They also connect to one another; you gain a more complete understanding of the others. That’s cool. It means that the author conceived of the required readings as a cohesive whole rather than as individual units. When you’re thinking about how you want to structure your course, make sure to take a step back and see the big picture. A class takes place for a whole semester, and you can create interesting parallels/connections between the readings you choose to assign.
Use something short to wrap it all up. The author gives a quick sentence or two at the end of his essay to explain why the course matters. Think of this as your elevator pitch. It’s your chance to show how your interest in your topic connects to other issues or topics of note.
And here’s one more example with analysis:
Example:
The Female Body: An Interdisciplinary Exploration Into the Representation of Women as Machinery Versus a Natural Resource
*This course is ideal for students studying social sciences, philosophy, and literature.
Course Description:
The literary canon esteems an antiquated presentation of women, in which they only serve to encourage male character development. Chief among these shallow female archetypes is that of the mother—a nurturing, selfless, natural entity that emulates the exploitability of the Earth. In contrast, industrialization has bred a new view of women as not merely a source of life-sustaining material but the very machinery that transforms raw substances into valuable goods—they are simultaneously invaluable bearers of vitality and dispensable surrogates to their own offspring. This course explores the intersections of female representation in ancient and modern media through Marxist, feminist, and environmentalist lenses, drawing connections between these contemporary movements and the politicization of women’s bodies.
Sample Lecture:
The Expansion of Motherhood as Business
Required Readings:
“Commodifying Compassion: Affective Economies of Human Milk Exchange” – Robyn Lee
“The Womb as a Biopolitical Space: Examining Negative Selection within the Context of Surrogacy” – Arpita Das
Guest Lecturer:
Angela Y. Davis (186 words)
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Tips + Analysis:
Hone in on your audience. One important part of the prompt is the last sentence: “Who might be some ideal classmates or collaborators?” If we had any critique for this student’s response, it’s that ideally, we would’ve liked a little more detail from the student about the target audience. That might mean not just naming the who but also exploring why that subset of people would be the first to sign up. In other words, what would students studying social sciences, philosophy, and literature get out of this course that would make them better students (and people)?
Common topics are OK—as long as you go deep. Feminism. Race relations. Climate change. Sure, they’re pretty “common” topics that many students consider important—so does that mean you shouldn’t cover them in the response? Not necessarily. While the topic may be common, can you cover it in an uncommon way? This student does just that by using elevated language, considering deeper perspectives, and using unexpected readings to show they know their stuff (and want to teach others about it).
Don’t spend precious word count on an introduction or conclusion. It’s tempting to start off your response with something like “Because I’m passionate about women’s rights and positive female representation, I’d create a course that. …” Because after all, including a thesis is how you’ve been taught to write. But with so few words available to you, no need to start with a summary. Instead, just get right to the meat of your undergraduate class, research project, or creative effort—just like this student did. The reader knows how to connect the dots.
Option #3:
Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus. (200 words)
This prompt is similar in many ways to the required Prompt 1 above, which is a “how will you contribute” essay.
You can review the guidance above for how to approach “how will you contribute” prompts, but the key difference here is to focus mostly on the aspects of Northwestern you want to engage with. You can (and probably should) include details from your life that help us see why you want to engage in the ways you do, but because you have only200 words here, you can keep it concise and save most of your word count for the Northwestern details and why.
Step 1: Create a “communities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined by ...
1. Place: Groups of people who live/work/play near one another
2. Action: Groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)
3. Interest: Groups of people coming together based on a shared interest, experience, or expertise
4. Circumstance: Groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations
Step 2: Do some more “how will you contribute” research. (And/or use things that you didn’t for prompt 1.)
You can focus on just one Northwestern detail, or offer a few specific ways you’ll contribute/engage, based on the community/ies you reference. Here’s an example essay written for a similar prompt for Columbia (though you’ll probably want to contribute more of your word count to details + why about Northwestern.
Example:
In the summer of COVID-19, I formed two virtual clubs to offer my peers a continued sense of community. With most summer activities canceled, I felt it was important to our mental health to provide alternative social connections in the absence of face-to-face interaction.
