<p>I'm a sophomore about to finish 10th grade in Massachusetts, and I probably will have a 2.7 cumulative GPA by the end of my sophomore year. I can do better than that and I'm going to a public school and plan to take lots of AP and honors courses to boost my GPA after going to a christian school and not taking tough courses. If I can boost my GPA the way I want it to, I think I can get a 3.5 cumulative GPA after my junior year. If I get great SAT and ACT scores, could I get into Notre Dame. Also my two uncles played football at Notre Dame and my grandpa won a national championship at Notre Dame for football so does that play a big factor? Thanks!</p>
<p>Your odds aren’t great. You need a very good reason why your grades suffered, and you will essentially need to pull a 4.0 from now on and get stellar test scores. The admissions office doesn’t “owe you” anything for what your relatives did, although the fact that you are legacy will help. </p>
<p>Don’t get discouraged; even if you fall short, doing well will put you in position to go to a nice school, and maybe you can transfer in from there?</p>
<p>First, your weighted GPA does not matter much - ND expects you to take the most rigorous courses available and do well in them. Your UW GPA in core academic subjects is a better indication of academic ability.</p>
<p>Second, planning to take more difficult classes at a tougher school and earn higher grades is a noble goal. Executing this plan is extremely challenging. I wish you the best, but encourage you to be realistic.</p>
<p>Third, great SAT and ACT scores by themselves will not impress ND. More than 25% of this year’s freshman class scored 34 (ACT) / 2250 (SAT) or higher. Even perfect scores will not stand out with this competition.</p>
<p>I agree with Fredfig that, based on a limited amount of information, your chances aren’t great at this point. However, you still have another three semesters to prove yourself academically. Work hard on preparing for the SAT/ACT. Pursue your passions in extracurriculars. Nurture relationships with teachers who might write recommendations for you.</p>
<p>I think you are a long shot, to be perfectly honest. The average GPAs and SAT scores for admitted students have been steadily increasing nearly every admission season. Even with perfect grades and SAT scores going forward, you would not only have to present a compelling case for your poor performance during your first two years of high school (preferably involving circumstances entirely beyond your control), but also a solid record of activities. You’re obviously not a first-generation college student. Are you an under-represented minority? A top athlete or artist? The child of a generous donor? Did you work long hours during the summers? Notre Dame gets so many applications from students with significantly better grades in challenging courses – the admissions office does not need to take chances on applicants with uneven records.</p>
<p>If your heart is set on Notre Dame, and you don’t have an admissions “hook,” you will probably have a better chance as a transfer applicant, after earning straight A’s at a reasonably demanding college. The College of Holy Cross has a new program that might work for you (see the waitlist thread).</p>
<p>I had straight B’s in freshman year and took no honor or advanced classes sophomore year. You can still get into ND but it is an uphill battle. I ended up taking 10 AP classes Junior and Senior year to make up for my “low” grades and I worked hard to bring up my SAT scores. You have a chance but remember it is not all about scores, there are many factors that contribute to the admissions process.</p>
<p>ND is big on legacies so that might be your best hope but give the admissions committee something to work with. Build your GPA, do well on the SAT and have your family begin lobbying.</p>
<p>what “sosomenza” said Notre Dame is really big on legacies-especially if your relatives donate a lot. </p>
<p>You’re also still pretty young-so you have time to raise your GPA and you have not even taken your SAT/ACT yet. Also, you might change your mind being only a sophomore.</p>
<p>Generally, though, a school will only consider you a legacy if one of your parents attended. Uncles, aunts, and grandparents having attended will not put you in the legacy pile.</p>
<p>Don’t rely on legacy to much. It will help when deciding between two equally talented applicants, but many strong legacy students don’t get in. With so many alumni there are lots of legacy applicants each year. You need a strong application on it’s own.</p>
<p>**Daughter: 2009 - Valedictorian/Straight A’s/33 ACT/4 years Varsity sports/Student council - Accepted/Graduated Notre Dame May 2013 (Business)</p>
<p>**Son #1: 2010- Valedictorian/Straight A’s/33 ACT/4 years Varsity sports/Student council - Accepted/He did not accept/Senior at Northwestern University in Mechanical Eng.</p>
<p>**Son #2: 2013 - Valedictorian/Straight A’s except one B/30 ACT/4 years Varsity sports/Student Council. Did not get accepted into ND or Northwestern/Freshman at University of Illinois Urbana in Civil Engineering</p>
<p>Coachdomel: I’m shocked son #2 did not get in and very disappointed in Notre Dame. It appears that his 30 kept him out which is crazy. I understand what NDs typical scores are, but there are solid reasons why someone might get a 30.</p>
<p>This is a bold statement that is not supported by the previous post. There are an infinite number of potential reasons that Son #2 was rejected.</p>
<p>We don’t know anything about the rigor of courses invovled for any of the applicants. We don’t know what each applicant wrote in their essays. We don’t know what the LOR had to say. We don’t know the impact of each student’s ECs. We don’t know if there were any special circumstances for each applicant.</p>
<p>I believe coachdomel’s point is that legacy status is not a “golden ticket”. I would not read anything further into it. I certainly would not be disappointed in Notre Dame based on this limited information.</p>
<p>Oh yes, I understand the point made. You are right - There is no golden ticket anywhere. </p>
<p>However, based on the two older siblings and their college endeavors plus the fact that son #3 was also valedictorian, I would bet the rest of his assets were top notch. Stellar. But not everyone tests well. A 30 is not a bad score but it is below the average and can put a school in an awkward positions. I hope you are right. Perhaps there were other areas that red-flagged son #3 's application. </p>
<p>Sometimes I think the baby Iveys forget their own <em>whole</em> self… They are an amazing set of schools because they have standards but still have personality. To keep that, there are times they need to move forward with depth. It can’t be all about dollars, awards, rankings and scores or every highly selective school will turn into a sterile institution instead of being a place of intellectual and personal growth.</p>
<p>All three of my eldest kids had the exact same credentials except for the 33 vs 30 ACT. That is clearly why he did not get in. Essays were just as good as well. From those my kids have talked to it appears that kids that do not bring anything unusual to application need at least a 32 to be considered.</p>
<p>coach - with all due respect, even though you were able to compare the applications of all three of your children, you still only had half the picture. In the three years separating your two sons, the Common Data Sets indicate that admission standards increased dramatically:</p>
<p>In the Freshman application class of 2010, there were 14,300 applications. By 2013, there were 17,000 - an increase of 20%. Despite the increase in applications, the number of admits actually decreased from 4,100 to 3,900 reflecting a measurably higher yield rate.</p>
<p>During that time, the middle 50% range for ACT scores remained exactly the same at 31-34 (SAT score ranges increased slightly, but insignificnantly). Thus, the emphasis on test scores likely decreased as the quality of applicants increased. Your second son was simply the victim of the gaining national popularity of ND.</p>