<p>Considering the hoards of students applying to colleges this year, along with the surge in applications at peer and elte institutions (ie. Boston College, Georgetown, Harvard, Princeton, etc.), I wonder why Notre Dame's application pool fell??? Could it simply have been the "football factor", or is there some other reason for this surprising report? </p>
<p>Would love to hear everyone's input.</p>
<p>it is very interesting</p>
<p>I dont think you can count football out as a factor. Though the quantity fell a little bit, I think its pretty obvious that the quality is still there. All you need to do is look at the EA numbers to figure that out.</p>
<p>That's good for we seniors though, right? Next year it will increase dramatically because of the common app...</p>
<p>I really believe it is football. There was a 15% surge when I applied if I remember correctly (Willingham's miracle of a season) so it can happen. Also, 3% is a small difference, and it sounds like the quality of the applicant pool may still have gone up. Really, it could be good, it may make it so this year's applicants really want to go to ND and aren't applying for other reasons. Watch the matriculation rate, if it goes up, then perhaps there were just fewer impulsive football applicants</p>
<p>for current seniors, this is really good news, because they were predicting about 17000 apps this year and it was actually 14000. I'm sure the quality is still high but I would rather have 14000 high quality apps than 17000 high quaility apps. Anyway, the EA numbers (ACT, SAT, Class rank) aren't much, if any, better than last year. Also, because EA apps rose 11.5 percent and overall the apps decreased 3% mathematically this means that the RD pool must have decreased by about 10%(rough calculation). Thats somewhat substantial. By the numbers, RD will be easier to get into this year compared to last year. YAY, a little bit of optimism for us RDers.</p>
<p>true,</p>
<p>but they did accept more kids EA this year than last</p>
<p>It is football. The University of Texas had a huge admissions jump when God sent his second son down to earth. UF has won two straight basketball titles and won the football championship in 2006-2007 and they have also seen a surge of admissions.</p>
<p>ND being terrible this season conversely has a negative effect on application rates. Kids really don't want to go to a school with a bad football team, and kids also have really short memory span (ask any HS senior who won the BullcrapCS 5 years ago, and they won't be able to tell you). They won't care that ND has amazing football tradition as well as tradition in all aspects of the school. They will just think "well I want to go to a college that can actually beat Navy."</p>
<p>It's a sad but true impact on admissions. Next season when Claussen gets more experience the rate will go back up because the Irish will probably go 8-4 or thereabouts and will be a decent program. If he can take them to the BCS (I expect him to within the next 4 years) then the rate will skyrocket.</p>
<p>I doubt it.</p>
<p>You doubt what? That Claussen can take them 8-4 or a BCS bowl or something else?</p>
<p>I doubt that Clausen can lead the Irish to a 8 - 4 record and a BCS bowl next year.</p>
<p>you don't think ND will go at least 8-4 next year? haha what an ignorant douche bag</p>
<p>Claussen might not lead them to a BCS Bowl, but Dayne Crist will</p>
<p>agreed with MarkSK, but i think both can actually</p>
<p>id say 2 years from now is a bcs year, 3 years the same, and 4 years... nat'l championship game?</p>
<p>2008 Notre Dame Football Schedule
Sept. 6 SAN DIEGO STATE - win
Sept. 13 MICHIGAN- toss up
Sept. 20 at Michigan State - win
Sept. 27 PURDUE- win
Oct. 4 STANFORD- win
Oct. 11 at North Carolina- win
Oct. 18 Open Date
Oct. 25 at Washington- win
Nov. 1 PITTSBURGH- win
Nov. 8 at Boston College- toss up
Nov. 15 at Navy (Baltimore)- win
Nov. 22 SYRACUSE- win
Nov. 29 at USC - loss</p>
<p>Our schedule next year isnt bad at all</p>
<p>Im seeing 9-3, maybe even 10-2</p>
<p>at worst 8-4</p>
<p>Whew, that was harsh.</p>
<p>I think 8 - 4 is pushing it. We will break even. I like 7 - 5 at most.</p>
<p>And a 8 - 4 record would not take any team to a BCS bowl.</p>
<p>You guys can't read. He said "If he [Clausen] can take them to the BCS (I expect him to within the next 4 years) then the rate will skyrocket." Which is a true statement. No one thinks that will happen, but if it does applications would "skyrocket."</p>
<p>I totally think it can happen, and I believe it will.</p>
<p>i agree with Tim, don't just assume that a bad season means a doomed football school (although 90% of people wish that was true for ND)</p>
<p>i may be way off base here, and i am no way a football-knowledgable person(THO, WAY TO GO NY GIANTS!!!) my first impression of the the thread's question was, horrible location , NOT counting the beautiful campus, and perhaps "too Catholic" for some.</p>