For Book Club, teachers and students met in advance, creating thoughtful presentations that illustrated each presenter's passions and perspectives. For Debate Club, conversations got heated with teachers arguing alongside students, each person advocating their position. After summer, I was told by students and teachers alike that the clubs were the highlight of their week. To my delight, the Debate Club was so popular, I am continuing it during this school year.
At Columbia, I will shift my focus to fostering community between my LGBTQ+ peers and other members of the community. From my summer club experience, I have a new appreciation for how social interactions can develop stronger bonds between students, staff, and faculty. I intend to find similar opportunities through Columbia iQ where I can organize social events like a book club or even a group cooking class to help foster new champions for the LGBTQ+ community. (192 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Be specific with how you’ll engage. This student explores how she wants to apply the insights she gained from other communities to her experience and engagement with the college community, including a specific school opportunity (Columbia iQ) that she envisions contributing to in specific ways.
Show your values. This student packs tons of values into this essay. Read it again and see how many you count. Don’t know what your values are? Do our Values Exercise, and identify the core values you want Columbia to come away with after reading your essay.
Use “how will you contribute” language. The specific examples in the final paragraph can help a reader envision how this student will become part of and contribute to the college’s community. Whether it’s continuing your advocacy work with an on-campus organization, or honing your debate skills in your discussion-based core classes, let Northwestern admission reps know you’ve explored why you fit with Northwestern’s community and that you’re thinking of how you can apply your experiences to life on campus. For this Northwestern prompt, these details + whys can be the bulk of your 200 words.
Here’s an example essay written for Northwestern’s prompt:
I’m mixed, and I look mixed on top of that. I’ve also been through many common experiences for biracial people: viewing my friends’ shocked faces upon meeting my white dad, being perceived as Asian in the States but white in Taiwan, and generally struggling to find my place within the Asian community, something made especially hard by attending a PWI. In college, I’m eager to explore my racial identity as a mixed and Asian student. I’m excited to participate in programs such as Northwestern’s Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), primarily because it relates to several parts of my identity. Both the Asian/Asian American Student Affairs and the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center will allow me to find communities lacking at my high school.
I look forward to the support and opportunities available at the MSA through student employment and both the Queer Book Club and the APIDA Book of the Quarter. I’m thrilled to attend an institution focused on diversity and identity, and I know the MSA will be a fantastic way for me to explore who I am and eventually give back by mentoring other biracial students struggling to find their place within their communities.
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Tips and analysis
Choose new values to showcase. Above, we encouraged you to tie in specific values to your response, and now we’re going to ask you to go one step further. Can you connect your response with new values that you haven’t shown elsewhere in your application? This student highlights advocacy and mentorship here—ideally, these are new values, complementing other, different values shown elsewhere in their other essays and activities. These shorter supplementals are a great way to make sure you’re rounding out your application with all the different sides of you—take advantage of it!
Get specific on contributions. We think this tip bears repeating: Include a specific discussion of why this opportunity is important to you and how you want to engage. We love that the student in this sample focused on mentoring biracial students struggling to find their place (a great specific), but we also would’ve liked to have learned more about how they’ll specifically contribute to some of the other communities, networks, and student groups they mentioned.
Use the response as a way to add context to some of your extracurricular activities. In your Activities List, you share the details of what you’ve done. Here, you can take some time to explain why those experiences mattered and how you’re going to continue them at Northwestern. In this student’s case, for example, they might’ve used some of their word count to highlight the insights gained from past tutoring experiences (if they had some) and how they’ll integrate those into their work at the MSA—more deeply connecting their past and future interests.
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And here’s one more example essay:
I didn’t really understand the importance of community until I joined the track team at my school. Maybe joined isn’t the right word. I’m the manager of the team. It sounds like a silly job, but I go to every practice and meet, organize the entire roster, and help with fundraising. At my school, track is the only sport without a tryout. We still have nationally ranked athletes, but it's also a community for people who want to try something new and improve.
