Case Study ·

Accepted to
Northwestern University

Journalism and Political Science
Noah started in 9th grade with many interests and no clear focus. Candidacy Building narrowed them to journalism and political science, built around a media literacy project, and Northwestern admitted him.
Smiling student

About Noah

Application Persona · the theme that tied it all together

“Inquisitive historian and aspiring political leader who is passionate about journalism and helping his community”

Started
9th grade
From
Massachusetts
GPA
Top 10% of class
Test score
SAT 1480 (1540 superscore)

Challenges and Activities: Before and After

Where Noah started
Where Noah finished
Many interests, no focusStarted out in general social sciences
Journalism and political scienceA clear academic direction
No signature projectProfile did not stand out yet
First to the FrontpageTeaches middle schoolers journalism and media literacy
Writing still developingAcademic writing needed work
Writing Seminars and mentorshipStudied the media's role in the Iranian revolution
Top 10%, aiming very highTargeting schools with single-digit admit rates
Admitted to NorthwesternSignature project listed first on his application

How did InGenius Prep Help?

A Former Admissions Officer and a Wesleyan University Graduate Coach worked with Noah 2-on-1 from 9th grade through the application.

  1. 9th grade

    Roadmap and test plan

    An initial assessment led to a multi-year roadmap with short and long-term goals and a test schedule with backup dates.

    Through Candidacy Building
  2. Grades 9–11

    Finding his focus

    Writing Seminars, an Academic Mentorship on media in the Iranian revolution, and his project First to the Frontpage.

    Through Writing Seminars and Academic Mentorship
  3. Summer

    Application Counseling begins

    His team chose a personal statement topic that showed his persona and put his signature project first on his activities list.

    Through Application Counseling
  4. 12th grade

    Essays and final review

    A master document tracked every supplemental essay. The team reviewed the full application before he submitted.

Questions About This Case

When did Noah start working with InGenius Prep?

In 9th grade, through Candidacy Building, then Application Counseling the summer before senior year.

What was his signature project?

First to the Frontpage, a program he started to teach middle school students about journalism and media literacy. It was the first activity on his Common App.

How did he find his academic focus?

His team encouraged him to explore through research, classes and activities, and an Academic Mentorship studying media in the Iranian revolution pointed him to journalism and political science.

What was his Application Persona?

An inquisitive historian and aspiring political leader who is passionate about journalism and helping his community.

One honest conversation.
That's how it begins.

Every student works 2-on-1 with a Former Admissions Officer and a Graduate Coach.