How Elena Got Into
Northwestern University

Elena came to AcceptU in the spring of ninth grade as a strong student at a competitive public high school in Massachusetts. She already had a real interest in writing and business, but like many students early in high school, she was still figuring out how those interests might come together into a clear college direction. She had the raw strengths, but needed help turning them into a profile that would make sense for highly selective journalism programs.

At the start, Elena knew she loved writing, but it took time for that interest to become something more defined.

Through ongoing reflection and guidance, she began to see journalism as the clearest center of her academic and extracurricular direction. Once that became clearer, her choices started to build on each other in a much more intentional way.

That showed up first in her academics, where we helped her make the most of the humanities opportunities available at her school while keeping her coursework aligned with her interests in writing, journalism, and business.

Outside the classroom, her growth became even more visible. Over time, she took on increasing responsibility in her school newspaper and eventually became Editor-in-Chief, which gave her both leadership experience and a stronger sense of ownership over her work. Her direction also deepened through selective summer programs, internships with local newspapers, and opportunities to teach journalism to younger students.

Throughout the process, we worked closely with Elena and her family to help her make thoughtful decisions, stay aligned with her goals, and build a portfolio that felt polished and authentic.

By the end, she was presenting herself with much more confidence, clarity, and purpose, and her profile felt cohesive and genuinely reflective of who she was.