Admission Handbook

AlumniAdmission

CouncilHandbook

September 2021

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ContentsWelcome ............................................................................................................... 3

Our Community ..............................................................................................4

Advisory Board ................................................................................................ 5

Undergraduate Admission Staff Contacts ..............................6

AAC Roles and Responsibilities .........................................................7

Governance ........................................................................................................8

Qualifications ...................................................................................................9

Conduct ..............................................................................................................10

Your AAC Portal ............................................................................................12

Interviews ...........................................................................................................13

Interview Timeline ..............................................................................................14

Interview Process ................................................................................................16

Interview Reports............................................................................................... 23

Other Involvement Opportunities ..................................................32

International Recruitment ....................................................................35

General Communication Guidelines ........................................ 37

WelcomeOn behalf of the Office of Undergraduate Admission and the entire Northwestern community, we want to thank you for your service on the Alumni Admission Council (AAC). As an AAC member, you will serve as a crucial ambassador to Northwestern, and will often represent the face of our University to the many talented high school students who we try to recruit each year.

Because of you and thousands of other passionate Northwestern alumni, the AAC is able to provide a level of personal attention to our prospective students and families that our full-time admission staff in Evanston would be unable to achieve on their own. Through your invaluable service, you will represent Northwestern at admission-related events such as local alumni interviews, college fairs, and admitted student parties. As you may surmise, the strength of a school’s alumni network is a characteristic students consider during their college search process. It is imperative these students see how amiable, curious, compassionate, collaborative, and spirited we all are.

In addition to your recruiting, your efforts will also play an important role in admission decisions. In the last decade, Northwestern has catapulted itself into an elite tier in highly selective college admissions. With around 45,000 applications for fewer than 2,000 spots in our first-year class, it has never been more important for our office to obtain the full context and story of an applicant. In our admission review, it’s not about getting the “best students” to come to Northwestern. It’s about getting the best fits for our community. We seek to continually inject our student-body with the very character traits that make us all proud to be Northwestern alumni.

Thank you in advance (and always) for everything you do for us. Your contributions mean so much.

Go ’Cats!

Valerie Smith M.S. ’17 Senior Assistant Director of Admission & Director of the Alumni Admission Council

Kaley Mullins M.S. '19 Assistant Director of Admission & Coordinator of the Alumni Admission Council

Liza Gaertner '06, M.S. '13 Enrollment Project Coordinator

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Our CommunityThousands of Northwestern alumni in more than 100 areas around the world make up the Alumni Admission Council community. Together, our membership covers a wide range of ages, experiences, backgrounds, and career paths. It is tasked with providing prospective students with an accurate glimpse into the values of a Northwestern experience. Members have the opportunity to convey this through:

• Alumni Interviews

• Recruitment Events (College Fairs, InformationSessions, etc.)

• Admitted Student Contact

The AAC is headed by three staff members in the Office of Undergraduate Admission: the Director of the AAC, the Coordinator of the AAC, and the Enrollment Project Coordinator. A seven member AAC Advisory Board (appointed by the admission office and comprised of AAC volunteers) serves as a liaison between the admission office and the AAC membership. Each area also has a local alumni director (or team of co-directors) who lead area members.

Our community exhibits the same professionalism and abides by the same standards as full-time staff members at Northwestern, and is guided by the National Association for College Admission Counseling's Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission (we strongly recommend you read the full version at this link).

https://www.nacacnet.org/advocacy--ethics/NACAC-Guide-to-Ethical-Practice-in-College-Admission/

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Advisory Board

The Advisory Board is a cohort of AAC Directors that liaises between the Office of Undergraduate Admission and the AAC membership. The objective of the board is to equip AAC members with a unified voice that consistently interacts with the Office of Admission in Evanston. Board members are charged with accumulating an intimate knowledge of happenings in each AAC area, and—in conjunction with the admission office—evaluating, discussing, enhancing, and implementing protocol and practice accordingly.

To share feedback, ask questions, or discuss concerns about the AAC, please feel free to reach out to the Advisory Board Co-Chairs and members. For more information about membership and terms, please see the Governance section of this handbook.

Bruce Albert, Communication '92Member of AAC Advisory Board & AAC Director — Westchester County, NY [email protected]

Erick Ellsweig, Weinberg ’89 Co-Chair of AAC Advisory Board & AAC Director — Miami and Fort Lauderdale, FL [email protected]

Georgia Kolettis, Communication '83Member of AAC Advisory Board & AAC Director — Singapore [email protected]

Stacey Lauren, Communication ’87 Co-Chair of AAC Advisory Board & Co-AAC Director — New York City, NY [email protected]

Elizabeth Partoyan, SESP '93 Member of AAC Advisory Board & AAC Director — Washington, DC [email protected]

Soni Patel, Weinberg '98 Member of AAC Advisory Board & AAC Director — Kansas City, MO/KS [email protected]

Steve Wada, McCormick '95 Member of AAC Advisory Board & AAC Director — Los Angeles/Orange County, CA [email protected]

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Undergraduate Admission Staff Contacts

AAC members with questions or comments about the Alumni Admission Council can contact Val Smith, Director of the AAC, Kaley Mullins, Coordinator of the AAC, and Liza Gaertner, Enrollment Project Coordinator, at [email protected]. Members with questions about recruitment travel and admission events in a particular region can reach out to the staff members in the Office of Undergraduate Admission who work directly with students, counselors and alumni in their area.

In the fall of 2020, the Office of Admission implemented a modified regional outreach model, where multiple team members collaborate as contacts and readers for a particular region. Given the hybrid recruitment landscape in which we are operating, this model allows staff members to make themselves available to more prospective students through regional programs online. It will also bring more staff perspectives to recruitment in a particular geographic area, and aims to foster more consistency over time.

Within our regional teams, we still provide individual contacts for states and metro areas, as we know it is helpful to have a single go-to. AAC members can find their regional contact on our website: https://admissions.northwestern.edu/visit/regional-contacts/index.html

https://admissions.northwestern.edu/visit/regional-contacts/index.html

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AAC Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations

AAC Member1. Meet all AAC interviewer qualification requirements (outlined on page 9).

