Deferred then waitlisted

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
1

I was deferred EA and then waitlisted RD at Notre Dame. Do I still have a chance? What do I do to increase my chances?

2

I see it as good news that they twice chose not to reject you when they reject so very many. You should accept a spot on their waitlist and then send them a letter of continued interest.

3

Thanks @oak2maple ! I accepted the waitlist offer as soon as I got the decision and am planning to send them an email today!

4

@smallgal Take your necessary time to compose an impactful LOCI to your regional ND AOS. (S)he is the person to put your application forward at the right time and you therefore need to be sure to put your best foot forward to stand out. There is no need to rush this unnecessarily, as Notre Dame will only have a clearer picture in respect to the waiting list shortly after the deposit deadline for admitted RD students.

5

Thanks! I have already written a LOCI when I was deferred, should I write another one? If so, what should I do to make it different/stand out from before?

6

@smallgal Yes, I would suggest to share a considerate and well worded LOCI with your ND AO by mid April. Inter alia, you have to ensure the AO knows that you are determined to change your commitment from the currently chosen university, where you already will have paid your nonrefundable deposit by then, to Notre Dame in a heartbeat, if you were to be admitted from the waiting list. This is what Notre Dame recommends in their official blog for students on the waiting list:

“Feel free to share any significant application updates with your regional admissions counselor or upload them to your applicant status portal. A lot can happen between January 1 and May 1; and we want to make sure your application is as up-to-date as possible. Updated transcripts? Noteworthy new accomplishment? Please send it in! In addition to your classroom and extracurricular achievements, we are interested in learning about what Notre Dame means to you and why you wish to attend. Therefore, if the 150-word limit for the “What excites you about attending Notre Dame?” essay prompt was not enough to express your thoughts, feel free to expand upon that question and share it with us. Finally, please note that we do not encourage additional letters of recommendation or visits to campus.”
https://admissions.nd.edu/connect/news/on-the-notre-dame-waiting-list-we-answer-your-questions-here/