<p>I am a freshman in high school and I've wanted to go to ND my entire life. Does anyone know of anything that they look highly upon? Any little something that can give me a "boost" above other students applying. I know volunteer work is very important but I don't know much more.</p>
<p>I know this is a broad question but if you could help me out it would help a lot.</p>
<p>Broad question, broad answer :) </p>
<p>Grades/GPA. Class Rank. SAT/ACT scores. Awards, like Eagle Scout, etc - excel at something and play at least one sport.</p>
<p>Lol. Well, I know about grades because I looked up the ND admissions and it gave me averages. I should have said that I was looking more for tips on ECs. Do they look higher upon one thing over another? Such as volunteer work versus academic ECs or athletics? I am doing stuff like Teen Court (juror and lawyer) and volunteer hospital hours.</p>
<p>If you have good overall stats and grades, the most important thing is that you <em>really</em> excel at something - it's not as important what.</p>
<p>not even excel at something, just show you aren't doing stuff to pad your stats. do stuff that you want to do and love doing and show it on your app</p>
<p>Also, APPLY EARLY ACTION, it will make things easier. Waiting till April is going to kill me, because I have to stall on other colleges, until I get the ND decision, because ND is WHERE i want to go.</p>
<p>I second BriGuy's.... to the extreme</p>
<p>moi aussi, I cannot take the waiting!</p>
<p>Is there a big risk going early action? I mean if you still have a shot at RD, but they don't want to accept you EA, will they sometimes still reject you or will they just defer you?</p>
<p>Yes- they do reject some early app's. My daughter was admitted early, but the daughter of someone else on this board with similar stats was rejected. It's always a risk, but worth it if you really want to go there and have good stats, ec's that you are committed to, etc. I believe that ND looks at you as a person and what you can contribute to the community. Racking up a load of ec's will be less useful than excelling at a few ec's and showing commitment and leadership in these areas.</p>
<p>i don't think it's a risk- if you get rejected EA , you would have been rejected RD anyways... otherwise they would defer you</p>
<p>I'd agree with andrew - there's no additional risk of rejection in applying early, while there is an improved chance of acceptance.</p>
<p>As for the original question, applying to ND is like applying to other elites - they are looking for strong stats and something extra. Many top colleges look for evidence of character and community service, but I'd say ND leans a bit more in that direction. As docmom notes, sports interest is good too - there's a lot of intramural participation in addition to the big-time intercollegiate programs.</p>
<p>Good question at your age.
Number one, pursue your dreams and passions -- don't do anything just to play the college game.
Number two, at the same time, you don't get something for nothing. If you want to get admitted to a competitive college like ND, you have to work hard and sacrifice time spent goofing around.
Number three, the most important aspect of admission at ND or anywhere else is your Academic Index --essentially your grades in the context of your high school and your SAT or ACT scores. If you have very high grades and class rank (particularly at a large high school) and very high SAT or ACT scores, then your probability of being admitted is quite high. In this context, as you will hear 1000 times, your chances of being admitted are high if you are the type of person who signs up for and excels in the more challenging courses your high school offers.
Number four, competitive schools like evidence that you are a doer -- that you are the type of person who is motivated to do things beyond the normal high school routine. If you are not, that's okay. You probably wouldn't be comfortable at a competitive college full of doers anyway. But you should be aware that this is an important part of what competitive colleges look for.
Number five, ND more than other competitive colleges likes to see two things: an interest in service to others/the community, and participation in team sports.</p>
<p>Great post, parental expert! </p>
<p>I think ND is looking for a very well rounded individual - strong academics and strong ecs - a "smart" person who really cares about the world they live in. If you look at the stats of the current class, it will give you an idea of where you need to be.</p>
<p>My d had very strong ec's - most were community service and church service. It was quite obvious from her ec's that her passion was service to others. Her academics were in the top 3%. However, 2 girls from her school who had slightly higher academic stats were rejected EA. I think the service ecs made a difference. I believe 92% of this year's freshman class participated in community service. </p>
<p>She didn't play a sport. Her love of sports was squashed by a 6th grade volleyball coach. ugh! That has changed since she has been at ND - she's been very involved in intramural sports with her dorm, rekindling her love of sports. </p>
<p>I agree with those who say don't pad your application. Become involved in activities that you love and the passion shows. I do think service ec's are very, very important. Service at ND is strongly encouraged - my d has been so excited to be involved in life changing activities at ND. </p>
<p>If you have the academic stats, definitely plan to apply EA. You've got lots of time to prepare for the SAT and ACT and work on your grades.</p>
<p>Good luck! You certainly show your interest in ND by looking at what you need to do as a freshman.</p>