<p>My uncle, who lives in Florida, is great friends with former ND President Theodore Hesburgh. Father Hesburgh is ill, and his family has contacted Notre Dame to vouch for me. </p>
<p>My ACT score is a 31 and my GPA is a 4.13 on a 4-point school....and although my school does not rank, I have been told that I am ranked at about the 5% level in my class (I go to a Catholic high school).</p>
<p>I applied regular decision.</p>
<p>Based on my numbers, I consider myself a 50/50 - it could go either way. Do you think that having the connections I do could push me over the top?</p>
<p>I guess, I could see it going either way. It's an awesome connection, no doubt. That being said, it's a pretty distant one, like a friend of your uncle's, who's so sick he can't even write you a letter of rec (please don't take that offensively). If you personally knew him really well, I'd say you're in. But they get a lot of those distant alumni-relationship things, so they have to cut it off at some point. Obviously it will help, it's just hard to say how much. I'd say if the rest of your app is excellent, you're in. If you're just very average, it might not be enough to catapult you. Hope that answered your Q, and good luck!</p>