<p>I go to an all-boy private school in NJ. There has been one kid in each of the last two classes to go to Notre Dame. </p>
<p>I am hispanic. Both of my parents did not graduate from college. My great uncle is an alumni of Notre Dame.</p>
<p>By the time I am applying to schools I hope to have a GPA of 3.3 or 3.4. I will have taken a very challenging curriculum. I will have spent 3 years on varsity winter and spring track throwing the shot-put. I will have spent 4 years in the photo club and school newspaper. I will have founded a politics club and a club that visits injured veterans. I will have had 3 years having a job writing about Notre Dame football and managing the twitter account for chatsports.com. I will have founded a charity that works in cooperation with the Sisters of Christian Charity to care for needy children in the Philippines. I think I have the potential to be a National Merit Scholar, though I don't know because I do not have my PSAT scores back. I think my SAT will be about 2000 plus.</p>
<p>Do you think I have any chance? I know that my GPA and test scores are pretty far below the regular requirements for ND. But Notre Dame is my dream school. I should be able to get solid recommendations and will rock my admissions essays. I just feel like the people who apply to ND are so qualified that I don't have a great shot at getting in. I have started looking at other schools so that I do not feel so heart-broken if and when I get rejected.</p>
<p>It’s hard to say. A 2000 SAT would be below ND’s published stats, as would a 3.4 gpa, even on a challenging curriculum. Being hispanic and a first generation student will give you somewhat of a bump. The extra curriculars are, from reading these boards, solid for an ND admit. So if you were to improve those SAT’s and at least be able to point to an upward GPA trend, your chances would be solid. But if you were to hold steady at 2000 and 3.4, it doesn’t feel like there is a big hook to outweigh it. So, it all depends on how the rest of high school goes through Junior year!</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah, I think I will be able to have an upward GPA trend… hope that helps. What SAT do you think I should try to get to be competitive?</p>
<p>Sorry for the slow response; but I’m thinking this link could be helpful: [Admissions</a> Statistics // Admissions // University of Notre Dame](<a href=“http://admissions.nd.edu/admission-and-application/admissions-statistics/]Admissions”>http://admissions.nd.edu/admission-and-application/admissions-statistics/)</p>
<p>Middle 50% for SAT: 1380-1510
" ACT: 31-34
48% ranked in the top 2% of their class, etc, etc. </p>
<p>They’ll never say that there is an actual GPA or test score cutoff, but you would have to have truly fantastic ecs/hooks to balance out lower test scores or GPA. You’re well on your way, it sounds, on the ecs. Getting that GPA and getting a solid score on your standardized tests would be two big boxes to check off.</p>
<p>URM will boost you over the top. Good job.</p>