2. Sign the Northwestern Alumni Association's Volunteer Code of Conductprior to participating in AAC activities.

3. Review all interview training materials (including the AAC Handbook) andattend a mandatory training session (available on the AAC website).

4. Conduct a minimum of two interviews each year.

5. Communicate with prospective students in a timely and professionalmanner.

6. Submit interview reports before the deadline.

7. Maintain confidentiality of alumni interview process and relatedmaterials.

8. Exhibit professional behavior including dressing appropriately, conductinginterviews in public locations, and allocating ample time to complete theinterview and report before the given deadline.

9. Contact local AAC directors or Office of Admission staff as necessary forinformation needed to answer student follow-up questions.

AAC Director1. Meet and abide by expectations for AAC members, outlined above.

2. Welcome new local AAC members through email and ensure they arewell-equipped to conduct alumni interviews, however that directordeems appropriate for their area.

3. Host training sessions for new members or encourage all members toreview training session on AAC website.

4. Maintain timely communication with volunteers and the Office ofAdmission.

5. Assign interview requests to available interviewers on regular basisduring interview season.

6. Ensure that interview reports are submitted before the deadline.

7. Engage volunteers for other admission events throughout the year (i.e.information session, college fairs, new student gatherings).

8. Participate in AAC Director events such as webinars and AACsymposiums.

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Governance

Advisory Board Members and Co-Chairs

Members and Co-Chairs are selected from the existing body of AAC directors by the Director of the AAC. Advisory Board members commit to a four-year term: one year of training through observations and conversations with current members, and three years as active board members. The current board began its service as active members in June of 2021.

The Advisory Board convenes for virtual meetings each month. Co-Chairs visit Evanston quarterly to meet with the AAC Admission staff leadership about AAC legislation, jurisdiction, and outcomes.

AAC Director

Alumni interested in serving as an AAC Director must submit an application to the Advisory Board and the AAC Admission staff leadership. Applications will be approved by both parties.

Upon approval of their applications, directors commit to serving in the role for a 3 year term. They can be re-elected via an application and approval process during an election held every 3 years. The next election will take place in June 2024, and the re-election timeline will be the same for all directors, regardless of original start date. In the event of leadership changes that occur mid-term, the new leader will still participate in the soonest upcoming election process.

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Qualifications

AAC volunteers must meet the following criteria in order to join the Council and participate in interviews and other activities. The Office of Undergraduate Admission reserves the right to deny or remove any individual from serving as an AAC member if it is in the best interest of the University.

• While the Council’s focus is undergraduate admission, alumni who hold a Northwestern degree from any school, program, or year are eligible to join, including those who only hold a graduate or professional degree.

• Members must be willing and able to abide by all conduct guidelines, outlined below in the Conduct section of this handbook. The Handbook will be updated as needed by Admission staff.

• The following individuals are not eligible to join the AAC or participate in activities (interviews, college fairs, and information sessions):

- Current Northwestern students, or any individual who is not a Northwestern graduate. This includes non-alumni spouses, parents, or friends of current students or graduates.

- Individuals who work as high school counselors, independent college counselors, or in admission and financial aid offices at other colleges or universities.

• Family members of students who are seniors in high school or active in theundergraduate admission process at any college or university (as first-year ortransfer students) may join the AAC but may not interview students, attendcollege fairs, or meet with prospective families in off-campus informationsessions during the year in which their child or family member is applying.

• All AAC members must remain aware of any potential conflicts of interest andrecuse themselves from interviewing children of friends, business partners,etc. In the event of questions or concerns about conflicts of interest, membersshould contact the AAC Director to discuss the situation.

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Conduct

All of Northwestern’s admission representatives, whether paid staff or alumni volunteers, are held to the highest standards of professional conduct. Our standards include the following:

• Basic knowledge about admission and financial aid (application options anddeadlines, broad financial aid policies, key websites and email contacts forstudents who want to learn more)

• General knowledge of major academic programs

• Evenhanded representation about student life

• No spot judgments communicated about the admissibility of a particularstudent

• No aggressive promotion of the institution

• No disparaging comments about any other institution

• Conduct respectful of students, their families, admission staff, and otherinstitutions in all settings

• Confidentiality of student information

• No public comments on behalf of the AAC or Northwestern without priorapproval of the admission staff. This includes speculating on the admissionprocess through online forums such as Reddit or College Confidential

This list reflects the Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the professional organization that governs the admission and college counseling profession. Click here to review the full text on their website.

In addition to the standards listed above, AAC members must abide by the following expectations:

• Student safety and well-being. AAC members should prioritize andensure student comfort and safety in all interactions. Currently,alumni may only conduct virtual interviews. Alumni must copy theOffice of Admission on all communication with students([email protected]) and must sign the NAA Volunteer Code ofConduct prior to joining the council.

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In addition to the above, members must abide by all additional policies outlined in this handbook and any additional logistical or operational guidelines outlined by the Office of Admission during the year. As Northwestern navigates the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we may provide temporary updates to these policies via email.

Any conduct that is not aligned with expectations in this handbook is grounds for dismissal from the AAC pending review of the situation by both the admission staff and the AAC Advisory Board.

• Efficient and effective communication. AAC members commit to responding toall communication from the admission staff and their local AAC director(s) in areasonable, timely manner, and to submitting interview reports in advance ofthe deadline for each round of admission. This commitment involves regularuse of the AAC website; members must use the site to track interviewassignments and submit interview reports.

• Confidentiality. AAC members must protect the confidentiality of applicantand admission data. Volunteers may not share or discuss any studentinformation (including name, high school, phone number, email address, orinterview content) with anyone other than their AAC Director or with a memberof the undergraduate admission staff. Volunteers may not share or discuss anyAAC materials (including interview report questions, AAC handbook, emails orother training materials) with anyone who is not also an AAC volunteer or amember of the undergraduate admission staff.

