Valedictorian, National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalist, IB Diploma Candidate–senior Hannah Fergus is the right person to question about college applications and deciding on a college.
Q. Why did you ultimately choose Northwestern?
“It was a perfect location for me being close to a big city but not actually in the city and being close enough to come home every once in a while. Northwestern is also super interdisciplinary, so it’s really easy to double major and explore different areas. The biggest thing for me though was the culture. The Big 10 sports makes it a fun school while also having an amazing academic reputation as a top ten school for grad school and getting internships. Northwestern sets you up for your future while also giving you a great time for four years.”
Q. What are you majoring in, and what career do you hope to go into?
“I’m double majoring in psychology and Spanish, and I want to be a medical malpractice attorney. I have an internship at a personal injury law firm right now, and I love working on the med mal cases.”
Q. What was the college application process like for you? Do you have any advice for current students who will be applying soon?
“I applied to over 15 schools, so it was a lot of work to make sure I was writing all the right essays and keeping everything organized. It was also filled with a lot of ups and downs as I was accepted to schools I didn’t think I would get into and waitlisted to some that I thought I definitely would get into. The whole process lasted for pretty much the entirety of my senior year. I would say my biggest piece of advice is to start early because it can get overwhelming, and you don’t want to be frantically writing and editing essays over Christmas break. I did that, and it wasn’t fun. Also, campus visits are super important in seeing where you can actually see yourself spending four years.”
Q. What drives you in your studies and motivates you to work hard?
“I never wanted to miss out on an opportunity just because I didn’t work hard enough. I’m so happy with the college I got into because I worked as hard as I could for the last four years to make sure I had a chance at getting into my dream school.”
Q. What was your favorite memory from your time at NDA?
“Senior year prom was definitely one of my favorite memories. I loved dancing with my friends and spending one last dance with everyone. The best part of senior year is how close everyone gets at the end.”
