Is there any chance for someone to get into Notre Dame who isn’t extraordinary at everything? I feel like there is no way for me to get in without taking 50 APs, being captain of every varsity sport, president of every club and having 1,000,000 service hours. Even if someone doesn’t have all of these, usually people who are accepted are really exceptional in at least one area that just isn’t achievable for everyone. Is there a way for students who are above average but not super exceptional to get in to Notre Dame?
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Hi there- I know this is late but yes, you could still get in but it may take some planning. First, is it that you didn’t participate in activities or do you feel you Just didn’t excel in them? Second, do you grades fall within the school’s average? Third, what grade are you in currently? Notre Dame truly does a holistic approach to acceptance. And they are looking for pieces to the big puzzle. When I toured they told us the only accept about 1/3 of valedictorians and 1/3 of perfect SATs who apply. Your key is going to be in your essays and communication with your admissions officer. NotreDame’s mission is to be a force for good. Your essays need to convey you are a good person who wants to make a difference but just haven’t had the opportunity. But you feel Notre Dame will give you the tools to exceed your potential to make the world a better place. You will be surprised at the value having a job will put on your application. If you helped with a project,
Explain why and what you got out of it. You have dig deep But there are things inside of you that make your exceptional. You just have to show it differently than others. Good luck
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Why would good communication with admissions officer be helpful? AO do not make your decision.
I’m curious as To what you think the AO‘s job is and why they don’t help make the decision? Serious interested. Actually, the AO has a lot to do with the acceptance process. They know your school and regional influences as far as diversity and strength of the schools. Schools don’t want their incoming students to be cookie cutters. It’s hard when every application has high SATs, class rankings, leadership etc. They are the person to take your application to the next level. They are the initial sorter of all the applications in their region. They take their candidates to the table with other AOs and pretty much can fight your case if they feel strongly that you are a good candidate to be the perfect piece to the puzzle. Do not underestimate their job in the process. Especially if you feel your application may not be as strong as others
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I’m curious what you think an Admissions Officer does if you don’t believe they make Admissions decisions.
I meant Admissions Counselors…