Judicial ProcessPart of the AAC Advisory Board’s role is to work in conjunction with the Office of Admission to implement AAC protocols and practices, which includes AAC member roles, responsibilities and expectations. While we trust and value the good intentions and commitment of our members to conduct upstanding, high-quality interviews, the Office of Admission does occasionally hear feedback from students, parents or counselors that suggests that members have not fulfilled our responsibilities and expectations. This feedback is rare – we generally receive fewer than 10 complaints a year (representing less than 0.1% of all interviews).

All AAC interview requests, assignments, and report submissions occur online via the AAC portal: ugadmission.northwestern.edu/portal/alumni. Members must be willing to utilize the website, check it regularly for assignment updates, and submit all interview reports via the online report form. We also ask that members update their AAC profiles regularly to reflect changes in location or contact information.

Upon registering, members will select the AAC area they wish to join. Please note that AAC areas are not dependent on zip code or address. If a member moves or wishes to change AAC areas, they should contact our office at [email protected]. The website does not allow members to be active in more than one AAC area.

To learn more about the website’s functionality, please log in to the site, navigate to the “My Resources” tab, and view the “Website FAQ for Members” document.

If the Office of Admission hears feedback of this nature, an Advisory Board member will reach out to the member to discuss the situation, learn additional context about what might have happened, and proceed accordingly. Typically, members can expect to hear reminders about AAC responsibilities and guidelines, or to participate in additional training ahead of the next interview season. Please note that many students wait to share feedback until after the admission process concludes. As such, the Advisory Board may contact members to provide guidance and training in the summer.

While the vast majority of feedback is constructive and resolved through training, the Office of Admission reserves the right to remove volunteers from the AAC database if members violate the rules and expectations outlined in this handbook. Interviewers who do not abide by the Northwestern Alumni Association’s Volunteer Code of Conduct are also not permitted to remain active members of the AAC.

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Your AAC Portal

https://ugadmission.northwestern.edu/portal/alumni

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Interviews

Interview Assignment Process 1. Students request an interview via an electronic form. AAC directors field

all requests and assign them to members.

2. AAC members log in to the site to view interview assignments. As soonas assignments are visible, members should reach out to students tocoordinate the meeting (see the Interview Process section below for moreinformation).

- AAC members will receive an automated email when a director assignsthem an interview. Members are encouraged to check the site regularly for updates and resources. Members should not conduct interviews for students who have not requested one online and/or to whom they have not been assigned via the AAC website.

3. AAC members coordinate and conduct interviews. See the InterviewProcess section below for more information about conversing withapplicants.

4. Within one week of the meeting (and by the deadline set by the AdmissionOffice), interviewers submit their comments about the interview via theinterview report form. See the Interview Report section below for moreinformation about the interview report form.

Interviewing Northwestern applicants comprises the majority of AAC activity. Interviews are an excellent way to connect with applicants, provide a personal connection to the Northwestern community, and give students the opportunity to share additional information or insight about their application. Admission interviews are an optional addition to an application file and are not required. All interviews are conducted off-campus by AAC members.

Northwestern practices holistic admission, meaning that we carefully review and consider all components of an application. The context of a student’s high school experience is significant in our review process, and the interview is an important source of this context.

To view information that the Office of Admission shares with applicants about the interview process, please click here.

https://admissions.northwestern.edu/apply/admission-interviews.html

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Interview Timeline

The interview cycle runs from September – April. Northwestern invites all applicants who reside in the boundaries of an active AAC area to interview as part of the admission process. Applicants apply to Northwestern in one of two admission rounds: Early Decision or Regular Decision.

Month AAC Activities

SeptemberNorthwestern’s academic year and preparations for Early Decision interviews begin.

October Early Decision interviews begin.

NovemberEarly Decision applications due November 1. Early Decision interviews conclude in mid-November.

DecemberEarly Decision admission decisions released. Regular Decision interviews begin.

January Regular Decision applications due January 3. Regular Decision interviews continue throughout the month.

February Regular Decision interviews conclude in mid-February.

MarchAdmission decisions released. AAC members contact admitted students.

AprilAAC members contact admitted students. In some areas, AAC directors partner with admission staff to host celebratory parties for admitted students.

MayRegular Decision admitted students notify Northwestern of their decision regarding attendance by May 1.

June – August In some areas, AAC directors partner with the Northwestern Alumni Association to host welcome/send-off parties for enrolling students.

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Early Decision Interviews (October – November)

Early Decision (ED) applicants apply to Northwestern under a binding agreement, which states that the student commits to enrolling if accepted and must withdraw any active applications to other institutions. ED applicants may submit an ED application to only one institution, and, if admitted, they must withdraw all other non-binding applications to other institutions. ED applicants must apply to Northwestern by November 1, and they receive an admission decision in late December.

ED applicants who reside in areas with active AAC members will receive an invitation to interview after submitting an application in October and early November. The date they receive an invitation depends on the date they submitted their application. Please note that there is no advantage in the admission process for students who submit the application earlier than others.

AAC directors and members should expect an influx of ED interview requests from mid-October to early November. The option to request an interview will close within 48 hours of last invitation, and interview reports are due to our office in mid-November.

Regular Decision Interviews (December – February)

Regular Decision (RD) applicants apply to Northwestern without any binding agreement regarding their enrollment. They may submit applications to other schools and consider all offers of admission before deciding where to enroll. RD applicants must apply to Northwestern by January 3, and they receive an admission decision in late March.

RD applicants who reside in areas with active AAC members will receive an invitation to interview after submitting an application in December and early January. Like ED applicants, the date they receive an invitation depends on the date they submitted their application. Please note that there is no advantage in the admission process for students who submit the application earlier than others.

AAC directors and members should expect an influx of RD interview requests from mid-December to early January. The option to request an interview will close within one week of the last invitation. Interview reports are generally due to our office in early February.

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Interview Process

AAC directors will assign interviews on a regular basis throughout each round of admission. Please see the AAC Portal section of this handbook for more information on interview assignments and the logistics of the AAC website.

Contacting Students

Once you are assigned an interview, we ask that you contact the student within 48 hours by phone or email to schedule a conversation. If the student does not respond in a timely manner, we ask that you follow up once. If they do not respond to the second request for contact, please indicate that by submitting the interview report form for the student and selecting the “Did not interview” option.

