EA or RD? Thanks for your help!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
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<p>ND has been my dream school for as long as I can remember. I would love to apply early and hear earlier and apply to way fewer schools during the regular period if I did get in early but I'm really scared of getting rejected and regretting not waiting until the regular deadline. I realize it might be smarter for me to apply regular because my GPA would go up and I would have time to raise my test scores. How likely is it that I would at least get deferred? I'm just really worried that I'd get rejected. Here is my info:</p>

<p>Caucasian male. I got to a Catholic all-boys school in Southern California. My school doesn't rank.
4.25 cumulative weighted GPA (3 honors/APs soph year, 4 junior year, 5 senior year). My school does not offer freshman honors courses, which is why my cumulative is lower than my past two years (4.3 soph year and 4.6 junior year). I will probably finish this semester (senior) with a 4.7/4.8.
~3.83 unweighted (mostly As, with 3 B+s and 1 B-)
ACT: 32 composite. English 35, Math 33, Reading 32, Science 27 (ugh I know)
SAT (retaking this month but not in time to know score before EA): Math 720, Verbal 630, Writing 670 (2020 total)
SAT IIs: U.S. History 750, Literature 650
AP scores: World History 4, U.S. History 5, English Language 4 (I'm in 4 AP courses this year and one honors course)</p>

<p>Extra-curriculars:
Editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper this year (staff writer as a sophomore and news editor as a junior)
I've run my own one-on-one tutoring business the past 3 years (about 5 hours each week)
I have been a lector at my Catholic Church all four years of high school (it's only every other week)
I have done 70 hours of community service during sophomore and junior year. I went on two Urban Plunges (it's a weekend in which we served the homeless and slept in shelters) and led one of them.
I'm in a community service organization at school but it's essentially just a club and it will only account for like one hour per week when I list it on the common app.
CSF (never actually was called to tutor but i qualified each time so i know this is very, very minute)
I attended a journalism workshop this past summer for a couple weeks. (I know it's very minor but I'm just listing everything I can think of)</p>

<p>My two teacher recommendations should be solid. My journalism advisor/English teacher will write me a really good one and my French teacher should write me a decent one.</p>

<p>*I have 6 relatives who attended ND, but unfortunately on the supplement it asks only if my parents attended, and neither of them did. Should I try to work my relatives into the supplemental essay that asks why I am interested in ND?</p>

<p>THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP AND ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

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<p>I’m gonna bump this post. Please offer any advice you have. Thanks!</p>

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<p>why not ED?
i can tell that ND is ur first choice judging by you user name</p>

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<p>I’m gonna bump this post</p>

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<p>I think you would at least get deferred and you have a decent chance of being accepted. However, I don’t think they look as closely at deferred applications the second time around. Since you think your GPA will go up and are retaking the SAT, it might make sense to wait just so that you can apply with the strongest application possible. Good luck!:)</p>

<p>Also, yuanxiaoyu- ND doesn’t have ED, EA is non-binding, but typically requires higher stats (despite its deceptively high acceptance rate).</p>

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<p>bumpbumpbump</p>

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<p>I decided I will, in fact, be applying early. I really hope I can get my ACT up to a 33 (I am taking it this Saturday).</p>

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<p>The ND counselor for our area told my D that it is NOT true that deferred applications get less of a look during RA. In fact, she suggested that deferred candidates should contact their admission counselor for advice on how to strengthen their application the second time around. Even if you get deferred, there is still reason to be hopeful that you’ll get your spot in the class of 2015. Good luck to you on the ACT this Saturday and with your application. Please post and let us know what happens.</p>