I am a rising junior in high school and ND is one of my top choices. I am stressing out over whether I will be able to get in. I have a 3.75 UW GPA and a 4.8 W GPA. I am a 2 year Varsity Cheerleader and I am the Beta Club historian. I am in the National junior honor society. I am also in the school newspaper, Student Council, the National Society of Black Engineers, Junior Iron Dukes, Bio Moto, and our school AoiT program. I am taking AP courses now and I have an A in that class. My junior year I allowed to get involved in the National Honor Society and the National Technical Society. I am taking an ACT Prep Course and will be taking the ACT in the coming months. The first time I took the ACT as sophomore I scored a 30. I know I need to get my ACT up but that other than that can I get into ND? I am also doing an internship at NASA.
The biggest thing you should focus on is getting your ACT up. 30 as a sophomore is actually really solid, but most people that attend ND made between a 32 and 34. You know that, though, so I think you’ll be fine. Also, making some As for the next 2 years of high school will probably help you out.
Sticking with all of these extracurriculars would work out really well for you, but stick with the ones you care about, as colleges like to see commitment over a long period of time. Something that you could add that would help you out would be something service oriented, as something like 90% of incoming freshmen did some kind of community service extracurricular. (The NASA internship sounds awesome!)
The biggest thing I can stress to you is this: there are so many awesome applicants out there (and I think you’ll be one of them), but as so many people here on this board have experienced, nothing is ever a given, even when the statistics all seem right. You can see the post I made like this back in December here:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-notre-dame/1830620-notre-dame-chances-ill-chance-you-back-for-sure-p1.html
Even though everyone on this post said I had very good chances, as I statistically lined up with everything ND wants in an applicant, I’m currently on the waitlist.
My point is this: if you really, really want to attend ND, don’t just aim for the statistical center of the kids that got in. Do something that really sets you apart and makes you unique.
If things continue like they have been, ND’s acceptance rate will keep falling by a point and a half for the next few years. If you do something that really sets you apart (I don’t know what, that’s up to you and what you’re passionate about), you’ll have no problem convincing any college that you’re deserving of admission.
I hope that I haven’t totally discouraged you - even though you’re on track to getting into ND as you are right now, you should aim as high as you can. Just do your best, as that’s all that anyone can ask of you. I hope I’ve been helpful/motivational 
Quite frankly, You sound like you’re in really solid shape as a sophomore. A 30 is better than I had sophomore year, and I think with your prep course you can easily get that up at a 33-34. The internship sounds incredible, and will be a fantastic opportunity to write about. Your grades are great, and if you continue to excel you’ll be really solid for Notre Dame.
wneely16 has some great tips, so my only contribution would be to keep up the great work, visit if you can at some point, and consider applying to summer scholars for next summer. Also, what really helped me studying for the ACT was buying Barron’s or Princeton Review ACT prep books, and taking their practice tests. The volume of problems did wonders helping me do better, and between those two and some apps I bought off the apple app store I probably did about 1000 MC problems between my first and second test. It did wonders for my score, and I think it could help you too. If you have time outside of your internship this summer or next year, shoot to do one full test a week. break it up over a few days and it can be really beneficial. Also, the library has reference versions you can borrow (can’t write in, but it’s easy enough to do on a piece of lined paper)
Thank-you so much! This really helped me!
I got in with a 30 and a likely letter. So, answering your question, getting in is definitely possible. Especially since it’s likely your score will go up if you retake.
If you are a member of the Society of Black Engineers because you are African-American, then your chances for admission are very good. Your GPA is not nearly as important as your class rank – even if your school does not rank, the admissions office will estimate rank if at all possible. Make sure that you take the most rigorous courses available in math, science, English, social science, and foreign language. Some students don’t test well because of circumstances beyond their control, but every student (scheduling logistics permitting) is expected to demonstrate that she took the hardest courses offered at her school and did well in them. Piling up a list of activities is not nearly as important as demonstrating leadership and achievement in a handful. If the NASA internship was highly competitive, that is great, but a full-time paid summer job doing ANYTHING will also set you apart from many other applicants. Working during the school year is also a plus, because few students have regular jobs. If you have family responsibilities (taking care of younger siblings, for example), that will also “count.”
Start thinking NOW about which of your teachers can provide the best recommendation for you; it doesn’t have to be the class in which you got the highest grade, but instead a teacher who can provide some insight into your strengths that will not appear elsewhere in your application. The earlier you ask her, the more time she will have to put together a thoughtful letter that will set you apart from your classmates. If your school has sent other recent graduates to ND, ask your counselor to evaluate your credentials as compared with theirs. Don’t hesitate to contact ND directly for information about special summer programs for minority aspiring engineers or other programs aimed at minority applicants. That might be far more productive than trying to add a point to your ACT score.
Wneely is correct that there is no guaranteed formula for admission, and thousands of perfectly acceptable applicants must be turned away for lack of space. Competitive minority applicants are in demand, however, so don’t stress quite so much. Take advantage of the university’s interest in attracting you to ND; there is no need to guess about improving your application when plenty of folks on campus will be eager to give you a hand. Good luck!
I think you have a solid chance! Keep up the good work. You might consider applying for the Summer Scholars program at ND for summer 2017. You will get a great feel for the campus, and learn some great things!
Why do you want to go to ND? Answering that question can help you make a convincing case in your application. I personally think your answer should be more than academics-related. How do you want to make the world a better place, and serve humanity?