“Saying goodbye to my public speaking class was hard. Tears were shed and people were sad but yet we all knew this great class had to come to an end. The bonds I formed with everyone was so important and to all of us we knew it may be sad but we would keep in touch. Taking those final pictures was the end to our bittersweet goodbye but as we all exchanged each others information we knew we would all keep in touch and we would all be alright.” -Andrew G., Summer ’24 CPP
“I enjoyed the close friends that I’ll keep forever.” –CPP Student, Summer ’24
Last Day of Neuroscience Class
“The last day was for sure a tough day for everyone but also very meaningful to me. My friends and I went to the beach and looked at the lake at night while listening and singing to music, it was such a blast. It’s crazy how you create such a bond with people in such a short amount of time. It was definitely difficult to say goodbye to all my friends but till this day we still manage to keep in touch.” –Mariana M., Summer ’24 CPP
“Despite it only being two weeks, my friends and I became closer than ever. The six of us did everything together those two weeks; shopped in downtown Evanston, ate at the dinning hall, got our morning croissant and coffee, and so so much more. So, when it came time to say our final goodbyes, we found it very challenging. We helped each other pack suitcases and clean out rooms. After we carried down their bags, we would send them off with a hug and later send them a video saying how much we’ll miss them. As each one left, we sent another video. Though we already miss each other immensely, the bond we formed at the Northwestern CPP is something that will last longer than two weeks.” –Carly B., Summer ‘24 CPP
“The final class project for my Bioethics course was a case study, with each group given a different scenario regarding ethical decisions in medicine. I think it was a great experience to apply all the concepts and materials we learned during the two weeks of class, and the final presentation gave us insights into various medical scenarios and how to approach them.” –Yejie C., Summer ‘24 CPP
“The last day was really rough for me as I left on Friday when most of my friends were planning on leaving on Saturday, so I was one of the first people to leave. Everyone gave me a hug and goodbye and I think I teared up a little in the car ride to the airport. Definitely one of the best summers of my life and I still miss all my friends dearly.” -Daniel Y., Summer ‘24 CPP
“We did a lot on Friday, the last day. After the final quiz, my friend and I rode the metro to visit Chinatown. We took a lot of good photos together and tried delicious food there. After that, we went to the beach on campus. We drew using sticks on the beach, made sphinxes, and played skipping stones. The last day was like a final carnival. No homework or reading, just enjoying the last time with friends, trying everything we didn’t do in the previous days. We took our first photo together on the beach and under the gate of Northwestern University. The next morning, we both gave each other our best wishes about college applications and the SAT. Then we said our goodbyes. I was amazed at how quickly the two weeks had passed. Although we were a little unwilling to leave, we were all grateful for having such a precious experience in our lives.” –Haosi G., Summer ‘24 CPP
“Being a Wildcat for two weeks was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had thus far. I met some of the best people from all over the world who made saying goodbye so hard. During the last night, my friends and I spent our final moments in our favorite place (the basement of the Foster-Walker complex). We played games, talked, laughed, and had the best time together. Northwestern gave me a true taste of what college life would be like with an amazing learning experience and friends I will have for life.” –Sydney L., Summer ‘24 CPP
“I wanted to take a moment to thank the CPP team for all of your hard work in making the program such a fantastic experience for the students, both academically and socially. My daughter, Allison, is still talking about how much she loved the program. And she is still in close touch with all the amazing friends she made there and making plans for their friend group to meet up again. My goal in sending Allison to Northwestern was to give her a taste of the college experience, to get her excited about what the future holds. My expectations were beyond exceeded.” –Grace G., Summer ‘24 Parent
“The goodbyes were most definitely the saddest part of the whole session. Having people leave one at a time was bittersweet as getting to know them was amazing but them leaving felt worse. To make it all the more sad our entire group would gather around whenever someone was leaving and I would play sad music on my speaker as well. (ie. Sparks by Coldplay, Rivers and Roads by The Head and the Heart, Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, etc.). We have various group chats as well as private messages to stay in touch with those we met and I have already made some contact with those who live hundreds of miles away from me.” –Will R., Summer ‘24 CPP
“On the last day, my friends and I sat in a circle on the lawn in front of Deering Library and shared some of our favorite memories from the past two weeks to end our time at the Northwestern College Prep Program the right way. It was really cool to reflect on our experiences and see how many fun memories and inside jokes we had created in just two weeks of knowing each other.” –Grace F., Summer ‘24 CPP
“Some friends left on Friday, and others on Saturday, so we had a picnic at the beach the night before. Our squad of seven spread out a curtain from Target as our picnic blanket. Time passed so quickly that even when it was almost 10 PM, I felt like I could chat with them forever. That fun event was the perfect way to wrap things up, and I was ready to say goodbye, knowing we would see each other again. One of my buddies also lives in Shanghai, so we spent Saturday morning together, running downtown for breakfast. We had brunch together the week before, indulging in French toast and pancakes, which overloaded us with sugar but somehow strengthened our friendship even more. As we discussed when we should meet up next, it didn’t feel like a goodbye, but rather a ‘see you later’.” –Hsinyu W., Summer ‘24 CPP
“The last day felt like both longing and relief. I really missed my native land, but after 2 weeks with my new friends, I realized how much I had become attached to them. In general, in the last days, I was handing out signature Kazakh chocolate, since I brought a whole suitcase of bars with it. This is a tradition of our people, and I was very happy to introduce my friends to my culture. Having handed out each box, I felt very happy, and also enlightened many about where my country is and how beautiful it is. Having given the very last box to my professor, I got together with my friends to eat pizza. This was also hospitality on their part, feeding me their already familiar food! We got even closer to the other guys, and after that, my three closest friends and I went to try real American ice cream! It was our last evening together, and only when I was signing the curfew, I noticed how many people had already left 🙁 On the very last day of departure, I managed to see all my friends off, since I got up early and sat in the lobby 😭 And then I almost missed the airport, but thanks to my friend Hannah’s mother, I arrived safely!” –Yasmin B., Summer ‘24 CPP
“Saying goodbye to new best friends at the end of the program is always the bittersweet experience. These friendships are unique to me as they are formed under such an intensive and immersive environment. Over only two weeks of the program, me and my friends shared countless conversations, inside jokes and unforgettable experiences as we travel together during day offs at Chicago. On the last day, emotions can be mixed. For me, there is a sense of accomplishment and pride in what we achieved together, but also overwhelming sadness as I realize that the time to part ways has come. Me and my friends decided to go to an Italian restaurant in Chicago that one of the RAs recommended. We called it the last supper, getting the inspirations from the famous mural by Leonardo da Vinci. We all tried to savor the last moments together. There’s a lot of picture– taking, exchanging contact information, and making promises to keep in touch. I felt a sense of nostalgia even before I left, knowing that this experience we’ve shared might not be replicated again. Me and my friends said goodbyes with bright smiles on our faces, with long hugs and heartfelt words exchanged. We are all prepared to return to our everyday lives again, without each other.” –Suri X, Summer ‘24 CPP