Notre Dame is my first choice college but I am also considering Duke as a backup (if I don’t get in to Notre Dame). Should I even bother applying to Duke? Is there any chance of me being accepted by Duke and denied by Notre Dame? Has anyone heard of this scenario playing out?
-Iowa
-Catholic school
-32 ACT composite
-4.34 weighted GPA (mostly As and A+s)
-above average ECs, leadership positions
-double legacy at Notre Dame
Are you applying Early Action to Notre Dame? Extremely unlikely you’d be rejected to ND during the EA round as a double legacy and then get into Duke. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, though, as college admissions can be random sometimes. Duke is typically more competitive than ND to get into – combine that with legacy and early admissions, and the scale tilts even more in favor of ND. But what do you have to lose besides the application fee?
I haven’t personally heard that situation playing out. I knew about 5 people that went to ND my year – 2 of those got rejected from Duke, 3 of them didn’t apply. Ridiculously small sample size though…
Duke was really tough this past cycle, at least from what I knew from a friend IRL (purely anecdotal of course).
It’s hard to imagine getting into Duke and not ND, barring some unusual circumstance (i.e., a serious hook that just happens to work for Duke and not ND). Both schools are great though.
I am planning on applying RD to Notre Dame (the admissions page recommends that you only apply EA if you’re in the top of the applicant pool, which I am not).
I think your chances would be higher at Notre Dame if you apply EA. Do your parents any contacts at the alumni office they can call to confirm?
Your ACT score is at the 25th percentile for Duke, so it will be tough to get in. However its not impossible.
Sorry I made a mistake. The 25th percentile of ACT for Trinity is: 31 and for Pratt it is: 33
Duke alum and ND parent here…. I think Duke is a fine school for your list. Duke is very similar to Notre Dame and has comparable academics and culture and campus feel. Campus setup is similar and size is similar (ND 500 more undergrads per class and Duke more grads overall with Duke being ~3,000 students larger overall). Notre Dame is the slightly more national undergrad student body.
Notre Dame recruits slightly more holistically but nevertheless has a 33-35 ACT middle 50% in its most recent enrolled 2020 class. ND gives more preference to legacies (good for you). Sports is important on both campuses. Both schools are in the discussion for most beautiful campus. ND has the higher admissions yield (i.e. its accepted students want to be there) and more school spirit. Both schools have great alumni networks. ND gets the edge on loyalty due to its vast legion of “subway alumni.”
Admissions to this class of school are unpredictable and thus you should cast a wide net. These are reaches for everyone. Both schools have a large surplus of applicants and can cherry pick the precise class they want. In any given year they might turn a dial that surprises applicants. That makes it almost impossible to set admissions odds. Duke gets lots more applicants overall but ND’s seem more passionate. (ND’s regional admissions counselors do a better job advising applicants how each can put his/her best foot forward and whether REA or RD are best; use that resource!).
Duke has basketball (although ND has won 5 of last 6 meetings) but Notre Dame has 100 years of football history (and Duke on the rise there). Cameron is iconic; ND Stadium only more so. Now in the same conference for most sports, you will see a very spirited rivalry grow there…
Both schools have the global resources to see you get the world’s best education both on and off campus. They will help you get internships and opportunities.
Overall you can’t go wrong either place. Apply to both… If you like ND you will like Duke too…
Best of luck!!
Great advice above. I think you should absolutely apply to ND REA. The great thing about ND REA is that it’s not even restrictive at all. It just means you can’t ED anywhere, which to me is not a restriction at all, but that’s a personal feeling. You could then apply to other schools on your list through EA channels and see what happens. Don’t wait to RD for ND - you’re a double legacy with qualified credentials, and hopefully good ECs and essays so if I were a gambling man I’d say an admissions is likely in the REA round, deferral at worst, in which case you’d be in the RD pool anyway, so what do you have to lose? If ND is your top choice as you say, it’s not like you were gonna ED elsewhere right? Just something to think about. I suggest you REA to ND to have the best chance, because colleges consider legacy status most heavily in their early round. Vanderbilt, for instance, states that for legacies to receive special consideration, they must apply ED. RD it has no bearing. No doubt ND has a similar sort of policy, so beware that your double legacy will be most effective REA.
Good luck to you.
@pkdeegan25
i agree with @Senior2016M that you should apply REA to ND. there is no downside and it can only help, plus you will get a decision much sooner.
Duke is NOT a backup. you should apply there RD but you need to make a list of REAL backup/safety schools and apply there. give Villanova a look.
If your goal is to attend a traditional reach school, find several that you like and can afford (without too much debt…) and apply to them. Chances aren’t great at any one of the traditional reaches – roughly the top 20 private schools and the several most selective state schools (for OOS applicants) on the US News National U ranking, as well as the top 10-15 on the National LAC ranking – so sending apps to multiple schools does improve the odds that one of them will like the package you present.
Duke and Notre Dame are a good start. Both are known for excellent overall academic quality and a first-rate undergraduate experience. If you desire a D1 athletic environment, you might also consider Stanford, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. In addition, Georgetown has big-time basketball, Johns Hopkins is huge in lacrosse, and Rice has a successful baseball program.
Remember to add a few matches and at least one safety too to solidify your chances at a good outcome when admissions decisions come rolling in.
^this this this.
I will say though that a 32 ACT is low for Duke, Northwestern, Rice, JHU, and certainly Vanderbilt and Stanford, so know that your essays will probably have to be extraordinary, and your letters of rec ought to be pretty effusive and genuine. Just something to keep in mind. Applying to a bunch of top schools can’t hurt, as long as you don’t get attached. That’s key. Getting attached to one (especially one like Duke, Vandy or Stanford where the odds are just so incredibly low) will only lead to heartache and disappointment. Focus on a target, which for you could well be ND, given your status and credentials.