<p>I just got my May SAT results in and (combined with my January score) I now have a 2150 (730 CR/690 M/730 W) or a 1420 M/V.</p>
<p>I have about a 96 three year average (unweighted in an all honors/no AP or IB HS with very strong Notre Dame ties), strong extracurriculars, and all the usual stuff that I think would get me in RD. My brother also went to ND and even though it doesn't "count" as much as a full legacy, its still a nice factor to have.</p>
<p>Now, according to the ND website and what I have read, one needs a 1450-1470 to even have a shot at early action.</p>
<p>How true is this? With a 50% EA admissions rate, I wonder how many kids with no shot at making it EA (probably below 1400) still apply and help constitute the 50% rejected/deferred. I saw kids in the EA acceptance thread who got in with numbers below the ND recommendations, even though I am not sure if there was some unstated "hook" that led to the acceptance.</p>
<p>Now, my problem lies in the fact that the October SAT lies so close to the EA deadline that I might have to bet purely on faith and study-time that my score will go up 30-50 points in order to be competitive in EA. I really want to go to ND and I'd much prefer to go early action, but I also don't want to jeopardize my chances by applying early with the odds against me.</p>
<p>Early action is a convenient service, but if you're worried about your chances, save yourself the trouble and just apply regular. You seem to have strong credentials, and if your brother went through the same school system and got into ND, he's probably your best source. I had a positive experience with early action, but it didn't really change much in terms of my decision - I still held out until the end of April to confirm.</p>
<p>When it comes down to it, just do what you feel comfortable with. Your peace of mind is the most important thing; you don't want to spend half your senior year worrying about your application. Good luck and have fun!</p>
<p>E-mail your admissions rep and ask him if you should apply EA. This is good on two levels. They will give you good advice and it will help you develop a relationship with him/her. Be polite, follow up with a note either way. You want to emphasize your true interest and you want them to remember you positively when they see your application.</p>
<p>Just a post script to the above reply. An e-mail note is probably fine. One thing we were told by a college counselor was to keep screen name consistent and be sure it gives a postitive picture--not "hot-to-trot#3" or something. My son used swmmr984 cause he is a swimmer and his personal statement reflected that, so it helped make a picture of him to the ad rep. He answered all e-mails with a quick acknowlegement and thank you.</p>
<p>I probably would hold off on EA, but I am cautious about it because a few years back I was one of those kids that had no chance and still applied EA. Some depends on your class rank as well, which you didn't say. Overall EA probably can't hurt you but if you are nervous then why risk it, you know?</p>
<p>Here Irish and I always disagree. My son was admitted EA with a 1420/33, a 3.9 weighted, and barely in the top 10% of his class. He had no hook. </p>
<p>I am a big proponent of applying EA. Admissions will tell you they do not deny kids who would be competitive in regular action; if you are a solid candidate the <em>worst</em> thing that could happen is you could be deferred.</p>
<p>With your stats, if you are in or very near the top 10% of your class and have good extra curriculars, apply EA. Statistically you have a better chance of being accepted, and all the adcom "experts" around the country will tell you that is true, no matter what ND admissions tells you. Besides, if you are going to get denied, the earlier you know this, the better.</p>
<p>I also agree with the poster who suggested contacting your regional admissions rep for ND and posing the question to them. But ultimately I would much rather have my application in with the smaller group of EA applications, and in front of the fresher admissions representatives' eyes in November, than being lumped in with the literally thousands of applications in the spring.</p>
<p>I would go look for it but I know it is somewhere on the admissions site or in a chat and a lot of the ND reps usually use similar numbers. The best advice I can give you is ask your ND rep if you should apply EA, they will tell you what they think and I would go with what they say.</p>
<p>The best thing to do, IMO, is to contact an admissions counselor, tell them your scores and ask their opinion. We did this with my daughter, and they suggested she apply RD because she needed higher SATs. It would have been nice to know by Christmas if she had been applied and been accepted EA, but she took the SATs again anyways and did better, so RD worked out fine in the end.</p>
<p>I thinnk if you contact someone in the office they will be candid with you.</p>