Do I meet the GPA requirements for Northwestern?

Kind of stressed here because Northwestern is my dream school and I don't know if I'm competitive enough. Can anyone tell me what kind of GPA they're looking for? Is there a lot of leeway or are they really strict about it?

Northwestern University, being a highly selective institution, tends to admit students with strong academic records. The middle 50% GPA of accepted students usually falls between about 3.9 to 4.0 unweighted on a 4.0 scale.

However, remember, Northwestern uses a holistic review process for admission, which means they take into context everything from the courses you've taken, the rigor of your coursework (APs, Honors, etc.), your extracurricular activities, essays, letters of recommendation, along with your GPA.

While GPA is an essential factor, it is not the only factor. If you fall slightly below their typical GPA range, but you've shown a rigorous course selection and excellent performance in those challenging courses or have a compelling personal statement and extracurriculars, you are not immediately out of the competition.

Try not to stress too much about metrics you have minimal control over now, like your cumulative GPA, and focus on areas you can still impact - stellar essays, thorough preparation for remaining exams, ensuring your recommenders know you well, and selecting the right extracurriculars to highlight. Be reassured that there's no automatic cut-off and every part of your application will be considered.