Inside MSL Admissions

The application and admission process is the first opportunity that the MSL program staff and future MSL students have to get to know one another. The Admissions Committee was thrilled to admit an extremely talented group of students to the program during our first round of admission in January. The year is flying by, and we are already quickly approaching our second application deadline on April 15.

I know that the graduate admission process often seems shrouded in mystery. In anticipation of our upcoming deadline, I’m here to clarify how the MSL team manages the admission process and answer two common applicant questions.

What materials do you need, and when do I need to submit them?

In addition to our application form, applicants must submit copies of all transcripts (undergraduate and graduate), a statement of interest in the program, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a letter of recommendation. International applicants must also submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores. If you’re anything like me, and you rely on checklists for every task, large and small, feel free to download our application requirements in checklist form here.

The MSL Program accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the academic year. The application for entry in the fall of 2017 opened in September and will remain open until June. We ask that applicants complete their file by one of two remaining deadlines: April 15 or June 15. We will typically respond to an applicant within 3-4 weeks of each deadline. Please note that April 15 is the final deadline for international applicants.

What are you looking for in an application? What is the minimum GPA or test score that you’ll consider?

Above all else, we want to know that prospective students understand the unique and innovative nature of the MSL, and are prepared to become an active member of our diverse and tight-knit community. If you’d like to learn more about MSL students, check out the Class Profile page of our website here.

To begin, we do not require a minimum GPA or test score for admission to the program (though our international applicants should see the application instructions for more information on TOEFL and IELTS examinations).

The Admissions Committee is primarily concerned with an applicant’s “fit” for the MSL. “Fit,” by itself, is an ambiguous term, so let me try and unpack that in the context of our process. We want to know that students will succeed academically in our curriculum, will contribute something of value from their previous experiences to the conversations they’ll have with faculty and classmates, and will use their MSL degree to further progress in an exciting and meaningful career. Reflecting on these questions during the admission process gives us a sense of a student’s “fit” and helps us conceptualize it as a two-way street: will this applicant contribute in big ways to our community, and is the MSL Program the right one to support this applicant’s personal and professional goals?

If you think that seems like a lot of big concepts to learn from one application, you’re right. We take the process of reviewing applications very seriously, and we rely heavily on every single aspect of an application to help us make these decisions.

We’re really looking forward to reviewing applications in the second round of admission, and we hope to see yours in the mix. Do you have additional questions for the Admissions Committee? Leave a comment on this post or send me an email at valerie.smith@northwestern.edu. I’m here to help.

 

Until next time,

Valerie Smith
Graduate Intern, MSL Program

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