Coordinating Meetings

In light of the pandemic, the Office of Admission has established a virtual interview policy for all AAC areas around the world. All interviewers, regardless of location, must conduct interviews virtually. Should this guidance change in the 2021-2022 season, we will communicate updates to AAC members via email.

Online Platforms

Northwestern does not require the use of one virtual video call platform over another, though many University activities (including admission programming) have occurred on Zoom this year. When initiating contact with a student to coordinate an interview, please suggest a platform and ask the student if they have any concerns or restrictions about the virtual setting. Some school districts or other locations may prohibit students from using certain platforms and we should not insist that students use a platform that is banned in their school or region.

Free Video Call Options: This is not an exhaustive list, but is intended as a starting point for alumni who are not already using a virtual call platform with regularity or who need an alternative due to a student’s platform limitations.

• Zoom: Zoom’s free membership option allows you to host calls up to 40minutes in length. Zoom offers a number of tutorial videos, and Northwesternhas provided tips to ensure privacy and security during your calls. Studentsdo not need to have a Zoom account to join a call hosted by an alum.

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• Skype: Skype offers the option to host a one-time video call with a unique linkthat can be shared with students.

• Google Duo: Google’s free video chat option is designed to be very simple andworks on a variety of platforms/devices.

• FaceTime: Apple’s free service is only available if both alumni and studentshave an Apple device. It allows both video and audio calls, and participantscan choose to use an email address instead of a phone number to connect.

Phone Calls: We ask that interviewers and students make every attempt to connect via video, to preserve as much of the in-person interview experience as possible. If interviewers have tried a video call and internet access or technology limitations make it impossible, they can conduct a phone interview as an alternative.

Safety and Privacy

Recording Policy: Under no circumstances are students or alumni permitted to record the interview. If a student requests to have the interview recorded, you can tell them that the Office of Admission does not permit recording of any online content. If they insist, you can share the following language:

Unauthorized recording of Undergraduate Admissions content, whether in-person or digitized, is prohibited. Unauthorized recording is unethical and may also be a violation of University policy and state law. In addition, the University owns the copyright to informational materials prepared by Undergraduate Admissions. Unauthorized use of these materials – including copying, distributing, or reproducing them – is also prohibited and may be a violation of University policy and state and federal law.

Safety and Confidentiality: Alumni and students should only be communicating to share interview logistics and general information about Northwestern. During an interview, alumni should not utilize the screen-share function on a video call platform to share personal content or information. Alumni must also maintain a private and confidential space to conduct the interview.

Engagement after the interview about personal interests, plans, or other topics unrelated to Northwestern and the college search process is prohibited. Alumni must copy [email protected] on all emails with students.

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Virtual Guidelines

Timing: Interviewers should aim to complete an interview in about 30 minutes, though we know that some may stretch a bit beyond that. Keep in mind that virtual interviews may involve less "small talk" than an in-person meeting. If an interview is ongoing at the 30-minute mark, you can tell the student that you will wrap up after the next question and address any questions they may have for you.

Space and Backgrounds: We expect that students and interviewers will do their best to find a quiet space to conduct an interview and will be understanding in the event of unexpected interruptions (see “Troubleshooting” below).

You can expect that students will interview in a variety of spaces – bedrooms, kitchens, patios, or cars (it may be the only space they can access that is quiet and can be near a reliable internet connection).

Interviewers who are using Zoom are welcome to download a virtual background. If you struggle to get a virtual background to look “real” on your computer, don’t worry. Your living room is a better background than your floating head!

Real images of your at-home work spaces, living rooms, etc. are perfectly acceptable backgrounds. Avoid placing the source of light in the room behind you, as you will appear shadowed on-screen.

Attire: For alumni: purple spirit gear is always encouraged! For students: while some may wear business casual clothing, expect that most students will wear clothing appropriate for their school day. Dress should not negatively impact your assessment of a student’s fit for Northwestern and should not be addressed in an interview report.

Resumes and Documents: Alumni should not request copies of students’ resumes, transcripts, or other application materials.

TroubleshootingBad connections: Establish a plan with the student at the beginning of the conversation about what to do in the event of a disconnection (ex: both parties rejoin, or one calls the other). Keep in mind that students may be very nervous that a connection issue will negatively impact the interview report/outcome.

Noise and interruptions: Please do your best to meet unexpected interruptions with compassion and humor, and move on in the conversation. If a significant disruption occurs (such as a fire alarm), please follow your “bad connection” plan and reconnect with the student after the interruption passes.

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Interview Dos & Don’ts

DO:

Conduct the interview online in a reasonably quiet environment and on a virtual platform that is accessible to both you and the student.

Give the student time to acclimate to the interview. Successful interviewers allow several minutes to let the student settle down and get used to the setting and the interviewer. Some students are instantly comfortable with adults; many are not. Start by taking a few minutes to get acquainted.

- Look at the questions listed on the interview report form prior to the interview. You should not share these questions with students, but they can guide your conversation as you assess the information that will be most useful for the admission team.

- Encourage the student to ask questions and share honestly about your Northwestern experience. You are our most important advocate for the student experience!

- Follow up with the admission staff at [email protected] if a student asks you a question that you cannot answer during the interview. Interviewers should not provide information about Northwestern if they aren’t certain that it is correct and up-to-date. The admission team is happy to tackle specific questions.

DON’T:

- Use the interview as an opportunity to conduct a hard sell of Northwestern.

- Attempt to cross-examine the student or probe for flaws. The focus of the interview should be on learning what a student has to offer and gain from the Northwestern community. Interviewers should not use the interview to test applicants’ foreign language skills or other academic abilities.

- Make an assessment of a student’s admissibility to Northwestern. The interview report is a valuable addition to a student’s application file, but the review process incorporates many different factors.

- Ask directly about a student’s test scores or GPA. Interviewers should not request copies of resumes, transcripts, or other application materials.

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-

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- Make disparaging comparisons of secondary or post-secondaryinstitutions or ask the student where else they are applying.

- Make promises about admission decisions or enrollment logistics likehousing placement or credit transfer (credits transfer on a case-by-casebasis per Registrar evaluation, and you should direct specific questionsto the Admission office).

