START-UP Application: Summer 2025

In partnership with the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network, Northwestern 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 new 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 as they explore cutting-edge technologies and strategies for building a business or product while experiencing the best of Evanston and our neighboring business hub of Chicago. Simultaneously, students will be given crash courses on the college application and financial aid processes at Northwestern.

Applications are due March 15, 2025.

Background Information

First Name*

Preferred First Name (If you wish to be addressed by a first name other than the one listed above, please indicate your preferred name in the space below.)

Middle Name

Last Name*

Birthdate*

Gender Identity

If you selected "other", feel free to specify your gender identity here (optional):

Citizenship Status*

Non-US country of citizenship*

Do you currently hold a valid US Visa?*

Yes

Do you identify as a first-generation college student (neither parent/guardian graduated from a four-year college)?*

Yes

I do not know

Do you qualify for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch at your high school?

Yes

I don't know

If you are a U.S. citizen and wish to be identified with a particular ethnic group, please check all that apply:

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African-American

Latino

White

Other

If you answered "Other" above, please specify:

Contact Information

Email Address*

Confirm Email Address*

Parent/Guardian Email Address*

Mailing Address*

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Home Phone

Cell Phone

Academic Information

Name of Most Recent High School*

High School Address*

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

CEEB Code

I would enter the University in

as a

GPA

GPA Scale (For example: 0-4.0, 0-5.0, 0-100%)

Northwestern has adopted a test-optional policy for all applicants in the 2024–25 admission cycle, including the START-UP fly-in program. An official score report is not required in the application process. Applicants are welcome to self-report their scores, subject to possible verification.

SAT or ACT Score

Please upload a PDF copy of your transcript containing your most recent grades. It is fine to upload an unofficial transcript. (If you are unable to obtain your transcript in PDF format, a .jpg file will be accepted.)

Senior Year Class Schedule*

Please list below the classes you’ve registered for in your senior year, if available. If unavailable, please list below the classes you plan or aim to take in your senior year.*

Confirmation of Class Year and Home Area

Please remember that this program is meant for only small-town and rural students who are rising seniors in high school. 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)

I confirm that I am a current high school junior who will enter my senior year next fall.*

I confirm that I identify as a student from a small-town or rural area.*

Community Based Organizations

A CBO is a community-based organization which assists students with the college application process without charging a fee. CBOs don’t include community service work, or support received from school-based or private college counselors.

Are you affiliated with a college access organization or CBO?

Yes

College Access Organization or CBO Name*

College Access Organization or CBO CEEB Code 1

College Access Organization or CBO Address*

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Country*

City*

State/Province*

Org School Priority*

CBO Website URL

Would you like to list an additional College Access Organization or CBO?

Yes

College Access Organization or CBO Name 2*

College Access Organization or CBO CEEB Code 2*

College Access Organization or CBO Address 2*

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Country 2*

City 2*

State/Province 2*

Org School Priority 2*

CBO Website URL 2

Would you like to list an additional College Access Organization or CBO?*

Yes

College Access Organization or CBO Name 3*

College Access Organization or CBO CEEB Code 3*

College Access Organization or CBO Address 3*

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Country 3*

City 3*

State/Province 3*

Org School Priority 3*

CBO Website URL 3

Academic and Extracurricular Interests

Northwestern is a space with countless possibilities for bridging multiple disciplines to serve your specific academic interests and goals. This starts at one of our six undergraduate schools. Which Northwestern undergraduate schools are you interested in attending?*

Arts and Sciences (Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences)

Communication (School of Communication)

Education and Social Policy (School of Education and Social Policy)

Engineering (McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science)

Journalism (Medill School of Journalism)

Music (Bienen School of Music)

Please select up to three of your academic interests below, including majors, minors, and certificate programs. For a more in-depth guide, start here: Degree Options: Undergraduate Admissions - Northwestern University.

Academic Interest One*

Academic Interest Two

Academic Interest Three

There are over 700 groups at Northwestern you can be involved in as an undergraduate – below we’ve listed a few categories, rather than individual groups. You can find a full list here, including the Small Town and Rural Students NU group: (Organizations - Wildcat Connection)

Please select up to three extracurricular interests*

Extracurricular Interest One*

Extracurricular Interest One Other - Please Specify*

Extracurricular Interest Two

Extracurricular Interest Two Other - Please Specify*

Extracurricular Interest Three

Extracurricular Interest Three Other - Please Specify*

Essays

Please answer the following two questions, limiting your response to 300-500 words or less.

Essay #1: 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?*

Essay #2: 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 on campus?*

Recommender Information

Recommendations must come from a school official – a teacher, counselor, coach, or other administrator. Recommendations must be emailed to rural@northwestern.edu by March 15, 2025. Please ensure to ask your recommender for a letter with enough advance notice for them to write a strong letter in support of your application. An email will be sent to your recommender from Northwestern Undergraduate Admission following submission of this application.

Recommender First Name*

Recommender Last name*

Recommender Email Address*