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International Applicants

Get to know our admission process and our international community.

Whether or not you have been directly impacted by world events, we want you to know that we are here to support you. Since we cannot possibly comprehend all the potential situations that students may encounter, we simply want to offer as much flexibility as we can with our Early Decision deadlines and be available for any questions. Should you need to request any changes or exceptions to our admission or financial aid deadlines, requirements or supporting materials, please write to us at nuinternational@northwestern.edu at any point prior to November 15 to give us time to review and respond before our decision release in mid-December. If you would like to share information about how a disruption has impacted your academic or community situation, you may upload a statement to your Applicant Status Portal.

Applying to Northwestern

First-year applicants should apply through Early Decision or Regular Decision. You should begin the application process during your final year of secondary school, completing an academic program that would allow you to enter a degree-seeking program at an accredited university in your home country.

Students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree at another college or university should apply through our transfer process.

It’s important to note that an English proficiency score is required for applicants whose first/primary language is not English or whose secondary schooling has not been in English. Accepted English proficiency exams, and additional information, can be found on our Application Components page and in our International FAQs.


Applying for Financial Aid

Need-based financial aid is available to international students seeking undergraduate degrees at Northwestern. We guarantee to meet 100% of all admitted first-year students’ demonstrated financial need for all four years. We are need-aware for international students, meaning that a request for financial aid consideration and the amount of financial aid you require may factor into your admission decision.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AID


Getting Connected

We know that with the college admission process come many questions, and we’re here to help. Get in touch with our international student ambassador team, the Global Wildcats, to learn more about the international student experience at Northwestern.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GLOBAL WILDCATS EMAIL THE GLOBAL WILDCATS


Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that the college admission process, not to mention applying to college in another country, can be daunting. Take a look at these questions frequently asked by our international applicants, and feel free to reach out to our International Student Specialist at nuinternational@northwestern.edu should you have additional questions.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION FAQS