Interview Expectations• Interviewers should strive to create a safe and mutually respectful

environment and interaction.

• Interviewers should not create any impressions or expectations, positive or negative, about the applicant’s probability of admission.

• Interviews should be conducted in English.

• Interviewers should not initiate conversations that may make a candidate uncomfortable or that are excessively personal, whether with regard to the candidate or the interviewer. Unless the student offers personal information, interviewers should not probe for details about their family situation or relationships.

• Interviewers should use professional etiquette during interviews. This includes appropriate language and setting. Please do not conduct an interview over a meal.

• Interviews should occur on an accessible virtual platform, at a time that is agreed upon by the applicant and the interviewer and that respects both parties’ commitments to school, work, activities, and family obligations.

• Interviewers may not use the interview as an opportunity to promote their personal businesses.

A Note about Parents

Parents are a very important part of the college selection process. The information and impressions they receive from you will play a part in the final choice of a college. If they are interested, parents may be invited to come along to the interview, but they should not sit in on the conversation. You should meet only

with the student during the interview; if time permits, you can address parents’ questions after the interview concludes.

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Example Questions

Never ask a question you wouldn’t want to answer. Here are a few questions that alums have found work well. Of course, this is by no means a prescribed or exhaustive list of questions—you can develop your own approach and discover what works best for you.

To Begin: Time commitments

- What have you been involved in (school, community) that you feel very pleased about? Why do you like doing what you do?

- Have you had to give up some other commitments or interests in order to concentrate on these areas?

- How do you manage all your time commitments?

- What do you do in your free time?

High school and home

- How would you describe your present school?

- What have you learned from your classmates?

- Imagine you’re a tour guide in your hometown. What one place would you show a visitor that captures the essence of the place?

- The principal of your school has put you on a committee to review programs and policies. Which would you recommend changing or improving and which are “untouchable”?

- How would your friends describe you?

After getting started: Personal views

- What is one of the greatest challenges you have faced and how did you resolve it?

- Knowing what you do about yourself, what issues might come up for you when you start college?

- How do you think college will differ from high school?

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- If you gave a party and could invite two people — living or dead, famous or not — who would you invite and why?

- Have you had an experience in the last two-and-a-half years that has changed your mind about something?

Future

- How would you spend a “genius” grant (e.g., the MacArthur Foundation), given no restrictions?

- What would you do with a year not spent in an academic institution and why? (Money is not an issue and admission to college has happened.)

- Suppose you are given a full page in a major metropolitan newspaper to write about anything (plus a budget to do research). What would you write about?

- What do you imagine you might be doing when you are 35?

Northwestern

- What are some of the opportunities or qualities that most interest you about Northwestern?

- Is Northwestern different or unusual among your college choices? (Try to avoid any appearance of judging the candidate’s interest in Northwestern.)

- What did you leave out of the application that is important and that did not fit the questions asked?

- What are some individual experiences, perspectives, ideas, talents, etc. that you are most excited to share with Northwestern’s community (and can’t imagine another candidate sharing in quite the same way)?

- Is there anything else you’d like to add to the conversation or ask me about Northwestern?

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Interview ReportsThe interview report form provides the admission staff with context and insight about an applicant that we may not get from an application. The chief purpose of the report is not to make a statement about admissibility, though your opinion on a student’s fit and interest in Northwestern gives important guidance as the admission team makes decisions.

All students submit basic information about their family/household, activities, and academic accomplishments in the application. However, there is limited space for students to expand on the impact of those activities, or any additional circumstances that may have altered their performance or commitments.

The most useful interview reports are those that give insight into a student’s personality, provide additional context about their application materials, and comment on their fit and interest in the Northwestern community. The report need not be a summary of activities, classes or grades. You should certainly feel free to comment on the activities or academic achievements mentioned by the student that are important to them but these are most helpful when followed by a statement of impact. For example: noting that a student plays soccer is fine, but this is information that we will already have in their application. Adding a second sentence about the lessons a student has learned from their involvement on the team or as a leader (if applicable), or about the way a student lit up when relaying the excitement of a particular game, gives us much more insight into the student’s personality and skills.

The interview report is one very important piece of the large and complicated application puzzle. Every conversation and thus every report will differ. We’ve included the following examples to guide interviewers as they make comments about the talented and diverse students they meet with.

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Example 1 — UsefulPart I — Ratings

Category Rating

Depth and substance of responses 5 = Fair impression

Ability to articulate complex thoughts 5 = Fair impression

Emotional and/or social maturity 6 = Underwhelming impression

Thoughtfulness of questions 7 = Raises concerns about NU fit

Desire to attend Northwestern 7 = Raises concerns about NU fit

Overall impression 6 = Underwhelming impression

PART II — Short Answer

Briefly highlight anything you learned about this student’s personal story and/or scholarly potential that may benefit the admission readers’ review of their application.

John explained that he was all about taking risks in life and that was what defines him. At the end of the interview he told a story about how he had written an editorial for his school newspaper calling out teachers for “imposing their values” on him after he had heard second hand that they criticized a speech he had given at a debate as being racist. He said that others would have advised him against the article, but that those are the risks that he takes and that the article was the “epitome of who I am.” John also explained that he did not have much of a social dimension to his life until recently when he decided to put more emphasis on building relationships. He accomplished this by befriending kids with poor academic records in his school and tutoring them, but he also talked of the benefits in these relationships in terms of the “stupid stuff” that he did with them. Statements like these and his attitude towards the interview called into question his maturity,

How well does the student seem to embody Northwestern’s spirit of collaboration, curiosity, interdisciplinary study, and innovation?

John explained that he’s been fortunate to have the opportunities for observer-ships in the medical field and to travel the world since both of his parents are doctors who have been pushing for him to follow in their footsteps. His grandmother died as a result of poor healthcare treatment of a severe illness in Romania and he says that he was motivated by this to study “healthcare in a more global context” and has been researching medical systems in other countries. This is something he would like to explore further with the help of professors at Northwestern, but his real interest is in business. He talked in depth about an idea for a nonprofit that would help companies identify better ways to sort recycling, compost and trash that he is co-developing for a local Youth Entrepreneurship Academy. He was really excited about The Garage start-up incubator at Northwestern as this aligned with his entrepreneurial spirit and has the potential to give a boost to his current project.

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Briefly discuss the student’s knowledge of and enthusiasm for Northwestern. Does the student seem deeply interested in the Northwestern community or see Northwestern as just one of many college options?

John explained that he was excited about Northwestern because he spent some of his childhood in nearby Indiana and loves everything about Chicago. He also stated that, unlike the other schools that he was less excited about where he had to fake enthusiasm, he would choose Northwestern or another high-caliber Chicago school right away if offered admission. He praised the quarter system and said that he had heard that students could “land jobs with $100K+ starting salaries.” He brought the Northwestern brochure with him to the interview and flipped through it to search for more questions at the end of our interview while I answered his questions about finding internships. This gave me the impression that he was not listening and was trying to ask questions because that was what was what he thought was expected of him. He appears to want to attend Northwestern, but for the wrong reasons.

Why is this report useful for the admission staff?

The interviewer connects specific statements and responses from the interview to a broader assessment of the student’s maturity and fit for Northwestern. Despite an overall “underwhelming impression,” the interviewer provides detailed, balanced and nuanced feedback for each question.

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Example 2 — UsefulPart I — Ratings

Category Rating

Depth and substance of responses 2 = Extremely positive impression

Ability to articulate complex thoughts 1 = Highest conceivable impression

Emotional and/or social maturity 2 = Extremely positive impression

Thoughtfulness of questions 1 = Highest conceivable impression

Desire to attend Northwestern 2 = Extremely positive impression

Overall impression 2 = Extremely positive impression



Emma expressed a strong interest in social policy and dance/art at Northwestern, stating how impressed she was with Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy. She also expressed that she wants to have the flexibility to pursue a double major while being involved with the plethora of extracurricular opportunities available at Northwestern, which I reassured her was definitely a possibility. This desire stems from her interest in finding a way to combine social policy with abstract art forms in her future career, along with her desire for interacting with students across disciplines through her extracurricular involvement. Her interest in art primarily stems from dancing as she has been dancing since she was a young girl and participates in a dance studio outside of school and at her high school. Emma was also willing to open up about her struggle with an eating disorder having been a dancer for so long that she became consumed by the focus on body image. During her own personal struggle, she began to notice a pattern beginning at her dance studio as many young girls were struggling with eating disorders and issues surrounding body image. She was not afraid to assert herself and sent an e-mail to the entire studio speaking up for herself and for the unacceptable nature of letting body image define the studio. This e-mail had a powerful impact which invoked a change in the culture of the studio for the better. She explained that she feels she is not an overly vocal person, but when the occasion is right and the purpose is important she is not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right. I would also like to note that throughout the entire interview Emma was very poised and well-spoken and it truly felt like an intellectual conversation rather than an interview.

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She is interested in combining social policy with creative artistic expressions to create unique media platforms and artistic advertising that lead to social change. I thought this was a very unique concept that demonstrated Emma’s creative and innovative higher level thinking and exemplified why she would be a fantastic candidate for admission to Northwestern. She has studied French throughout her high school career and also expressed an interest in continuing those studies in undergrad, with a strong interest in studying abroad so that she may be able to interact with people from other cultures and gain a more worldly perspective. Without prompting, Emma also explicitly asked about how often the students and professors at Northwestern from a variety of different disciplines come together for collaborative opportunities. I thought this exhibited her strong interest in collaboration and how much of priority it is for her in her undergraduate studies.


Emma shared with me that both of her parents are Northwestern alumni and therefore she has been exposed to their perspective of their time at NU and has had the opportunity to visit the campus. She stated that at first she found it difficult to consider Northwestern given her parents background. However, after visiting the campus and researching the programming she found it impossible to not apply and became very enthusiastic about the school. She was quite pleased and reacted positively to hearing about my experience at Northwestern, stating it was “good to hear an outside perspective that’s not my parents’ “. At the conclusion of the interview she expressed how helpful it had been to discuss the campus atmosphere and how enthusiastic and reassuring the interview had been for her decision to apply. She also reacted positively to my response to her question about the NU alumni network, stating that it was fantastic to hear that our network was expansive on a global level given her professional goals of achieving social change on a global level. Finally, Emma sent a thank you e-mail to me following our interview in which she stated, “learning about Northwestern from your point of view made me confident in my choice to apply,” indicating to me that she continues to be enthusiastic about Northwestern and considers it to be a good fit for her undergraduate studies.

Why is this report useful for the admission staff?

This report notes an important contextual piece of Emma’s story – her health challenges – that may have impacted her high school experience. This is information we may not have from other sources in the application. Additionally, the interviewer uses specific examples from the interview to reflect on her broader skillset (critical thinking, creativity, etc.). Finally, the interviewer provides a nuanced description of Emma’s interest in Northwestern with notes about her research and follow-up.

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Why isn’t this report useful for the admission staff?

While the interviewer’s impression of the student is clear, the report does not provide admission staff with any justification for such a viewpoint. The purpose of this interview report was to make a clear statement about the student’s admissibility, and it does not offer any additional context or detail to assist with the review process.



I really do not think Sarah is NU material, if you really want to know. With 40K applications and 2K spots, she is not your person.


ditto above.


ditto above.

Example 3 — Not UsefulPart I — Ratings

Category Rating

Depth and substance of responses 4 = Positive, like many interviewed

Ability to articulate complex thoughts 4 = Positive, like many interviewed

Emotional and/or social maturity 4 = Positive, like many interviewed

Thoughtfulness of questions 4 = Positive, like many interviewed

Desire to attend Northwestern 4 = Positive, like many interviewed

Overall impression 4 = Positive, like many interviewed

Why isn’t this report useful for the admission staff?Despite a very positive impression overall, the interviewer does not provide any specific examples or quotations from the conversation to support broader assertions about his curiosity and goals. The report does not provide new information or context that is different from the basic information a student includes in an application.



Nick’s sincere and focused dedication to mathematics education stood out for me. He wants to achieve a greater goal with his degree from NU.


