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As Northwestern welcomes admits, a new class begins to take shape

The University received a record number of first-year applications from around the world to make up a dynamic Class of 2029
April 30, 2025 | By Northwestern Now Staff
wildcat days
During Wildcat Days, around 2,000 students met with admissions officials, advisors and deans, as well as current students and faculty, to ask questions about the University and get a sense of how they can tailor their Northwestern experience to match their own interests and ambitions. Photo by the Office of Undergraduate Admission

The cheers of Wildcat Welcome are still five months away, but Northwestern’s Class of 2029 is beginning to come together.

By the time it finalized regular decision results in March, the University had reviewed a record number of first-year applications — more than 53,000 across over 12,000 secondary schools worldwide — for a class that ultimately will include about 2,100 students.

While many admitted students are still weighing their options before the May 1 decision deadline, hundreds brought their families to Evanston recently for two Wildcat Days and the chance to see campus life in action.

Learning more about what makes Northwestern special

During Wildcat Days, around 2,000 students met with admissions officials, advisors and deans, as well as current students and faculty, to ask questions about the University and get a sense of how they can tailor their Northwestern experience to match their own interests and ambitions.

Each day began with a welcome ceremony in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Flanked by purple balloons, President Michael Schill congratulated the students and their families and welcomed them into the community. “Northwestern is home to some of the brightest, most accomplished students in the world,” he said. “And you have been admitted because you have a place among them.”

The two daylong sessions also included academic info sessions, lunch at a dining hall, a student organization fair and even a fun tailgate at Henry Crown Sports Pavilion to sample fitness facilities and talk to student-athletes.

“This class brings an incredible range of talents, ideas and interests across all areas of study,” said Stacey Kostell, vice president and dean of enrollment. “We can’t wait to see how they shape each other and the world around them when their individual strengths collide in a community as deeply collaborative and interdisciplinary as Northwestern’s.”

Well before Wildcat Days, roughly 55% of the incoming class already had been admitted last fall during the early decision period, which brought more than 6,000 applications — a jump of almost 16% over the previous year. The early decision pool included more first-generation applicants, international students and students from rural areas.

An early decision admit, Chicagoan Chloe Cohen will attend the Bienen School of Music. They play the viola and are a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra.

They have already made their marks — in so many ways

Chicagoan Chloe Cohen is part of the early decision cohort. They are staying close to home to attend the Bienen School of Music. A viola player and member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Cohen plans to augment their music studies with a major in political science.

“I appreciate the opportunity to be here in a city that prepares you to be a global citizen,” they said. “I feel like I’ve been able to engage in other cultures and develop empathy for other people and their different perspectives.”

At the age of five, Noor Hassan of New York City was diagnosed with a stage 4 Wilms’ tumor, a rare cancer of the kidney. Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan saved her life using a protocol developed specifically for her tumor — funded by an organization called Cycle for Survival that raises money for cancer research and clinical trials.

“It began as one spin class to raise a few hundred thousand dollars,” she said, “but now it’s a nationwide movement that has raised more than $315 million since 2007.”

Hassan’s team has raised $2 million on its own, and this spark of advocacy led her to create a podcast called “Beyond the Battlefront,” which features conversations with doctors, patients, family members, researchers and often-overlooked caregivers that explore the highs and lows of cancer treatment from many perspectives.

“Cancer is such a complex and challenging experience,” said Hassan, who’ll be entering the Medill IMC program this fall. “But it’s not often we get to hear stories of resilience and the lighter moments from those who live it every day.”

Cohen and Hassan reflect this year’s cohort of outstanding students from around the world. At Wildcat Days, Dean of Undergraduate Admission Liz Kinsley emphasized the scope of their achievements and compelling qualities.

“You are brilliant, accomplished, engaged and community-minded,” she said to the crowd. “You have achieved and contributed so much across high school experiences. You are leaders: student body presidents, editors in chief, team captains, student representatives to your school board, prefects and peer advisors, Boys and Girls State governors and more. You are advocates and community servants. You are researchers and innovators. You are writers, reporters and podcast hosts. You are EMTs and Wilderness First Responders. You are athletes. You’ve performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and on Broadway. You’ve held part-time jobs as tutors, cafe cashiers, ice cream scoopers. And at least one of you is a circus performer.”

From the auditorium, students and families exited to a campus full of possibilities and began to make the connections that could shape their experience over the next four years and beyond.

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