Thank you. He’ll be fine and so will we. Just tired and disappointed.
@JoanArc : You said: " The gentleman who complained on this forum has more of a right to be at Notre Dame than a student who receives a 1900 or 2100 on the SAT."
So do you get to decide who has the “right” to be at Notre Dame, or does Notre Dame get to decide who is admitted? None of us has a “right” to admission at any University. Selective Universities have tough choices to make. The idea that any student is entitled to admission is just preposterous.
Besides race, there are all kinds of advantages in admissions, as there are in life. Students have advantages from being athletes, legacies, special skills, are first generation students, an unusual life experience, their families are big donors, or are children of faculty. Other advantages are geographical, as schools want students from all over the country. Selective schools wants to admit a variety of students for a broader perspective to make a richer environment.
Additionally, your example of one student with a 26 ACT is only part of the story. This student may have some accomplishment, something to bring to the table to add to the broader perspective. Students aren’t defined by test scores alone. But it is clear that the published range of a middle fifty of 32-34 means there is 25% of admitted students with lower than 32. With an incoming class last year of 2011 - that would be 502 students, right? And then another 502 received above a 34 ACT. All top schools have these kinds of ranges. I remember on the trip to Stanford, I think, the Admissions Officers saying that they could fill their class three times (I’m paraphrasing here from memory) with valedictorians and 2400 SAT students, but they don’t because they want different perspectives and experiences. That might not be important to you, but it is to top schools, and why students want to attend. Notre Dame is not alone in admitting some students with (relatively) lower scores.
Here’s an example. A friend (We’ll call him F2) of my D1 has a very special unique artistic talent. He had significant artistic accomplishments in middle school and high school. But a solid B student in high school. He had excellent success in admissions because of his talent, since he would really add to the (artistic field) at any school that offered that subject. I remember reading on CC a girl posting that she had a 2300 SAT but didn’t get in to the school F2 was admitted and matriculating to. I’m sure he had a fairly low test score, but don’t you see why the school would choose him? So my question is, should a school prioritize SAT scores and AP classes taken – or-- prioritize filling their diverse majors, activities and groups on campus, filling their marching band, teams and choirs etc? Obviously I think the second priority.
cccollegeboard: You said: “There is no question that non-legacy, non-white kids are discriminated against.” My D1, a current student is a non legacy, bi racial student. I really can’t agree. I think TooOld4School is right, none of us know the applicant pool.
I’m very sorry for your disappointment. I know how college rejection feels as a parent bc my D1 had some rejections too. Surely your son will have tremendous opportunities.
^^ To your point, I wonder how this student quoted below (from another thread) would fare in the applicant pools of elite colleges. I’m guessing he’d appeal to many. Would certainly enrich the perspective of a mostly privileged class.
“3.4 weighted GPA SAT-1500/2400 I took 10 AP Classes All in total
I am a black male from the hood, who watched his cousin get shot by gang members, and has had to take care of a mom who had a stroke. I am extremely underprivileged, but I have some very awesome extra curricular activities. I am president of my school’s debate team, and I’ve had to be the coach and president because our school couldn’t afford a coach. I am ranked as the best teenage orator in my city, and one of the top 80 orators in the nation. I started a tutoring program for black students at my school, because blacks were performing way lower than other ethnic groups. And because of that program, all of the failing black students who participated in the program ended up passing. I interned for a state senator, and when interning for him I hosted a debate tournament for inner-city youth. In addition, I wrote a bill called AB 672 which gives assistance to prisoners who are wrongfully convicted. The bill that I wrote was actually voted by the California State senate and signed by the state governor, and now the bill I wrote is now in effect. I also have won several awards for Mock Trial, Academic Decathlon, and I am a columnist for a local newspaper. I also have stopped a lot of peers in my neighborhood from joining gangs and getting addicted to drugs. My grades are low, but I’ve done amazing things and my interviewer loved me.”
On a side note, I’ve found a workable strategy to fight the pain of rejection is to expect one at all but your safety schools. That way, every acceptance is a happy surprise. 
@Ruby789 “they could fill their class three times with valedictorians and 2400 SAT students, but they don’t”. This was not the first time I saw it to be used as a defense in college admission. But this is such an over exaggeration. In 2015, 504 seniors had perfect 2400 SAT. I went back a few years and the number was fluctuated around 500-600. How many colleges have a freshman class of 200 or less for them to justify the usage? Not Stanford for sure.
