Northwestern University

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Required Prompt:

Required for All Applicants (300 words or fewer)

We want to be sure we’re considering your application in the context of your personal experiences: What aspects of your background (your identity, your school setting, your community, your household, etc.) have most shaped how you see yourself engaging in Northwestern’s community, be it academically, extracurricularly, culturally, politically, socially, or otherwise?

Interpretation:
This is essentially a “context and contribution” essay. The admissions team wants to understand the environment that shaped you and how those experiences will influence your involvement at Northwestern.

• Start with your background: This could include ethnicity, culture, family dynamics, socioeconomic context, hometown environment, school setting, or significant life events.

• Highlight key formative experiences: Focus on moments that shaped your worldview, values, and personal growth — not just listing demographics.

• Connect to engagement at Northwestern: Show how these experiences will shape the way you contribute to campus life — in the classroom, student organizations, activism, research, arts, or athletics.

• Tip: Avoid generic statements like “I value diversity” without showing how you’ve engaged with it before and plan to do so at NU. Be specific and link directly to Northwestern’s resources, traditions, or opportunities.

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt #1 (Optional)

Painting “The Rock” (200 words or fewer each)

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, celebrate their culture, and more. What would you paint on The Rock, and why?

Interpretation:

This is a creativity and values question. Choose an image, phrase, or design that reflects something meaningful about you — your passions, identity, advocacy, or personality. Explain not just what you’d paint, but why it matters to you and how it connects to your story or values.

• Choose an idea that matters to you: It can be symbolic, playful, cultural, or advocacy-oriented. The point is to reveal something meaningful about your personality, passions, or values.

• Tell the story behind your choice: Explain what inspired your design — whether it’s a cause you care about, a personal achievement, or a visual representation of your identity.

• Show connection to Northwestern: Relate your “Rock” design to how you envision yourself contributing to campus culture or building community.

• Tip: Make it visually engaging in words — the reader should be able to picture your Rock painting and understand why it’s uniquely yours.

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt #2 (Optional)

Interdisciplinary Culture & Innovation (200 words or fewer each)
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?

Interpretation:

This is about innovation and collaboration. Propose something specific and imaginative that reflects your academic and personal interests. Show how it draws from multiple disciplines and how Northwestern’s resources, programs, or people would make it possible. Identify who your collaborators might be and why.

• Propose something specific and creative: Avoid generic “I’d make a class about leadership” — instead, pick something that fuses your interests in unexpected ways (e.g., “The Neuroscience of Music Production” or “AI in Climate Justice”).

• Show the interdisciplinary angle: Blend two or more fields of study, and briefly explain how each contributes to your idea.

• Identify collaborators: Think of professors, student groups, or peers with complementary skills. Be realistic but imaginative.

• Tip: This is your chance to show both ambition and feasibility — pick something that excites you but also clearly fits Northwestern’s resources.

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt #3 (Optional)

 Community & Belonging (200 words or fewer each)
Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.

Interpretation:

Focus on communities that align with your identity, interests, or values. Link them to past experiences with similar groups and show how you would actively contribute. Move beyond simply naming a club—demonstrate genuine engagement and purpose.

• Research first: Look into NU clubs, organizations, academic cohorts, and affinity groups.

• Draw parallels to your past: Connect to similar communities you’ve been part of and explain why they matter to you.

• Show contribution, not just participation: What role would you take? How would you help strengthen that community?

• Tip: Avoid just naming clubs — explain why they resonate with your values, interests, or goals.

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt #4 (Optional)

Location (200 words or fewer each)
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?

Interpretation:

Highlight how Evanston and Chicago offer academic, cultural, professional, or personal growth opportunities relevant to you. Use specific examples—such as internships, research, cultural events, or outdoor activities—and connect them to your goals.

• Highlight opportunities tied to geography: Evanston’s college-town feel, Lake Michigan’s outdoor and environmental activities, Chicago’s cultural institutions, internships, research centers, or professional networking.

• Make it personal: Connect location benefits to your academic path, career goals, or hobbies.

• Tip: Avoid surface-level tourist points — show an understanding of how NU’s location will uniquely enhance your college experience.

Northwestern Supplemental Essay Prompt #5 (Optional)

Diversity of Perspectives (200 words or fewer each)
Northwestern is a place where people with diverse backgrounds from all over the world can study, live, and talk with one another. How might your individual background contribute to this diversity of perspectives in Northwestern’s classrooms and around our campus?

Interpretation:

Share aspects of your identity, upbringing, or experiences that shape how you see the world. Explain how these perspectives will add value to discussions, group work, and campus culture. Show openness to learning from others as well as contributing your own voice.

• Define your “background”: It could be cultural heritage, language, upbringing, life challenges, or unusual experiences.

• Explain your perspective: How has your background shaped your worldview and approach to problem-solving, creativity, or collaboration?

• Show contribution: Give examples of how you’ve shared your perspective in the past and how you’ll bring that to NU’s campus conversations.

• Tip: Keep the tone confident but humble — you’re adding to the mix, not claiming to represent an entire group.