Just received a rejection letter from Notre Dame University: 3.996 GPA, 31 on ACT, high scores (4’s, 5’s) on AP exams, one semester in France with a host family, fluent in French, CNA license at 16, mission trips through church, volunteer work through church and school, cross country team, part time job, rigorous course load, award winning art portfolio, outstanding letters of recommendation from numerous teachers, etc…What does it take to be looked at and and accepted into Notre Dame? Do you have to be Catholic? Do your parent have to be alumni members? Do you have to go to Catholic or other parochial schools your entire life? I do attend a competitive public high school and maybe being from a public high school worked against me?? It is very frustrating. Any thoughts??
Not sure which school you’re referring to:
University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN?
Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore, MD?
Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA? Notre Dame College in Cleveland, OH?
If you clarify, it will be easier to give you feedback.
I am assuming OP referred to University of Notre Dame.
Regardless, NO ONE here can truly speculate on why or why not you were not admitted. That’s up to the admissions committees. Rejection is frustrating, yes, and it could be for a number of reasons (of which I doubt includes whether or not you are Catholic but who knows).
University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Sorry that I did not make that clarification.
Your ACT is below their 25th percentile. If anything, that is what worked against you. Also, the supplemental essays for ND are very important, so if in them you were unable to articulate why you would be a good fit, that probably also didn’t help. Who knows, though. It all seems to be a bit of a crapshoot.
I had a 4.24 and 32 ACT with a lot of EC. I was rejected while my three friends at different high schools were the ones accepted. They all had lower GPAs and similar ACT, but they have parents who are alumni.
I had a 4.24 and 32 ACT with a lot of EC. I was rejected while my three friends at different high schools were the ones accepted. They all had lower GPAs and similar ACT, but they have parents who are alumni.