I never liked running, especially with others, because, honestly, I’m slow. But as I’ve grown comfortable with the team, I’ve allowed myself to be vulnerable in front of them. I started to run this year, and surprisingly, I love it. In November, the team finally convinced me to run at a meet. I hope to continue running at Northwestern. The NU Track Club is “an open club that does not refuse runners based on athletic ability,” and I know that we will be able to push each other to do better. I also plan on joining Books and Breakfast. I want to teach children the importance of literacy and fueling one’s body.
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Option #4:
Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why? (200 words)
We find this prompt interesting because it’s asking you to think outside the confines of the school itself, when typically schools want to know why you want to go to THEIR school. Instead, essay readers are hoping to learn why you want to spend the next few years of your life in Chicago. Sounds easy, right? Chicago is pretty awesome.
But there are some potential pitfalls you could fall into, so the name of the game here is FOCUS.
One way to approach this prompt effectively is to show your reader how you envision using Chicago as an extension of the learning community you’ll get at Northwestern. Think about ways that cultural engagement, for example, can strengthen your education. Think of this as city-as-a-classroom.
Here’s a nice example essay for Northwestern:
I can still see the ivy from my first visit to Wrigley Field. It was an overcast day, yet it felt like the entire place was aglow. My grandpa, my dad, and I, three generations of Cubs fans, sat waiting for the first pitch. And… the game was rained out minutes later. Surprisingly, I walked away with a smile on my face. I was about to have dinner with my aunt and uncle, some of the coolest people I know. Coming to Chicago was never just about baseball; it was a family affair. On our frequent trips, we would visit the Willis Tower, Lou Malnati’s, and Hyde Park. It felt like Chicago became part of the family too.
I put my heart into rooting for the Cubs. I witnessed World Series glory and the end of a billy goat curse. I discovered the nerdom that is baseball statistics. My curiosity grew as I learned more advanced math, eventually culminating in a 3,600-word paper providing a statistical analysis that evaluated the trade of three significant Cubs players.
Northwestern's location combines my love of my family, Chicago, and the Cubs. I can’t think of another place I’d rather go to college. (199 words)
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Tips and analysis
Score a home run by sliding into the unexpected. Sure, everyone loves a great underdog/comeback story—and the Cubs are certainly that. But what we don’t expect is how the student ties in his love for the Cubs with what we assume is a possible career path—statistics. Even if you’re not a Cubs fan, you can’t help but appreciate the way this student effectively demonstrates their love for Chicago in a way that feels both personal and academically driven.
Wow the reader with details. The student does a great job at packing a lot of meaningful details into 199 words. From the description of the family day out to the mention of the Chicago must-sees that “became part of the family,” the student ensures the essay directly answers the prompt about Northwestern’s location.
Blend the personal with the academic. This student does an expert job of balancing family anecdotes with intellectual depth—while also weaving in the location of Northwestern to their storytelling without it feeling overly obvious or forced. Instead, they showcase how being close to Chicago is important to them on multiple levels—family, personal growth, and even academic pursuits. Through each of these examples, the student subtly builds a reflective narrative that shows why the location matters to them.
And the below essay (written for an older “Why NYU” prompt) and tips/analysis can point you in the right direction.
Example:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved cities, but when I first picked up National Geographic “The Cities Issue,” I discovered I could make a career from the intricate and multifaceted hubs where millions of people converge. I want to immerse myself into where history lives and evolves through architecture and design; where the environment, technology, and government intersect; where there’s a myriad of languages, cultures, music, and food. Only cities have it all, and NYU gives me more options to explore cities than anywhere else.
I love unexpected connections—in “The Cities Issue,” I learned about urban environments through rat populations. In Gallatin, I will continue exploring in nontraditional ways; especially through First-Year seminars like “The Lives, Deaths, and Rebirths of Public Space” and classes like “Architecture as Narrative.” New York City will be the ultimate classroom—a city of unexpected connections waiting to be discovered.
Flipping through Nicolas Ruel’s double-exposure photography of cities, I learned it’s impossible to understand complexity from only one viewpoint. NYU will encourage me to explore the full spectrum of what makes a city, and Gallatin specifically emphasizes branching out. In taking classes across Metropolitan Studies, Sustainable Urban Environments, and more, I will mix disciplines freely; whether architecture, engineering, history, or Social & Cultural Analysis. Gallatin’s focus on interdisciplinary studies means my education will be nuanced and relevant in an unparalleled way.
