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START-UP

Small Town and Rural Teen University Prep Innovation Intensive (START-UP)

In partnership with the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network, Northwestern’s Office of Undergraduate Admission is excited to team up with The Garage to host the Small Town and Rural Teen University Prep Innovation Intensive, or START-UP. This fully funded fly-in program for rising high school seniors will showcase the distinct resources and support available at Northwestern for young innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, and more! Participants will stay on-campus in one of Northwestern's residential halls as they explore cutting-edge technologies for building a business or product, all while experiencing the best of Evanston and our neighboring hub of Chicago. START-UP participants will also meet current undergraduate students throughout the program and also receive a deep-dive on the college application and financial aid processes at Northwestern.

Program Dates

Thursday, June 26 through Saturday, June 28, 2025

Student holding purple plush cube
Three students working on a project
Three students holding VR headsets

Program Details

College Town Meets Global City

From campus lakeside beaches, to family-owned restaurants, to historic centers throughout its neighborhoods, Evanston is widely considered one of the best college towns in the United States. Just a train ride away sits our neighboring city of Chicago, an extension of the classroom for our students, especially young minds interested in exploring business in one of the best and biggest cities in the country. Participants will explore both, getting first-hand knowledge of the unique Northwestern dynamic that undergraduates experience daily.

Northwestern’s Base for Student Entrepreneurs

The Garage is Northwestern’s home for student entrepreneurship–boasting 11,000 square-feet of co-working space, an AR/VR lab, and a Makerspace outfitted with rapid prototyping equipment. More than 1,500 student-founded startups have incubated in the space, leveraging The Garage’s programming, funding, and resources to get their ideas off the ground. To be involved at The Garage means you will build the knowledge, grit, and network for bringing new ideas to life. Participants will engage with both staff and current students in The Garage to build skills and test out their own ideas.

A Guide Through College Admissions

Staff from Northwestern Undergraduate Admission will lead participants through workshops to empower students as they navigate upcoming college admissions and financial aid processes. 

100% Funded

All travel, housing, and food will be completely covered by Northwestern.

 

Apply

The application for START-UP 2025 is now open! Those interested in applying can find the application here. Questions about the application or START-UP program can be sent to rural@northwestern.edu.

Application Requirements and Guidance

Who Can Apply?

START-UP is meant for high-achieving rising seniors who attend a rural or small-town high school within the United States. Best-fit applicants for the program will be curious, creative, and ambitious thinkers excited by the idea of applied learning across multiple disciplines and by the possibility of attending Northwestern. 

There are many state and federal definitions in use to define “rural” and “small-town.” If you’re confused on whether your hometown or school would qualify, you can use these brief examples as guidance: 

  • The town you reside in holds a population under 50,000 residents and is several miles outside of an urban or suburban area.  
  • The school you attend is listed by the National Center for Education Statistics as rural or small-town. See links below. (If the search doesn’t doesn’t locate your school, ask an administrator at your school to find the most accurate information.) 
  • Public School lookup: Search for Public Schools (ed.gov) 
  • Private School lookup: Search for Private Schools (ed.gov)

Deadline

2025 START-UP applications and supporting documents are due Saturday, March 15th, 2025. Questions regarding upcoming rural programming can be sent to rural@northwestern.edu.


Required materials

  • Online Application
  • Unofficial High School Transcript including Current Courses
  • Recommendation from a School Official
  • Essay Questions (300-500 words each)
    • The START-UP Innovation Intensive is a collaboration by Northwestern’s Office of Undergraduate Admission and The Garage to celebrate and accelerate the potential of rural and small-town innovation-minded students across the country. Why are you interested in attending this program, and how might it align with your goals for the future? 
    • This question is in part paraphrased from Northwestern’s new Writing Supplement for first-year applicants who hope to join our community as undergraduate students: Northwestern is a place where people with various backgrounds from all over the world study, live, and learn with one another. This range of experiences and viewpoints immeasurably enriches learning. Given your experience as a rural or small-town student, how do you envision yourself interacting with this diversity of perspectives in college?