I was wondering how much weight does ND put on a younger sibling applying to the school. My older S already attends and his younger sibling would like to apply. They have a decent GPA (4.2 weighted), has taken a few APs and all honors classes, varsity sports for 4 years … but the ACT is on the lower end of the averages. We realize it will be a long shot given the ACT. But we have met so many people who have multiple children attending ND at the same time (different years of course). Does ND favor siblings? Or are all these families producing the same level of kids?? Thanks
I have two daughters who attended/ are attending ('17 and ‘19). They both applied with no prior connection to the school. Admissions will tell you that the only family members whose attendance will quantifiably benefit an applicant are parents. That being said, I think there is a minimal “soft” edge given sibling applicants who are in the same range. ND does like to cultivate family loyalty to the school, but make no mistake, you have to be within range. I know plenty of my kids’ friends whose siblings were denied. If the ACT is in the low range, but everything else is stellar, particularly, and I can’t stress this enough, the essays, you have a shot. Depending on what the score is, you might think about retaking. Also, assuming younger sib is a rising senior, now would be a good time to establish contact with your regional rep. Good luck!
I do think it’s a slight bump, but I also know of siblings where older one was admitted and younger was not. Can he retake the ACT or try the SAT?