Very well! He is curious and witty and had very many interesting questions. His curiosity drives his interest.


Very passionate about NU, has visited in the summer and scheduled a tour. Nick is very excited and curious about the new experiences he will make at college and asked me a great number of questions about classes at college, Evanston and NU’s offerings.

Example 4 — Not UsefulPart I — Ratings

Category Rating

Depth and substance of responses 2 = Extremely positive impression

Ability to articulate complex thoughts 2 = Extremely positive impression

Emotional and/or social maturity 2 = Extremely positive impression

Thoughtfulness of questions 2 = Extremely positive impression

Desire to attend Northwestern 2 = Extremely positive impression

Overall impression 2 = Extremely positive impression

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Interview Report Submission Process

All interview reports must be submitted online, via the form available on the AAC website, on or before the deadline set during each round by the admission staff. Follow these steps to fill out your report forms.

1. Find the student’s name under the “My Interview Assignments” section ofthe website.

2. Click on the student’s name. When the “Applicant Details” pop-up boxappears, scroll down to find the “File Report” link.

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Admitted Student Contact

After all admission decisions are released in March, admission staff will release the names of students who requested an interview and were admitted in each AAC area. AAC directors will be able to view a full list of admitted students in their area on the AAC website, and members will be able to view the names of their admitted interviewees.

3. Click on the link and follow the form guidelines to complete. If you’d liketo save your work and return to complete the form, please click the“Save for Later” button.The interview report form will ask you to confirm that the interviewoccurred virtually - please disregard references to in-person interviewsduring the 2021 season.

4. If you accidentally submit a form prior to completing it, please [email protected] for assistance.

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College Fairs

Northwestern is not currently coordinating alumni representation at virtual college fairs. The following information will be useful when we return to in-person events in the future.

College fairs offer an excellent opportunity to introduce high school students to the Northwestern brand as they begin their college search processes. Most college fairs take place in open spaces like a school gymnasium or community expo hall. At a typical college fair, representatives from a number of different colleges will congregate to afford students the ability to pick up information from many institutions as well as ask questions of the representatives in attendance.

Both AAC directors and members are allowed to represent Northwestern at college fairs identified by Admission staff. Sometimes an AAC representative will be accompanied by a member of our full-time staff. Any fair that Northwestern attends will be at the discretion of our full-time staff in Evanston. If you would like to see Northwestern at a particular fair, please direct your thoughts to us at [email protected] and a member of our staff will contact you. AAC directors or members are not permitted to attend college fairs on Northwestern’s behalf without first making us aware of the fair.

Your Role: - A box (or boxes) of Northwestern materials to hand out at the fair should

be delivered to you by either a staff member in Evanston or your local AAC Director about two weeks prior to the event. If you do not have one by then, contact the admission office immediately ([email protected]).

- Dress should be business casual. Purple is encouraged! Arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the fair. Check in, locate your Northwestern booth, and lay out any Northwestern materials sent to you in your college fair kit, including the stack of contact cards for students to fill out and hand back to you.

- Per guidelines by the admission associations to which Northwestern belongs, you should stand behind the Northwestern booth at the fair, not in front of it.

- You should wait for students and families to approach you. It is not appropriate to entice students and families to your booth.

Other Involvement Opportunities

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- At the conclusion of each fair, please fill out the College Night Report Form and include both that and the student-completed contact cards in the pre-addressed envelope you send back to our office.

"Northwestern Comes to You” Sessions

These sessions (hosted virtually in 2021) are essentially a traveling Northwestern information session. When we can safely travel in-person, they are hosted in school auditoriums, hotel ballrooms, or other large venues. Typically conducted in the evening, the program is split into two parts. First, a member of our full-time staff will present general information about Northwestern in a style that mirrors what students visiting campus will see. The general information will be followed by a Q&A with both the full-time staff member in attendance and a panel of local Northwestern alumni.

Students and parents who attend the event will have the opportunity to ask you questions related to your life as a student and how your Northwestern experience impacted who you are and where you are today.

Your Role: - Dress should be business casual. Purple is encouraged!

- Please be in communication with the staff member hosting the event. They will let you know when to arrive for the evening. Often times, your assistance helping with check-in would be much appreciated.

You do not need to bring any materials to an in-person event. The admission staff will have everything shipped directly to the location. They will also provide you with a nametag once you arrive.

During your Q&A session, please keep a professional demeanor and always remember that you are serving as an ambassador to Northwestern. Yes, it is important to provide an accurate portrayal of Northwestern to the prospective students and families, but it is also important to stay positive and represent Northwestern in a professional light.

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Group Travel

Northwestern admission staff travel with admission staff from other peer universities on consortium trips, hosting joint information sessions for prospective students and families. Currently, these sessions are held virtually. When we return to in-person travel, we usually look for one or two alumni volunteers to assist with these events. If attending, you will help with check-in (much as you would during a ”Northwestern Comes to You” session) and join the Northwestern staff member for the second half of the program, which is a small college fair.

Admitted Student Outreach

After students receive official notification of admission, it is important to have contact with them. AAC members help by sending congratulatory email messages and offering informational assistance to newly admitted students. Your local AAC director will provide information on who to contact and when to contact them. Some AAC areas will host receptions (either virtual or, when approved, in-person) for admitted students, and AAC members who participated in that season’s interview process will be invited to attend.

A message from our Director of Recruitment Strategy and InitiativesNorthwestern is now a destination for the best and brightest students from around the world. Over the last 10 years at Northwestern, we have transformed Northwestern’s international undergraduate student body into one of the most diverse and talented in the US. The incoming undergraduate class is expected to have around 90 countries represented. The diversity of locations, schools, backgrounds and families is reflective of Northwestern’s goal to integrate global perspectives into the rich intellectual life of the institution.

I would like to personally thank all of the AAC members who have helped the international team answer questions at an information session or have organized gatherings of alumni and parents while we were visiting. No matter where I have been in the world, I have felt welcomed and appreciated and have been amazed by the energy and enthusiasm you bring to each experience. I also want to extend our gratitude to those of you who have represented Northwestern by standing behind a table at a college fair and answering question after question. Each of these interactions makes a difference to how Northwestern is perceived around the world.