I could spend days poring over the ideas Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill propose for creating a sustainable urban future. I want to be part of something visionary, and captivating research is happening at NYU. I hope to get involved with Professor Solly Angel’s Urban Expansion research at the Marron Institute to explore the far-reaching impacts of urbanization, and collect data on lighting with the CUSP Urban Observatory to examine the intricacies of our relationship with cities.
When I read “The Cities Issue,” I imagine myself in Singapore’s SkyPark and Tokyo’s Yakitori restaurants. At NYU, I won’t have to imagine—I can study abroad anywhere from Accra to Shanghai, since it’s crucial to gain a global perspective. I look forward to “Seeing London’s Architecture” and “Street Food & Urban Farming.” I especially want to study abroad in Madrid to continue working towards fluency in Spanish and explore La Gran Vía y El Retiro.
Everything that makes a city amazing—the intersection of every discipline, a diverse group of people, boundless opportunities, and thought-provoking experiences—I will find at NYU. (400 words)
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Tips and Analysis:
Let the tone of your essay mirror your content. This student’s excitement about New York nearly jumps off the page. How do they achieve this so well? It’s in the words, the pace, the sentence structure. Language like “immerse,” “converge,” and “connection” highlights what it is that this student values about NY. Their sentence variety creates an immediacy to their writing. They manage to speed things up and slow things down from one paragraph to the next. In many ways these details mirror what life in NY might be like. Let your writing enhance and reflect your content by using all the linguistic tools you have available to you.
Details, details, details. This writer doesn’t just tell us that they love cities (and NY in particular); they also tell us why, and this is a key reason why this essay is so strong. You know how you had to do some homework to learn about Northwestern? Well, show you’ve done your homework about Chicago as well. Educate yourself about the things in Chicago the average tourist doesn’t know. Where’s the best bookstore? Is there a cultural center that will be part of your Chicago community? What off-campus resources are available to you that relate to your major? Find the answers to these types of questions and include them in your response.
Ways to tweak to fit this prompt. Because the above was written for a Why Us, it includes a lot of details about NYU classes, professors, and programs. And for a normal “Why Us” that’s a good thing. But for this Northwestern prompt, you’d want to replace those with details about the city itself, and the opportunities you want to take advantage of outside of the college to learn and grow. (Though you’d want the same level of specificity and “so whats.”)
Option #5:
Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus? (200 words)
Like a couple of the prompts above, this prompt also asks for some “how will you contribute” elements.
See guidance for the prompts above for details + links to a guide, but here’s some more advice here:
General Tips:
Don’t repeat things that the reader can find in other parts of your application. Use this essay to show another side of yourself or a community you haven’t mentioned. Additionally, consider including values you haven’t already demonstrated.
Try to think outside the box. If you write about community here, which of your communities might help you stand out among other “community” essays? Being part of a “community” can take a lot of different forms. Don’t limit yourself to a narrow definition.
Details! Be specific. The more visceral details you can give about yourself and the community you’re discussing, the more you distinguish yourself from all the other applicants. Use memorable language and evoke unique images that will stick with the admissions officers.
Example:
When I became the social media “technology guy” for Invisible Warriors (IW), I joined a very different world. I’m a non-practicing Buddhist teenager in Cincinnati, and IW is comprised of older devout Christian women in rural Alabama. Despite our differences, it didn't take long for us to find common ground through shared goals and the use of humor. and the use of humor.
At the heart of Invisible Warriors is Nancy Becher, who navigates life from a wheelchair. I created awareness videos to promote her program "How to Run a Business From the Bed", guiding our clients to create better business practices so that they could not just survive, but thrive. Our common goal was to show women they could be leaders regardless of their condition.
