<p>Hey,</p>
<p>This is really quick chance thread but i was quickly wondering... i have good ECs.. three leadership positions....very medicine focused... i have 350 hours of volunteering... 3.62 UW GPA in Full IB.... 2130 SATs.... how much of a shot would i have if i applied RD. Thanks!</p>
<p>yeah, probably. do you have any family relation and are you catholic? that'll help.</p>
<p>are u serious? it helps if you are catholic??? ummm i am muslim... not religious or anything... will i be like a freak at campus...?</p>
<p>Umm, yes, it does help if you are Catholic. That is why Notre Dame is in the small minority of schools that asks your religion on their supplement. However, they do like diversity, so being a Muslim could help you too. Good luck!</p>
<p>Being Catholic does not help you get in, and no one will care here if you are not.</p>
<p>curious, isnt it illegal to base admissions decisions on religion. i could be wrong... like i am non religious and liberal. I guess that kind of contradicts with Notre Dame's 'usual' students... but i like the school itself and its programs.</p>
<p>it actually does give you a leg up. NOT VERY MUCH, mind you, but ND is a Catholic school, and they do want to have Catholic students there. that being said, they are still very open to people of other religions. My brother is a current student and said he was Protestant on his application, and he got in. I also know that they are very accommodating of other religions, like supplying kosher food and they have prayer rooms for Muslims.</p>
<p>I'm curious: You said you were Muslim, but non-religious?</p>
<p>A distinction should also be made about the kind of advantage a Catholic student may have in applying to the University, if any at all. Considering the number of applications from Catholic students which the University receives, the Office of Admissions has their pick of admits from a highly competitive pool and they do not, therefore, have to reach any further into the pool than any other of its peers. If you look at the average test scores of admitted students, Notre Dame ranks in the top 15 or so while retaining a largely Catholic student body. From this I would think that being Catholic will certainly not make up for any shortcomings on one's application, but considering the University's desire to continue it's Catholic tradition, a Catholic applicant with identical numbers to that of another applicant may seem more 'holistic' and will thus have a slight advantage. Of course, I could be entirely wrong but it seems to be this way from what I have experienced.</p>
<p>Actually, it is illegal to use religion as a factor in the admissions process, so listing yourself as a Catholic comes at no advantage to you (especially if it is untrue). I'm willing to bet ND asks for religion on their application for proof that the school has some level of diversity and that not every student is Catholic. They advertise their 85% Catholic population with the implication that 15% is non-Catholic to encourage students who may otherwise be too intimidated of being the only non-Catholic on campus. Faith is a big deal at ND, but they repeatedly impress upon applicants and students that there is no persecution if you are not Catholic. ND says that their applicant pool is self-selecting, and the majority of those who apply are Catholic which leaves their admitted students mostly Catholic too. They do not favor Catholic students in the admissions process; the admissions office heavily emphasizes that point.</p>
<p>rhov, you have absolutely no basis for your argument. Go make stupid assertions somewhere else. We want diversity here, so it would be nice if people like you wouldn't make false claims that might scare off people who might otherwise apply.</p>
<p>It doens't freaking matter what religion you are. Hell, one of the favorite professors on campus, Rashid Omar, is a Muslim. And Rabbi Signer has the biggest office in the Theology department. And Protestants are the coolest kids, they dominate West Quad. </p>
<p>I tell you what, Shad, if you want to be Irish, go for it man, nothing to lose. I don't know how religious you are but campus ministry will help you out if you need a ride to mosque or anywhere you want to go. Let me tell you, I don't drink alcohol and I have a great time. You sound like a good guy, volunteering, medicine: ND has great volunteering programs, I told an alum this weekend that I'm interested in lay ministry and he says he can get me involved with ministry to migrant construction workers, the alums are great too, great pre-med program, last year I met an alum who's a doctor down in Florida and he's got this great place right on a canal and his wife spends all her time volunteering for the church and with the farm workers down there. Honestly, greatest collection of people ever. I miss it so much, but no matter where I go I meet alumni and it all comes back to me. I just talked to a guy the other day who lived in Morrissey (like me) with Carl Yaztremski, baseball hall of famer. There's nothing like it.</p>
<p>Honestly, people will give you a hard time for being from Canada, that's just what we Americans do, but other than that they'll love ya.</p>
<p>I've posted this before: son applied in Fall of '05 and was accepted EA. He is not Catholic even tho one parent is. I certainly would not let the fact that you are not Catholic prohibit you from applying. In fact, I can tell you that son was more concerned about the fact that he had no legacy connections over the fact that he was not Catholic. He felt that the legacy issue was more important esp since he applied EA. I honestly believe that ND does look at the whole app in the process; scores, ECs, essay, etc. And, if you have what they are looking for in this particular year of admissions, including religious affiliation, then you will be admitted. Again, pay careful attention to the complete app when you are processing it! Good Luck!!</p>
<p>PS--And after two years, I can also say that the fact that he is not Catholic has never been an issue, either. He was raised Protestant and even took a Catholicism course as one of his Theo requirements. He has no regrets about being at ND!</p>
<p>I work at the admissions office as an assistant, and as far and I know it does not help you. I mean they really do not need it. Notre Dame will always get its fair share of Catholics due to its tradition and the life style there. There is no need to go selecting more if 85% are already Catholic. Also now that Notre Dame is on the common app its going to be alot tougher to get in, and thats all Notre Dame wants, to make their acceptance rate drop. Shad Faraz, my advice to you is, if you want to come here, apply and hope for the best. Your stats, as I see them, are pretty good, but remember Notre Dame will always be hard to get accepted into.</p>
<p>"Actually, it is illegal to use religion as a factor in the admissions process"</p>
<p>Actually, a private university is free to use religious affiliation as a factor in the admissions (and hiring) process. If you examine Notre Dame's non-discrimination policy, you won't find "religious affiliation" listed.</p>
<p>Actually, they don't factor religion into the admissions process, and you wouldn't be a freak on campus. My roommate doesn't have a religion, and he gets along just fine. Being Catholic DOES NOT HELP YOU GET ACCEPTED. Yes, 85% of the campus states an affiliation with the Catholic Church, but the main reason for that would be that Notre Dame is the "dream school" for a lot of Catholics, and more Catholics than non-Catholics apply.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot to everyone that replied. You've all been really helpful.</p>
<p>rhov:i was born muslim.... i havent been to a mosque in years tho... i don't say that proudly or anything... its just a simple fact that i am not religious at all.</p>
<p>bpayne1: thanks for the words of encouragement... it sounds like a wonderful school... and yes ... its programs are what drew me to it in the first place.</p>
<p>notre dame AL: thankyou... that gives me a bit more hope.</p>
<p>JCool: yes, i figured more Catholics apply then non catholics... however when i went to the website the initial 93 % Christian and 80 something percent Catholic did scare me a bit. I will apply when times comes and hope for the best.</p>
<p>Private universities can use religion as a factor if they want. But at ND, being Catholic does not help or hurt you. ND is mostly Catholic but that's largely because its self-selecting. And you won't be ostracized here for not being Catholic. I think they ask for religion on the application just so that they can keep track of demographics.</p>
<p>Your GPA might be a little low. What's your class rank? (sorry if you already said it, I didn't read all the previous posts...) But the ECs will look good.</p>