@dispdomer2016 : First off, I was paraphrasing, and it may not have been 2400 SAT that the Stanford speaker said in that sentence, it might have been top 1% -2% or something. Top 1% of test takers (including both SAT and ACT) is around 35,000 students, so that would make more sense. However, your point about 2400 SAT scorers misses the fact that the small numbers only reflect SINGLE SITTING test takers. Stanford and many other schools superscore. I There are many more superscored 2400 SAT takers out there.
@dispdomer2016 I sent you a PM regarding my thoughts on this topic. Condolences on your son’s rejection, and I wish him the best of luck moving forward.
@6xdandangp. Got your message and thanks.
@cccollegeboard, I wonder where you get the statistic that ND is accepting 25% of the Asian applicants that other top colleges are. I don’t know where you would get the stats on their applicant pool composition. The Common Data Set doesn’t have it. For all you know, they are accepting a very high percent of Asian applicants. The ND applicant pool is somewhat self selecting – it isn’t everyone’s idea of a dream school. I suspect it gets a lot fewer Asian applicants than other top schools.
Posted by @lvvcsf -Would this have been an issue with you if your son had been one of the people accepted? They still would have had the same acceptance rate for Asians. Just curious.
This.
Also, I do disagree when people say “there were more qualified students” . Look, I am a parent of a current ND student. Unhooked, no legacy, white, 34 ACT, all APs and honors, leadership, volunteer, etc–you know the drill. One of his good friends with similar stats was deferred, then waitlisted (and is at another school now-loving it, I may add). Who knows why? Does it mean his friend was “less qualified”? Not at all! Could it have gone the opposite way? Yup, absolutely.To the OP, I would be disappointed, too–and hopefully this venting helps you in some way. Good luck to your son!
@intparent This parent actually said, “Asian acceptance rate is about 25% of the acceptance of other top schools.” What i think they meant was the freshmen class has a percentage of Asians that is 25% of those at the other selective colleges cited. 6% Asian at ND versus the others in the low 20’s and MIT at 30%.
Yes… but if you don’t know how many Asians apply to each school, then you can’t really compare those numbers and draw conclusions about admissions practices
^^ I hear you and agree with you. That’s a major missing data point. I suspect that ND’s lower percentage of Asians directly correlates to a smaller Asian applicants pool; ND is not nearly the popular target for Asians (anecdotal conclusion) as Ivies and other secular elites.
How can anyone seriously disagree with the excellent points made by Ruby789. Why would anyone think a GPA or test score is the ONLY thing that should matter. I am the proud father of a ND freshman son and know he would have been disappointed by a rejection, but that doesn’t mean he was entitled to admission based on grades and test scores alone. All students benefit from a well rounded and diverse student body.
I was looking through your previous post. You stated that you had a 4.6 GPA and a 35 ACT, so I’m kind of suspicious of your story and background.
@DAVE437 Excuse me? Which post are you referring to? I can assure you my son does indeed have those stats. Suspicious of what story and background, exactly? I don’t think I understand.
@ShouldBeWorking I am extremely sorry. I swore that I saw a post with your username talking about how you were an African-American gentleman from the hood who watched his cousin get shot by gang members, and participated in many great extracurricular and outreach programs, but stating he has a 3.4 Weighted GPA and 1500/2400 SAT.
^^ @DAVE437 Haha, I did cut and paste the post of that young man in another thread! It was regarding a discussion about how hooks can be an important part of an application. I will agree, though, that story was right out of a TV drama. Hard to believe, but I’m not one to doubt him.
Nope, my kid is about as white as you get. Although he does like the rap music.
@ShouldBeWorking I am sorry, for making assumptions. I hope you and your son continue to have a great college admissions process.
@DAVE437 He actually got his first wake-up call with a waitlist from Vanderbilt today. He had been on a 7-run acceptance streak. But now Duke tomorrow. Stanford Friday. USC Sat. This could be a ROUGH week for him. But at least he has good options in hand.
Oh, and apology accepted. Don’t sweat it.
@ShouldBeWorking Has he been accepted anywhere he likes yet?