<p>This is my first post on CC, so I want to see how this all works and how valuable opinions are. </p>
<p>Let me begin my saying that I am Jewish. Now, you may be asking what a Jewish student is doing applying to ND- however, I grew up obsessed with ND's marching band, and it has always been my dream to march at Notre Dame Stadium. Academic wise, I have a 3.92 unweighted gpa and a 4.45 weighted gpa. I have always had over a 4.0 weighted gpa for all my years of high school (I'm a junior) and am currently taking 3 AP classes. This is my first year taking AP's, but in the past two years I have been in all honors courses except for math. My ACT is a 28 (I know it's low- I will be retaking it in months to come before I apply). I am in the top 20% of my graduating class. This will be my third year playing high school varsity baseball, I'm an editor of the school newspaper, vice president of Israeli culture club, principal trumpet of the marching band, concert band, and jazz band, and plan to write my essay about the struggles I face having to live life without a maternal figure in my life (my mother passed away from breast cancer in 2009). I additionally want to stress in the ND supplement the potential impact I could have as a Jewish student at ND, and how I can benefit and thrive by being exposed to a university in which the primary religion is not my own. </p>
<p>Do you think my chances are high? If not, what can I do to improve my application?</p>
<p>Thanks to all those who answer, and happy new year!</p>
<p>You’ll do great as a Jew at Notre Dame. You won’t be the first and you won’t be the last. Just remember to date only the Jewish girls! Your reasons for wanting to go are valid and your essay choices are compelling. Sorry to hear about your Mom. Baruch Hashem – you sound like a great kid. Your GPA is excellent and your ACT is acceptable too (better than average), but it will be nice to have higher scores so try again. Also, don’t forget to apply to other great schools with outstanding marching bands. Here is something that you may have not considered – try to get a scholarship for the marching band. Schools often recruit band members like they recruit athletes. Talk to your band teacher. My kid was like you regarding the band and some of his friends got great scholarships to UCLA, etc. for the marching band.</p>
<p>It seems that ND actively looks for Jewish students and provides support for them.</p>
<p>Trust me, they’ll want you. I spent a week at Notre Dame for their Seminar for African-American Scholars. The head admissions guy there spoke to us about how Notre Dame is trying to shed their image as a “all-conservative, all-Catholic, all-white, $$$” school. The fact that you’re Jewish will help, but you also have strong ECs, GPA, and ACT score. I agree with OsakaDad in that you should probably take it again, just to be more competitive. I’m also applying to Notre Dame, so good luck to you. Hope to see you march one day!</p>
<p>Thanks so much guys. This really means a lot; Notre Dame has always been my #1 choice, and I’m happy to hear that all that’s lacking is my ACT. I’ll do my best to pick it up- but if it stays around a 28, will my chances really be lowered?</p>
<p>I totally understand your enthusiasm for Notre Dame and I don’t want to discourage you. As previous posters have said, they are surely open to Jewish students there.</p>
<p>I would just encourage you to visit before you apply and, if you are accepted, do an overnight to make sure you are comfortable there. </p>
<p>If it feels like a great fit for you, then go for it! If not, you can apply to Michigan and still march at Notre Dame stadium!</p>
<p>I know this wasn’t your question, but I just wanted to add my two cents.</p>
<p>A 28 for Notre Dame is totally within their acceptance range. Here is something from their website: “the majority of students who got in had GPA’s in the “A” range, SAT scores of about 2000 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 28 or above.”</p>
<p>I suggest that you take the test again and hire a reputable and highly qualified tutor / test prep service. We did and it worked like a charm. My kid’s weakest score was in English and he went from practice testing at 25 to a 34 in English in the actual test. His final overall score was a 31 composite with 34’s in Math and English. He got in to his first choice of schools for engineering.</p>
<p>Hi there,
I didn’t attend ND and am curious (aside from your descriptions of being in the marching band) why this school in particular is your top choice: I’m a secular Jew (but used to go to shul regularly) and went to Yale. I do know that schools such as Dartmouth, Cornell, Yale, and Brown have <em>fantastic</em> music and band programmes, and I believe - again, this is my view - that you really would benefit from a “real world” environment which does not mean an 80% Catholic student body (and a fairly conservative ethos) - <em>regardless</em> of how much ND brochures peg themselves as liberal/heterodox, it really is not anywhere near what Yale offers.
This is not to say that ND does not have lots of pluses for you. But I mention these Ivies simply because:
they are far more global and international, both in student body, interests, religions, achievements, types of feeder schools, cultures, and political/other orientations among students.
Ivies offer fantastic prospects for grad school. They’re well-regarded globally. And there is more cachet in the work world for e.g. Ivy/Little Ivy grads over ND (random example). Again, I’m biased as I went to Yale, but found that whether you work in investment banking (I did), or with D.C. politicos, or save dolphins, or apply to grad school outside the US (I went to Oxford), an Ivy school will have far more clout, generally-speaking. Also, Georgetown has more clout over ND for grad school/academic purposes/DC political purposes.
This may sound banal: BUT actual size of school/ambiance/living environment is key. It’s worth noting your “gut reaction” when you do a campus tour. Sometimes, a school that wasn’t a top choice just feels “right”, whereas one that was a top choice just doesn’t - for a variety of arbitrary reasons (just like life!). You may “just not like” something that’s perceived as group-think, or, conversely, you might like the visible religiosity/conservatism. I say this is as a moderate political conservative, so it’s not meant in any way disparagingly against ND - but having been educated at top schools with high achievers in many areas, the vast majority of whom were not Catholic, I see ND as a sort of artificial bubble (no different than if you went to Yeshiva University, but if you did so, it would be for a valid reason like wanting to study e.g. Talmud).
Being a Jew in a very very non-Jewish environment can seem fun & iconoclastic on paper. But - and here’s the BUT - <em>in reality</em>, the actual lived experience may be different. Are you from a big city? Do you want a small campus? Something east coast, mid-west, cosmopolitan, or more “bland”? Yes - these are important factors. “Where you were when is what you are now”, as JK Galbraith says. So if you love jazz and want to take courses in jazz history, check this out in the course brochures before touring. Don’t rely on a guide selling you how wonderful the college is - remember, every college thinks they’re wonderful. So don’t understimate how you’ll emotionally feel - maybe you do want to actively date, speak Hebrew with someone, or join an Israel trip with other students at Spring break - and you may want a bigger Hillel center (like Yale!! - again, I’m biased!). Or maybe you see ND as an adventure.
Wishing you all the best,</p>
<p>Sorry, but no. In fact, with a class rank outside of the top decile and a 28 ACT, your chances are low for every highly selective school. I would hazard a guess that ~90% of ND’s matriculants are from the top decile of their HS class. Others are athletic recruits and other hooked students.</p>
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<p>If that is a serious consideration for you, just know that you won’t find many Jewish girls in South Bend. It could be a rather lonely four years.</p>
<p>Your GPA is good, your essay topic is moving (condolences on your loss), but your ACT score is definitely low. Have you taken the SAT? Being Jewish could be your hook to get in, however, and raise your chances. The marching band is the oldest university band in the country always a crowd pleaser. Absolutely you will be a minority based on religion but I believe you will be wholeheartedly accepted and if it’s been your dream you should not let religion stop you. Yes, visit ND to see if it’s a good fit for you and also check to see if it’s financially a good fit. ND is not known for giving out a lot of financial aid. Good luck.</p>