Chances for Notre Dame- gpa too low?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
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Hello! I posted one chance thread before but I would also like to see what my chances are specifically for Notre Dame, because it is my first-choice school. I feel like I have a pretty strong application, but my UW gpa is a little low because of a mess-up second semester Junior year… anyway, all responses are appreciated, thank you in advance!

ACT: 34 E35 M35 R33 S31

GPA: 3.74 UW, 4.4 W

AP Scores: APUSH (5), AP Euro (3), AP Stats (4), AP Lang (4)

Senior year coarse load: AP Calculus BC, AP Psychology, AP Microeconomics, French 4 Honors, AP Literature, AP Physics C, required religious courses (most rigorous course load possible)

Class Rank: top 5%, possibly top 3% out of about 300-350 (school doesn’t officially rank)

School type: Private Catholic-college prep (harder grading scale)

ECs: Math Team (9-12, captain of JV sophomore year, captain of Varsity senior year)
Academic Bowl (10-12, starter Junior year for the Varsity team)
Theatre (9-12, I’ve been in 7 plays in high school so far, as a lead in two, Vice President senior year)
School newspaper (10-12)
Student Ambassador (11-12)
Book Club (9-12, co president senior year)
Comic Book/Anime Club (10-12, president senior year)
Golf (12, JV)

Volunteer Service: Habitat for Humanity (11-12, Secretary Senior year)
Eucharistic Minister
Sacristan (helping out with Mass, and anything religious that happens at school- they are personally chosen)
Local Library Volunteer
Volunteer for two local charities
Tutor for 3 years in multiple subjects
(overall between 50-150 volunteer hours, not sure about the exact number)

Awards: AP Scholar with Honors, National Honor Society, National French Honor Society, International Thespian Society, National Merit Commended, Bronze Medal in National French Contest, Villanova Book Award- 3 1st place Math Team Regional Awards, 1 Math Team State award, various invitational Math Team awards- 2 conference Academic Bowl Awards (1st and 3rd place), 3 Tournament Academic Bowl awards (1st, 3rd, and 4th), and 1 Regional Academic Bowl award (1st)- 3 individual academic awards for my school

Teacher/Counselor recs: should be good!

Essays: should be good!

Work Experience: N/A

Intended Major: Mathematics!

Gender/Race: Female, not POC

Income Bracket: Enough for little financial aid

Hooks: I’m a girl who wants to go into the STEM field? That’s about it

Other: I’ve played guitar for 7 years now, I’m currently in the middle of writing a novel that is over 45,000 words long, and I’ve made videos for my school that have been posted online with over 3500 views.

I’m very involved in my school and my faith and I have a good relationship with my ND admissions counselor- however, I think my gpa is a glaring flaw in my application, but I really really want to get accepted :slight_smile:
I appreciate anyone’s help!

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It’s not a glaring flaw. It’s maybe suboptimal. However, your ACT is very solid for admissions and your school is competitive and challenging based on your rank. Your class schedule looks very solid as well. No one has good answers to these what are my chances questions. Every application is unique, every high school is different. 4/4 got in from my kid’s high school this past year, 3 went and the 4th went to MIT. All were from the second quartile, no URMs or athletes. Do a lot of kids from your school go to ND? What does your Naviance say? What are your chances? I’d say better than average; others will disagree. Make ND understand why you belong there in your essays, have solid back up plans and hope for the best. Good luck.

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@doubtful Yes my school has a history of sending kids to Notre Dame (only one went last year, but 4 went the year before). According to Naviance scattergrams, people with my stats have gotten into Notre Dame before as well. Thank you for the well-wishes!

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@jessssssie02 Normally a 3.74 UW would have a significant impact on your chances. However, after reading some of your other posts about your schools grading scale, I would think it wouldn’t hurt you as bad as long as you communicate with your admissions rep.

I definitely think your hook will be beneficial.

The rest of your resume definitely is “in range”. It will most likely come down to your essays and whether admissions feels you are a strong fit.

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Your GPA might hurt you a bit. I know EA can be extremely competitive with admissions, so I would recommend applying RD for your best chances at getting in.

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@GraceDad @junior2017 thank you both for replying! I will most definitely be applying RD so hopefully that will help too! :slight_smile: