Required Materials for Application

When completing your application through the Common Application website, you’ll notice that the application will not be complete unless you include writing supplements. Specific writing topics vary from year to year.

Short response (max. 250 words):

Why NU-Q? Northwestern University in Qatar is not for everyone. Tell us why you think NU-Q is the right “fit” for your educational and personal goals.

Essay writing (250 – 500 words):

Choose one topic, and indicate, by number the topic you have chosen:

1. Qatar has undergone tremendous change in the last few years. Is this change good or bad for the country?
2. Many people now utilize social networking as a primary means of communication and a means to engage with other people. How would your life be different if you had no access to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or similar channels of social media?
3. Describe one of your unsatisfied intellectual passions. How might you apply this interest to serve the common good and make a difference in society?
4. NU-Q teaches students to tell stories. Is there a story that resonates with you? Tell us about a book or film that has provoked, educated, or inspired you. How did it capture your imagination or affect the way you think about yourself or others, or about places you have never visited?
5. Many believe failure is an opportunity to learn. Describe a failure you have experienced and what you learned from it.

This letter should be completed by the school counselor as an assessment of your overall academic profile.

One of these two reports must be completed by your English course teacher.

Either SAT or ACT scores are required. Our institutional codes are:

• SAT: 5714
• ACT: 1107

Either TOEFL or IELTS is required. The testing agency should send reports directly to NU-Q. Our TOEFL institutional code is 5945. These scores should not be more than two years old.

Eligibility of TOEFL/IELTS Waiver:

Applicants are eligible for an automatic TOEFL/IELTS waiver if one of the following conditions are applicable:

1. Based on native language status: This applies for applicants who are native English speakers and have completed their studies in English.
2. Based on testing performance: This applies for applicants who earned a score of:
   
   
   • SAT: 600 or more in BOTH the Critical Reading and Writing components
     
     OR
     
   • ACT: 26 or more in BOTH English and Reading components

Note: The Office of Admissions reserves the right to deny requests for waiver based on a thorough review of your completed waiver form and application materials.

Non-refundable $75 USD, submitted through the Common Application.

Please complete the applicant's section and submit this form to the university officer/concerned department who attests the student's academic standing and disciplinary history.

Current and complete transcripts must be sent directly to the admissions office in a sealed stamped envelope.

Mailing address:

Office of Admissions
Northwestern University in Qatar
Education City, Carnegie Mellon Building
PO Box 34102 - Doha, Qatar

Proof of extracurricular involvement is not required, but may strengthen your application. You may submit small, representative samples of your extracurricular productions. The application form includes sections where you can list your extracurricular activities.

Interviews are not mandatory, but can be an optional addition to your application for admission. All interviews are conducted by the admissions representatives at NU-Q. Interviews offer applicants the opportunity to learn more about Northwestern University, its programs, student life and admission process. 

Schedule an interview:

On-campus interviews

Off-campus interviews