Working with IW highlighted the often-overlooked challenges faced by women with chronic illnesses. These experiences have not only fostered my ability to collaborate effectively, transcending geographic and demographic boundaries, but also emphasized the importance of supporting unrecognized communities. At Northwestern, I’ll pursue this commitment by joining the Center for Human-Computer Interaction + Design, where “Inclusive Computing” is at the forefront. There, I plan to develop accessible technology addressing the challenges faced by underrepresented communities globally.
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Tips + Analysis:
Consider your background in a broader context. Sure, the background that’s shaped you might be your culture, race, or religion—but it can also be so much more. Even seemingly simple experiences can be tremendously impactful on the way you navigate the world, like this student’s volunteer service with Invisible Warriors. We can see that from this collaboration, they’ve gained a new perspective on equity, inclusion and collaboration (to name just a few values)—all of which are qualities colleges are interested in.
Focus on the unique. Another thing that we really love about this essay is the way the student immediately captures our attention by sharing they’re a “non-practicing Buddhist teenager in Cincinnati,” working with “older devout Christian women in rural Alabama.” If that contrast doesn’t want to make you keep reading, we don’t know what would. A strong opening doesn’t just hook a reader in; rather, it can also set the stage for the diversity of perspectives that’s to come.
Connect your past experiences with your future vision. Key to your response is explaining not just what you’ve done, but also how you’ll leverage that to “contribute to this diversity of perspectives” at Northwestern. Once again, that means deepening your understanding of what Northwestern will offer you and what you’ll offer them. This student does a great job of this by identifying a specific department—the Center for Human-Computer Interaction + Design—and connecting what they’ve learned from their experience at Invisible Warriors to their mission of developing accessible technology for underrepresented communities.
And here’s a great sample essay written for Colgate that would work well for this prompt:
Example 1:
Aside from my inherent love for bagels, my Jewish background has led me to become more embedded in my community, joining Jewish activists and building a website on Holocaust education.
In the 1930s, 36 members of my family were lost to the Holocaust, and that fact has led me to carry on the memory of my ancestors through tradition—with my Bar Mitzvah—as well as with an educational lens—teaching others about the Holocaust and about specific stories of survivors.
Feeling disconnected from Jewish activism, I decided to become an educator on the Student Leadership Board of the Seattle-based Holocaust Center for Humanity last year. Each week, we met to discuss present-day instances of oppression and discrimination across the world, and finished the year by building a website to share the story of a Holocaust survivor.
Being on the board connected me to a network of other passionate Jewish activists, and helped me to channel the pride for my culture and ancestors into visual media that reaches many viewers. At Colgate, I hope to find myself surrounded not only by like-minded Jewish students, but by a diverse group of people with whom I can learn and make connections. (196 words)
Tips + Analysis
Highlight a core identity. In the example essay, the applicant highlights their Jewish heritage and the profound impact it has had on their life choices and commitments. This is a great way to approach this prompt—think of communities/identities that you claim, pick one that Northwestern isn’t seeing elsewhere, and show how that aspect of you + your experiences will allow you to contribute to the Northwestern community. Also, ensure you shed light on the aspects of your background that have shaped your identity. This could be cultural, familial, or personal attributes that have molded you into the individual you are today.
Provide concrete examples of impact. Just as the sample essay vividly narrates the applicant's journey in Jewish activism, so you’ll want to offer specific instances that exemplify the impact your background has had on your decisions and pursuits. Whether through personal experiences, engagements, or projects, share specific moments where your background has led you to initiate meaningful actions. In short, show us.
Connect to Northwestern’s community. Be sure to address how your background, values, and commitments align with Northwestern’s vision and how you intend to extend these connections on campus to foster learning and shared growth. For example, perhaps you plan on joining (or creating?) relevant student clubs, volunteering at a local museum, or finding innovative ways to connect with students who share a similar background.
Special thanks to Jessica B. for writing this blog post.
Jessica has a Ph.D in English from the University of Southern California and teaches English at a Los Angeles-area independent school, where she has also been English department chair and a class dean. Sandra Cisneros is her hero, and she loves books, her awesomely-sarcastic family, the beach, cozy sweaters, and more books. Oh, and her sweet pitbull/lab mix named Ruby.
Top values: Curiosity, equity, wonder
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