The value of alumni interviews for our international admission committee cannot be understated. Your reports give us so much information about a student’s unique educational, cultural and social environment. Your words bring layers of intercultural awareness, perspective and sensitivity. You have shared examples of how our applicants are exploring important global issues that impact us all such as human rights, migration, technology, the environment, energy, poverty and health. In short, you help us understand these students in ways the application alone cannot.

Alumni interviews also make a strong, positive impression on our international applicants. Your passion for Northwestern and your investment of time and energy have a significant impact on students ultimately choosing Northwestern. Our international applicants report feeling supported and welcomed by Northwestern alumni during their interviews.

In these times of conflict, it is more important than ever to show how becoming part of Northwestern means caring about each other, collaborating with others and looking out for the well-being of people from all parts of the world.

Thank you once more for your assistance in shaping the next international class and for your positive contributions to Northwestern’s global reputation.

All the best,

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Aaron Zdawczyk Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission & Director of Recruitment Strategy and Initiatives

A message from our DirectorFirst, a big thank you for all you do as an engaged Northwestern alumnus. By simply showing up for interviews, college fairs, and/or regional information sessions, you communicate your most important message to prospective students: Northwestern is a community that people stay close to for a lifetime, and Purple Pride is the real deal.

That said, you can’t just show up and stay mute! We know you’ll occasionally find yourself wondering what to say (or not say) to prospective students and parents, and how best to say it. Here are a few guidelines:

1. Focus on the undergraduate experience and draw on your own anecdotes and experiences, as well as those of your classmates, to illustrate broader t hemes. Remember that no one expects you to be a walking Northwestern website—and it won’t do any good to fabricate responses to questions y ou can’t answer confidently. Often the most appropriate and appreciated r esponse is, “That’s a great question. I’m not sure, but here’s a good website where you can learn more,” or “I’ll have to look into that and f ollow up with an email.”

2. Along similar lines, don’t feel you need to be an expert about admission or financial aid. In fact, we’d prefer you make very clear to studentsand parents that you’re an alumni volunteer rather than an admissions representative, pointing folks toward our general email, [email protected], or a regional director’s email with specific questions about policies, processes, and/or best practices.

3. When it comes to messaging, follow our lead (our Northwestern direction, if you will . ). With respect to big-picture messages and nitty-gritty stats, our brochures capture our top priorities and should be your go-to prep piece. You can review online versions of our viewbook and financial aid brochure for key themes and information.

https://admissions.northwestern.edu/viewbook/#p=1

https://undergradaid.northwestern.edu/docs/ugadm_financialaidbrochure_2020-21.pdf

One of the most important things to keep in mind as a communicator in the world of college admissions is that our messages about Northwestern never exist in a vacuum. Students are getting A LOT of information from other colleges and universities, and their impressions of Northwestern will take shape vis a vis their impressions of other schools. For this reason, it’s crucial to frame our messages about Northwestern clearly and memorably. By emphasizing and sticking to a set of broad themes, we can help students understand and synthesize the specifics in meaningful ways.

To that end, below my signature you’ll find the messaging platform that grounds all of our communications to prospective students and families. We find it helpful to tie specific information and examples back to these big ideas, and I invite you to take a look, too, drawing on whatever themes will productively shape your own conversations about Northwestern.

And don’t forget: you are the embodiment of these big ideas! We’re so grateful to have you “on the ground,” bringing our messaging points to life time and again. Thank you again for all you do.

Warmly,

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Liz Kinsley, PhD Associate Dean, Director of Undergraduate Admission

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Build the case

- Our 6 schools offer 200+ programs of study and 4,700 undergraduate courses each year.

- These programs span the liberal arts and sciences but also include more specialized areas of study: theatre, engineering, journalism, learning sciences, business enterprise, architecture, and the list goes on.

- Critical point: the lived experience of learning here is not so compartmentalized as a six-school model might suggest.

- In fact, the fluidity with which students can study across the 6 schools and the breadth of coursework made possible by the quarter system enable broad exploration and intellectual risk-taking.

- That said, because each of our 6 schools is so strong, academic and extracurricular opportunities to pursue interests and talents at the highest level—alongside extraordinary peers and faculty—present themselves across an uncommon range of areas.

- Over 500 undergraduate organizations, Big Ten athletics, $3.5 mm in undergraduate research funding, 150+ study abroad opportunities, cutting-edge design and innovation centers, and internships across all industries complement classroom opportunities to foster scholarly development, professional experience, leadership, and personal growth.

Undergraduate Admissions Messaging Platform

Top-level message

Among our top-ranked peers, Northwestern provides a singular combination of academic breadth, curricular flexibility, interdisciplinary programming, collaborative community, and cosmopolitan opportunity.

Our liberal studies offerings are as strong as our more specialized programs, and our teaching culture balances critical-thought development with applied learning experiences on campus, around Chicago, and across the globe. As a result, our students tailor paths of study to their multidimensional interests, creating intellectual, professional, and interpersonal foundations that make possible any postgraduate direction.

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Characterize us

Northwestern students and faculty are entrepreneurial in the broadest sense of the word: they envision ways to improve society through the sciences, arts, and humanities—often a combination of disciplines—and then make the most of the opportunities and relationships they find here to bring their ideas to life.

Our community is also upbeat and generous: our scholars are deeply engaged and highly collaborative, which means they enjoy doing their work, and they make meaningful relationships with those they work with. A tradition of school spirit, buoyed by our membership in the Big Ten conference, deepens our culture of optimism and the pride we feel for our community.

- And our community draws energetic, multidimensional scholars who are eager to engage this vast landscape of opportunity—not only to gain and create knowledge, but also to put knowledge into action through experiential learning and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

- These collaborations are enriched all the more by the incredible diversity—of background, of ideas, of expertise—evinced across our students, faculty, and staff.

- This community thrives on a lakeside campus three miles from Chicago, one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic cities.

- What is more, our global alumni network and expanding international footprint create Northwestern opportunities and communities all over the world.

Additional questions?

Please contact [email protected].

Admission Handbook

Documents

Transcript of Admission Handbook