Northeastern University, located in Boston, MA, is a private research university known for their co-op educational opportunities, liberal arts foundation, and tons of study abroad options. Northeastern has become highly, highly competitive over the last few years. We think that’s because they got rid of their supplement in 2018 and then adopted, and have maintained, a test-optional policy during COVID. For the Class of 2028, Northeastern had a 5.6% acceptance rate and almost 100,000 applicants. And, while Northeastern is test-optional, they self-report that test scores are as important in their deliberations as your GPA and essays. It makes sense that their middle 50s were 33-35 for ACT and 1460-1530 for SAT. And yet, with all this competition, Northeastern doesn’t have a supplement. That does not mean you just get to press send and go on your way. With a 5% acceptance rate? No way.
So, what is a plucky young student to do when there’s no box to write about why you’re perfect for Northeastern? Well, you’re going to send an email, and it’s basically going to be a Why Us essay.
The Email
Why do you send an email? Well, with almost 100k applicants, you gotta stand out somehow! You’re sending this because they have no formal place for you to talk about why you’re just head over heels for Northeastern.
Let’s get into some general tips for your email:
The tone needs to be polite and professional but also conversational. Not casual, but conversational. We want them to like you, not think you’re a robot.
It does indeed need to be an email, with proper professional email etiquette being followed. You can’t just copy and paste an essay into an email bc that would be weird.
You want to cap this email at 350 words, maximum. We said what we said!
Use a normal email address, like with your name, please.
Now, to the meat of this blog post: how to write this dang email.
Introduction
Introduce yourself, state your name, and explain why you’re sending this email. You may want to say something like, “I am reaching out to your admissions office because there is no formal place on the Common App for me to talk about why I want to attend Northeastern.” Don’t plagiarize us.
Declare Your Major
We know not all of you know exactly what you want to do in college, but for the sake of your applications, figure it out. If you’re entirely stuck, think about what the activities you’ve done in high school might suggest about you. But, for the rest of you who do know what you want to do, this part is fairly straightforward. You want to start by telling them your origin story, essentially that lightbulb moment that made you realize that you were passionate about your future major. If you want to study political science, maybe it was an election-watching party you attended as a kid, or watching a politician’s speech on TV. You then may want to briefly discuss how you’ve pursued this interest over time and end with something like, “and that’s why I want to study (major) at Northeastern.
Provide Evidence
Now this is the part where you need to do some research. You want to prove to the admissions officer reading your email that you are excited about their school, what their school offers you, and how those things help you accomplish your goals. Go into the Northeastern course catalog and find 1-2 upper level classes you’d want to take. Avoid any intro level classes, like Poli Sci 101, because all schools offer that. You also want to find classes that fit into the story you want to tell. If you discussed your love of American electoral politics in your origin story, it won’t make a ton of sense if you write about an international politics class. When you write about the classes, please do not just say it looks interesting. Explain why it’s interesting and tell them what you’re excited to learn about, or what skills you’re looking forward to building by taking the class. Northeastern is very proud of their co-op programs, so we also encourage you to talk about how you would take advantage of their pretty unique opportunity.
Next, go look at the professors in the department you’re applying to, and same thing here, find a professor you would want to work with. Maybe they’re doing cool research, or run a lab, or do something else you want to be involved in! Write specifically about why you want to be their TA, or research assistant, or mentor.
Extracurriculars
Northeastern is a big school with a big community. Obviously, school is like, the most important part of college, but you want to show them you’re excited to be a part of ~campus life~ by telling them what activities you cannot wait to join. Do some research and find those extracurriculars you want to engross yourself in, and they can be academic, but they don’t have to be. The most important thing is that the activities you choose should connect to things you’ve already done in high school, so if you write for the school paper now, write for the school paper in college. It doesn’t make sense to throw random activities at the wall because they sound cool, so make sure the story you’re telling them is cohesive.
Sign-off
After you’ve incorporated all of these things in your email, thank them for their time, and ask if there’s anywhere else you should forward your email. Sign off with a “thank you” or a “sincerely” or a “best,” and end with your name.
Again, make sure this email isn’t over 350 words. This is an unsolicited email, so we don’t want to spam them with walls of text. If you’re especially anxious after sending the email, feel free to call Northeastern a few days after to confirm that they received it.
And, of course, especially since there is no supplement, the rest of your Common App needs to be in good shape, too. We have guides on the Common App essay, the activities section, additional information (if needed), and so much more. And, if you need help with those, we’re here too.
Need help with your Northeastern email? We got you, reach out today.