Northwestern first-years navigate application stress, rejection amid competitive club culture

Northwestern first-years navigate application stress, rejection amid competitive club culture Northwestern first-years navigate application stress, rejection amid competitive club culture Daily file photo by Cayla Labgold-Carroll Many first-years are facing their first Northwestern club rejections this quarter. Mary Wang and Janibek Subkhanberdin October 15, 2026 Communication first-year Fiona Wu said she spent hours in dance studios during her first week of classes. She said she spent every night of the week practicing and studying her audition choreography for Refresh Dance Crew and K Dance, two beginner-friendly clubs for dancers on campus. She added she hoped she could use the two clubs as an avenue to explore her interest in dance.  Ultimately, she was rejected by both. Wu said she didn’t expect dance clubs to be so competitive.  “They said they’re beginner friendly,” she said.  With the Fall Quarter club application cycle coming to a close, rejection emails are plaguing the inboxes of prospective members for many NU student groups — including performance and consulting clubs to the Crossword Team. For applicants such as SESP first-year Mary Da, a change in mindset has helped numb the sting of rejection.  “I wasn’t particularly sad or frustrated when I got rejected because I was able to tell myself that it’s okay,” Da said. “Like one of my friends told me, ‘We have 12 quarters here, and this is only the first.’” Medill first-year Sonia Qiao applied to one selective business fraternity, a few consulting clubs and Spoon University.  Qiao said most of her club application deadlines fell within the same week, some of them even on the same day, with coinciding interview rounds.  “You were (either) prepping for the next interview or you were waiting for the results of your interview,” Qiao said. “The process felt very intense.” Da said the overlap between application timelines compounded her anxiety. She said juggling deadlines and application rounds contrasted with her more relaxed high school experience.  In addition to tight application timelines, some students felt frustrated over the wait between decisions.  McCormick first-year Kalena Imura said clubs often rolled out interview invitations after midnight, giving students less than 12 hours to prepare. “Every day you’re staying up, and an email is going to come out at 1 to 3 a.m. on whether or not you made it to the next round,” Imura said.  Wu said the application process’ in-person nature was a major source of anxiety. For her, the preparation meant trying to predict questions she could be asked during an interview. “But when I really get to the interview, I’m still really stressed out and really nervous,” Wu said. “I said a lot of words wrong.”  Others said they found success by focusing on a more limited number of clubs. Bienen first-year Elisheva Jiang said she only auditioned for one a cappella group and joined the Northwestern University Marching Band, open to all students with prior band experience. “There are many wonderful barrier-free organizations, such as the marching band, which I’m also heavily involved in,” Jiang said. “Applications don’t have to be the end-all, be-all of your freshman year, even your entire experience at Northwestern.” Email: @[email protected], @[email protected]  X : @Mary_Wang26  Related Stories: — New ASG school senators elected — Voting opens for Associated Student Government Senate — Northwestern sailing team steers student experience 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Tags: K-Dance ReFresH Dance Crew More to Discover More in Campus Bienen reduces number of private quarterly instruction lessons for students Block Museum of Art hosts discussion on art, women in athletics As an international Ph.D. student faces visa uncertainty, NUGW continues grievances against NU Embracing the wild: A crash course to Northwestern wildlife Spanish Prof. Lexie Cook digs into ongoing research on relics in colonial West Africa Northwestern leadership considers plans for new engineering building on Evanston campus More in Latest Stories Cover to Cover: Kyle MacLachlan’s ‘Fictional Selves’ explores the man in the black suit Cover to Cover: ‘Hollywood, Ending’ offers a witty, compassionate critique of the entertainment industry Gallery: Quavo fills Welsh-Ryan Arena for A&O Blowout Endeavor Health, Rush University System announce plans to merge The Weekly: Hillel commemoration, Finance and Budget Committee meeting, Kirkpatrick Stadium City Council takes first look at FY27 budget, commends outgoing Mayor Daniel Biss More in Student Groups International students call for support as President Chiang reaches 100 days in office ASG school senator election results announced NU sailing team steers students’ lives on, off the water NUCASLL hosts free quarterly hearing enhancement classes for the public Voting opens for Associated Student Government Senate Q&A: Meet some of the 2026 ASG candidates from Weinberg