A team of excited admissions staff from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul set out for Owatonna, Minnesota yesterday morning with a bag of UNW gifts in hand to surprise the first admitted student of the 2020–21 school year.
Alex Vereide’s application was first among all received during launch week to be approved and accepted for enrollment in Fall 2020. And that was just one of several firsts for Alex and for Northwestern.
For the first time ever, UNW made applications available to prospective students in July. That makes Alex the earliest applicant ever admitted to Northwestern.
The in-person visit to Alex’s hometown also marks the first time a UNW admissions team brought an acceptance letter and celebration to a student to announce their acceptance. “We wanted to celebrate the first admit of the Fall ’20 application season—especially with the new July application launch in play,” says Andy Gammons, Director of Traditional Admissions.
“We’re excited to launch our application earlier than we ever have. Our hope is that students can complete the application and be admitted before they even start their senior year this fall.” —Andy Gammons, Director of Traditional Admissions.
As hoped, the celebration did not disappoint. The smile that lit his face while reading his acceptance letter was worth the trip—as was his laughter as he unpacked a large supply of purple and gold UNW merchandise.
In addition to all his new Northwestern gear, Alex’s interests may soon find a new home at UNW.
Sports and the arts, including football, lacrosse, and choir, fill much of Alex’s time outside the classroom at Owatonna High School, where he currently attends. He plays in the school band as well, with the Cajon, percussion, and drum kit all a part of his repertoire.
Add to this membership in the National Honor Society and having served people and communities in need in Houston, Texas through missions with his youth group, and you have a fairly complete picture of the kind of person Alex is.
As for firsts, we are pleased to report that UNW is the first college to which Alex has been accepted. While he has yet to decide where he’ll attend college next year, we certainly hope Northwestern’s vibrant academic programs and community are first on Alex’s list. We are confident he will love it at UNW and will be a perfect fit.
Congratulations, Alex!
Apply today for the 2020–21 school year.
